Driving Miss Daisy African American housemaid named Idella (Esther Rolle). When Miss Daisy drives her 1946 Chrysler Windsor into her neighbor's yard, her forty-year-old son Boolie (Dan Aykroyd) buys her a 1949 Hudson Commodore and hires Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman), an African American chauffeur. Miss Daisy at first refuses to let anyone else drive her, but gradually gives in. As Miss Daisy and Hoke spend time together, she gains appreciation for his many skills. After Idella dies in 1962, rather than hire a new maid, Miss Daisy decides to care for her own house and have Hoke do the cooking and the driving.
The Miss Firecracker Contest producing a positive message about self-confidence, courage, perseverance, and compassion pleased critics, who praised Henley for her quirky characters and warm messages. The play's popularity allowed for the production of "Miss Firecracker," the film version of this play, which was produced in 1989 directed by Thomas Schlamme and starring Holly Hunter. Hunter has been cast in many of Henley's plays in addition to "The Miss Firecracker Contest". The Miss Firecracker Contest The Miss Firecracker Contest is a Southern literature play written by Beth Henley. It was originally produced in Los Angeles in 1980 at the Victory Theater directed by Maria