In Hello, My Name Is Doris, a woman in her 60s vies for the attention of her new and much younger co-worker, while trying to break out of a shell she’s spent decades hiding in. What sounds like safe rom-com terrain (and it is) turns into a heartwarming and empowering anti-ageist tale about reinventing yourself and trusting your gut.
Doris (played with unwavering heart by Sally Field) has spent her entire life caring for her recently deceased mother and living in her former family home like a borderline hoarder. She works a menial desk job where she blends in with the wallpaper, until John (Max Greenfield), an ambitious and affable younger guy enters the office. Thirty-ish years her junior, John awakens butterflies in Doris, who hasn’t acted like a teenager since she was a teenager. She adorably and awkwardly fumbles around him whenever she gets the chance. But with the help of her best friend’s granddaughter, Doris stalks him on Facebook and fakes being a fan of his favorite band, and the two enter a friendship that seemingly gives Doris new purpose and new life. As the movie unfolds, she slowly comes to terms with her wasted years, lack of confidence and the consequences of former decisions.
Directed by MIchael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer, Stella, The State) and co-written by Showalter and Laura Terruso, the film delicately balances cringe-worthy comedy with subtle heart as Doris continuously stumbles forward. While some of the B- and C-characters provide amusement (Kumail Nanjiani and Natasha Lyonne play a couple of co-workers, while Stephen Root and Wendi McLendon-Covey play Doris’s brother and sister-in-law), Field is by far the shining star, balancing broad sometimes-physical comedy with deeper emotional traumas. Field’s performance is hilarious, whimsical and at times heartbreaking, making us both pity and root for Doris despite her quirks and naivety.
Doris yearns to not only want something, but to have the courage to reach out and grab it. Thanks in part to her connection with the empathetic John, she learns that it’s never too late to become the person you’re meant to be…and that happiness is possible. Even for her. Grade: A-
