Movie Analysis: Driving Miss Daisy

Aging Process:

Ms. Daisy at 72 (Wealthy with strong Jewish religious background) started strong and imposing in her manners, aware of every details around her until she have that car accident that greatly affected her self-esteem.

She then created a friendship with Mr. Hoke (a black Christian, in a highly segregated and racist community) after being self-protective or suspicious about him. He in transition became a servant, a counselor and confidant. She develops her relationship out of her loneliness considering her son is very caring for her – she eventually became more affectionate of her driver, Mr. Hoke.

The third process is her eventual suffering of mental illness that landed her into a nursing home. The film did not depict the caused and it is assumed or stereotyped that it is part of the process of getting into old age.


Role of Counseling:

Mr. Hoke has some of the distinctiveness of being a good counselor: able to establish good affinity, benevolent, perceptive (considering the setting in the south of strong prejudice and segregation on Jew, Black, etc.). As counselor we should be aware of our patient’s culture, race and religion and be sensitive to their needs.
Religion and spirituality must be tackled in counseling when clients begin to address his spirituality and belief and have an effect on member’s health and influence how both clients and counselor response to the issue of concern, psychologically and physically.

Religious cultural differences with regard to denomination (as well as the beliefs and practices associated with being in a denomination) between client and therapists are likely to exist, particularly for clinical and counseling psychologists (Walker, Gorsuch and Tan, 2004).

Counselor is responsible to explore not only her age but her culture including her religion. Many if not all aspect of religion is very difficult to quantify and as professionals, we look at the obvious and what is proven and not the “invisible” or spirit particularly to diverse minority or people of color and people with strong religious upbringing.

The amount of training that most clinicians undergo within their graduate and professional education is quite extensive. Yet, because much of the training is anchored within the context of a European American psychological perspective, the knowledge base is limited when applied to people of color. This is particularly evident when considering the notion of spirituality (Cervantes and Parham, 2005).


Strength and Struggles:

Ms. Daisy at 72 is capable of honestly communicating her feelings: cynicism and mistrust (towards Mr. Hoke ) and not accepting the fact that she may be in danger of driving her own car. The physicality of Miss. Daisy must be considered in all facet of her ability. She has to recognize the fact that she may not be healthy to drive but this is not to stereotype all elderly at 72 is not capable.

At retirement age (65 yr), there was a stabilizing, or even an improving, tendency in activity patterns, usually followed by further erosion through the final period of life. Strengthening behavior eroded dramatically with advancing age among adults, especially among men. Among adolescents, differences between female and male respondents were large for regular, vigorous activity (11.3 percentage points greater for male respondents). In comparison with female adolescents and adults, male respondents reported much higher rates of regular, sustained activity (5.5 and 5.9 percentage points, respectively), and strengthening (18.2 and 11.3 percentage points, respectively) (Casperen, et al, 2000).

When Mr. Hoke tries to befriend and encouraged rapport with Miss Daisy, she was defensive but in the long run, they develop a good healthy relationship. It is important that Miss Daisy continue to interact with someone to encourage and keep her social skills hale and hearty this in some ways will be nourishing for her.

Evaluation results of the elder wellness program suggest that blood pressure screenings provide community health nurses (CHNs) with unique opportunities to promote wellness in older adults when provided in an atmosphere that encourages nurse-client interactions (Shellman, 2000).

Reference:
Caspersen, C., Pereira M. and Curran, M. (2000). Changes in physical activity patterns in the United States, by sex and cross-sectional age. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 1601-1609, Retrieved on December 5, 2000 at: http://www.acsm-msse.org/pt/re/msse/

Cervantes, J and Parham T. (2005). Toward a Meaningful Spirituality for People of Color: Lessons for the Counseling Practitioner. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology by the Educational Publishing Foundation Vol. 11, No. 1, 69 – 81. University of California, Irvine.

Shellman, J. (2000). Promoting Elder Wellness Through a Community-Based Blood Pressure Clinic SO: Public Health Nursing. Retrieved on December 5, 2008 at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119186015/abstract

Walker, D., Gorsuch, R., & Tan, S. (2004, October). Therapists' Integration of Religion and Spirituality in Counseling: A Meta-Analysis. Counseling & Values, 49(1), 69-80. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Tony Astro
Two Thumbs Up for the movie Driving Miss Daisy.

Last edited on: December 6, 2008 12:12 AM