What Is It?  Faux-whimsical tale of a Jewish Southern lady (Jessica Tandy) and her African-American chauffeur (Morgan Freeman), and the friendship that grows between them over the long years that he works for her.

Why Did It Win?  Well, sentiment goes down well at the Oscars. Tandy was an old hand, the film had charm and humour and was undemanding enough to entertain voters while issue-y enough to seem serious. Mind you, some of the other nominees tended towards sentiment as well (Dead Poets' Society and Field of Dreams, we're looking at you) so maybe there was something in the air that year.

Did It Deserve To Win?  No, probably not. In many ways, this line up represents all that people hate about the Oscars: a sentimental story with hints of liberal guilt taking film of the year. However sweet Tandy was, or how likeable Freeman is, it has hardly proved a classic for the ages. It beat Born on the Fourth of July and My Left Foot among the nominees; also out were The Abyss, When Harry Met Sally, Batman, Do The Right Thing, Dekalog, Heathers, The Little Mermaid, Henry V and sex, lies and videotape.

Worth A Look?  You can get the whole thing in two minutes from Be Kind Rewind, so save some time and do that.