Hello, My Name Is Doris-2016
Director Michael Showalter
Starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield
Scott’s Review #390
Reviewed April 1, 2016
Grade: B
Sally Field shines in Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016), a sweet-natured indie romantic comedy that tells of a lonely Staten Island woman and her mostly fantasy-laden relationship with her colleague, a much younger, hunky man (Max Greenfield).
The film is somewhat predictable but sweet and honest and works well. It hardly reinvents the wheel, but it is a lovely character-oriented story about a woman’s reawakening from a dull life.
This is refreshing in a world of retreads and superhero flicks.
Doris Miller meanders through life at her crappy data entry job at an Advertising Agency in mid-town Manhattan. Having worked in the same role for decades, she is overlooked and more or less invisible to colleagues.
She is the “weird old lady” or the “wallflower” who goes unnoticed. Her personal life is a dud. She lives with her recently deceased mother, who is a hoarder and severely marginalized. She has no dating possibilities.
One day, on the elevator heading to the office, a kind young man named John Fremont innocently pays attention to her, and she becomes enamored with him.
Later, she is stunned to realize that John is the new Art Director at her job.
Her crush escalates as she and John become friends, and a series of misunderstandings ensue, with the added conflict of her friends thinking she is living in a fantasy world, worried she will wind up hurt.
Sally Field carries this film in every way. It is nice to see her in a lead role again, which, sadly, is a rarity these days for a seventy-year-old actress.
She convincingly plays quirky, shy, and awkward and has one melt-down scene that is a powerful testament to her continued acting ability.
The character of Doris slowly blossoms and becomes rich with zest. We discover she is much more than meets the eye, and these moments in the film are wonderful to experience, thanks to Field’s charisma.
My favorite scenes involve the lovely bond between Doris and the thirteen-year-old granddaughter of her best pal, Roz, played by Tyne Daly.
Despite the age difference, the granddaughter views her as a peer, giving daring dating advice to the inept Doris. This leads to a nice portion of the plot and some funny moments.
One unique aspect of Hello, My Name Is Doris is that it is not a film about a May-December romance between a man and a woman—at least, I did not see it that way. Instead, it is about a woman who finally decides to live regardless of age.
I felt her stifled and smothered by her brother and sister-in-law, who clearly did not understand that she hoarded “stuff” in her home to cope with her loneliness, and to be surrounded by things that gave her comfort helped her deal.
Granted, Doris clinging to one broken wooden ski from the Dark Ages was amusing in its cuteness.
Tyne Daly, who can recite the phone book, is worth a considerable note from an acting standpoint. I’d be happy to do that. She is one of those natural, confident, engaging, real actresses, and her scenes with Field glistened with raw talent and emotion.
Perhaps a female buddy movie with Field and Daly?
The remainder of the supporting characters are capable but not spectacular. They are somewhat clichéd and one-note.
For example, Doris’s colleagues view her as invisible with the classic office jokes, especially the female boss thrown into the film- possessing a hard-as-nails personality and coldness.
I have seen these characters time after time in comedy films.
Supporting actors from Orange is the New Black (2013-2019) and Mad Men (2007-2015) are featured as a couple of the colleagues.
Indie, fun, and with a freshness made in large part by Sally Field, Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016) is an innocent comedy with a romantic edge and some nice laughs.
It is far from a masterpiece but a good-natured escape, which is refreshing, especially for the middle-aged or senior crowd craving a non-stereotypical female character.
Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Piaget Producers Award (won)
