Driving Miss Daisy (2014 film)
| Driving Miss Daisy | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | David Esbjornson |
| Produced by |
Jill Bilcock Richard Moore |
| Written by | Alfred Uhry |
| Based on |
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry |
| Starring |
Angela Lansbury James Earl Jones Boyd Gaines |
Production company |
Broadway Near You Umbrella Entertainment |
| Distributed by |
Screenvision Fathom Events |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country |
United States Australia |
| Language | English |
Driving Miss Daisy is a 2014 American-Australian filmed performance of the 2013 Australian stage production revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry starring Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines.
Production background
This performance of Driving Miss Daisy was recorded during the play's successful five-week sold-out run at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne, Australia from April 5 to May 12, 2013. It was directed for the stage by David Esbjornson and directed for the screen by Peter Ots.
James Earl Jones originally starred as Hoke Colburn in the 2010 Broadway revival and subsequent West End transfer in 2011, opposite Vanessa Redgrave, and four-time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines also reprised his Broadway role as Boolie Werthan for the Australian tour.
The production of Driving Miss Daisy was filmed by Broadway Near You in association with 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 includes John Lee Beatty (Scenic Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), Wendall K. Harrington (Projection Design), Christopher Cronin (Sound Design) and Mark Bennett (Composer).
Synopsis
Daisy Werthan, a widowed, 72-year-old Jewish woman (Angela Lansbury) living in mid-century Atlanta, is deemed too old to drive by her son Boolie (Boyd Gaines) who then hires Hoke Colburn, an African-American man (James Earl Jones), to serve as her chauffeur; 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
- Angela Lansbury as Miss Daisy Werthan
- James Earl Jones as Hoke Colburn
- Boyd Gaines as Boolie Werthan
Release
Theatrical run
On May 25, 2014, a special screening of Driving Miss Daisy: The Play, followed by a live Q&A session with Angela Lansbury, was broadcast by via satellite from the BFI Southbank in London to over 300 cinemas across the United Kingdom. The screening was presented by Omniverse Vision in association with BFI Southbank.[1]
Driving Miss Daisy was released in 500 movie theaters across the United States and Canada for a limited engagement run from June 4 to June 10, 2014 which was presented by Screenvision in association with Broadway Near You.[2] Fathom Events and Broadway Near You also presented special screenings of Driving Miss Daisy in US cinemas nationwide for a one-night only event on Thursday, May 14, 2015. Of the theatre version being released in cinemas, playwright Alfred Uhry said, "Every playwright dreams of having a perfect rendition of his play last forever. I am blessed to have it happen for me with this production of Driving Miss Daisy.” [3]
Television broadcast
On Friday, July 17, 2015, Driving Miss Daisy was broadcast on PBS stations nationwide as a presentation of THIRTEEN's Great Performances series at 9 pm.[4]
Home media release
On September 29, 2015, Driving Miss Daisy was released on DVD in Region 1 by PBS Distribution, available for purchase exclusively through their website at ShopPBS.org.[5]
References
- ↑ BFI press release: Driving Miss Daisy: The Play plus Q&A with Angela Lansbury, March 31, 2014.
- ↑ Driving Miss Daisy, Starring Angela Lansbury & James Earl Jones, Will Hit Movie Theaters Nationwide This Summer. broadway.com, May 8, 2014.
- ↑ Driving Miss Daisy Starring Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, and Boyd Gaines: A special event in cinemas nationwide. fathomevents.com.
- ↑ Driving Miss Daisy: About the Play – Premiere date: July 17, 2015. PBS.org
- ↑ BWW Review: DRIVING MISS DAISY DVD Starring Lanbury, Jones is a Truly 'Great Performance', October 12, 2015. PBS.org