Driving Miss Daisy

Beresford and writer Alfred Uhry have produced a polished adaptation of the latter's play, but it's the sharp performances from Freeman and Tandy which save it from being overwhelmed by hazy filters and a surfeit of gleaming low-angle shots of period cars. Tandy plays a spirited Jewish matron who takes on black chauffeur Freeman; and the story, set in Atlanta against the social changes of the American South, charts their relationship over 25 years as they progress from caution to affection. Real events in the city's history are pinpointed (the bombing of the synagogue in 1958, the 1965 hotel reception in honour of Martin Luther King), with Tandy refusing to acknowledge prejudice, Freeman all too painfully aware of its consequences. Far too cosy to serve as an effective social or political metaphor; better to regard it as a solid ensemble piece.