WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Loss can make you think. It can make you reason about what comes next when someone you’ve cared for and loved your whole life is no longer there. It can even make you long for your own younger days and the things that could have been. Doris Miller (Sally Field) lives in a hoarder’s paradise via the home where she’s dwelled for so many years. Now coming off a hurtful loss, she simply goes about daily routine on autopilot, despite the attempts of her brother Todd (Stephen Root), his wife Cynthia (Wendi McLendon-Covey), and psychiatrist Dr. Edwards (Elizabeth Reaser) to help her move on. Working a data entry job she’s had forever, life just stagnates.
That is until the fashion-oriented company hires on new art director John Fremont (Max Greenfield), a young, handsome, formerly California-based man with whom Doris is completely taken by. After attending a self-help seminar by Willy Williams (Peter Gallagher) with her best friend Roz (Tyne Daly), Doris sets out on a mission to win John’s heart. Striking up an initial friendship with him despite her daydreaming awkwardness and general odd behavior, Doris begins to experience situations that bring her back to a place of acting and feeling young, all thanks to hanging out with John. But, when her pursuit is interrupted by an unanticipated roadblock, the anger and bitterness cause her to take drastic action.
Realizing too late the mistake she made, Doris has to face reality not just about John, but about who she really is and needs to be.
Next, my Mind:
Writer/director Michael Showalter’s independent feature film does what so many others in the genre, big or small, manage to accomplish with grace and ease–create characters and narratives that are both sincerely moving yet painfully human. Watching the lead character here invokes that struggle, not just with the idea of growing older, but with the thoughts about what she could have done or been had circumstances turned out differently. Addressed with both cheering humor and heartbreaking sorrow, the film moves deftly through its paces, plunging the viewer into Doris’ quest with vigor and intent, as you ride the rollercoaster that is her existence. A whimsical and equally poignant soundtrack accompanies the tale.
Sally Field is just straight-up fantastic as Doris, playing her with all the bravado of “Norma Rae” combined with the graceful composure and dignity of “Places In The Heart”. It is mesmerizing to sit there and behold this transformation that occurs as Field navigates the complexities of Doris’ journey, and it makes one welcome her back to the big screen wholeheartedly. Greenfield brings the appropriate level of charm and youthful self-assurance as John, a man who knows where he’s going, yet finds such an unexpected friend and confidant in Doris, which is truly delightful to watch develop. Supporting turns from Daly, Root, McLendon-Covey, Reaser, Beth Behrs, and Isabella Acres all lend themselves to Doris’ story well, aiding in making her a complete person.
In total, “Hello, My Name Is Doris” has its charming and edgier sides, the pairing of which makes the film settled and grounded in its telling of a woman whose twilight years may have come, but that only ends up heralding the beginnings to an entirely new outlook on life.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
