Driving Miss Daisy (2014 film)

Driving Miss Daisy
Directed by David Esbjornson
Peter Ots
Produced by Jill Bilcock
Richard Moore
Written by Alfred Uhry
Starring Angela Lansbury
James Earl Jones
Boyd Gaines
Production
company
Broadway Near You
Umbrella Entertainment
Distributed by Omniverse Vision (UK)
Screenvision (North America)
Fathom Events (US)
Release date
  • May 25, 2014 (2014-05-25) (UK)
  • June 4, 2014 (2014-06-04) (North America)
  • August 2, 2014 (2014-08-02) (Australia)
Running time
 90 minutes
Country United States
Australia
Language English

Driving Miss Daisy is a filmed performance of the 2013 Australian theatrical production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Alfred Uhry starring Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines which was produced as a 2014 film by Broadway Near You (United States) in association with Umbrella Entertainment (Australia).

Synopsis

Miss Daisy Werthan (Angela Lansbury) is a widowed, 72-year-old Jewish woman living in mid-century Atlanta who is deemed too old to drive by her son Boolie (Boyd Gaines). He then hires Hoke, an African-American man (James Earl Jones) to serve as her chauffeur, and what begins as a troubled and hostile pairing soon blossoms into a profound, life-altering friendship that transcends all the societal boundaries placed between them.

Cast

Production background

The Australian tour of the Broadway production of Driving Miss Daisy performed to sold-out audiences in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth from February 9 to June 16, 2013.[1] James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines, who originally starred in the play's 2010 Broadway revival and subsequent 2011 West End transfer (opposite Vanessa Redgrave), both reprised their Broadway roles for the Australian tour.

This performance of the play was filmed with six cameras in high-definition video during its successful five-week run at The Comedy Theatre in Melbourne, Australia from April 5 to May 12, 2013. A local crew was used for the six-camera shoot and Melbourne-based independent company Soundfirm completed all post-production – picture and sound.[2]

The production of Driving Miss Daisy, directed for the stage by David Esbjornson and directed for the screen by Peter Ots, was filmed by New York's Broadway Near You in association with Australia's Umbrella Entertainment and produced by Jill Bilcock and Richard Moore. The play was produced for the Australian stage by John Frost by special arrangement with Jed Bernstein and Adam Zotovich. The creative team included John Lee Beatty (Scenic Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), Wendall K. Harrington (Projection Design), Christopher Cronin (Sound Design) and Mark Bennett (Composer).

Theatrical release and broadcast

Theatrical

On May 25, 2014, a special one-off screening of Driving Miss Daisy: The Play was broadcast live via satellite from BFI Southbank in London to over 300 cinemas across the United Kingdom followed by an onstage Q&A session with Angela Lansbury, presented by Omniverse Vision in association with BFI.[3] On June 4, 2014, Driving Miss Daisy was released in a limited theatrical engagement in more than 500 movie theaters across the United States and Canada, presented by Screenvision in association with Broadway Near You.[4] On August 2, 2014, Driving Miss Daisy was screened at Village Cinemas in Melbourne, Australia and featured the previously taped Q&A session with Angela Lansbury, followed by an Australian-wide limited release. On May 14, 2015, Driving Miss Daisy was presented as a one-night only event in U.S. cinemas nationwide by Fathom Events and Broadway Near You.

Television

Driving Miss Daisy was broadcast nationwide on PBS stations as a presentation of the Great Performances series on Friday, July 17, 2015 at 9 pm.[5]

Critical review

The Australian stage production was met with critical acclaim. In its 5 star review, The Herald Sun said, "It is a privilege to witness the consummate professionalism and fine acting of two of America's stage and screen royalty, Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones". The Sydney Morning Herald critic raved, "I have never been happier jumping out of my chair and applauding wildly, while wiping away moisture from my cheeks". The Sydney Season praises: "With a cast whose reach transcends generations and whose successes are multitudinous, it is impossible to approach this play without the highest of expectations, and it does not, for a moment, disappoint".[6]

DVD release

On August 4, 2015, Driving Miss Daisy was released on DVD in Region 1 by PBS Distribution, available for purchase exclusively through the official PBS website at ShopPBS.org.[7] It was later made available for purchase via Amazon.com as of September 29, 2015.

References

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