“hello my name is doris” movie review

In Hello, My Name Is Doris, the title character is as awkward as the actress’s infamous Oscar acceptance speech, “You like me, you really like me.”

But, played with nuance, vulnerability and a tremendous amount of heart, she’s also a great reminder that, yes, we do like Sally Field. We really like her.

Hello, My Name Is Doris is the story of a sixty something year old office worker who has spent most of her life caring for her sick mother and commuting from their Staten Island hoarder’s home to her cubicle in Manhattan.

When her mother dies, Doris is lost. She refuses to sell — or clean — the house, despite her brother and sister’s demands, and she continues to fade into the background at work and attend lectures with her longtime BFF, Roz (Tyne Daly).

Then, one day, in a crowded elevator, she is stuck up against John (Max Greenfield), a young hunk who is sweet and friendly, who gently adjusts her glasses for her and who turns out to be the new art director. She is smitten.

Empowered by a self-help guru (Peter Gallagher) who spouts inspirational thoughts like, “Fear is another four letter F word,” “Impossible is really I’m possible,” and “Don’t look back and ask, ‘Why me?’ Look ahead and ask, ‘Why not me?'” Doris becomes emboldened and decides to go for him. Watching her lie in bed at night, repeating to herself, “I’m possible,” is so raw and full of hope, it takes a little piece of the viewer’s heart each time.

The movie is a bit uneven, moving back and forth between drama and comedy — there are some moments that are truly LOL (wait for her comment about Staples) — but, through it all, Field makes you care deeply about her character and what happens to her. With her, uh, unique fashion style and rich fantasy life, you’re not sure at first whether John — and the filmmakers themselves — are laughing with her or at her, and it feels a little uncomfortable. But, as you learn more about Doris and watch her grow more confident in herself, there’s little doubt everyone’s on her side.

I love the scene when Doris goes clubbing and becomes the hit of the hip, young crowd who admire her indie look and the fact that age isn’t stopping her from living her life. “You’re a baller,” John tells her, and she’s thrilled when Roz’s granddaughter later explains to her that means she’s “a supercool person.”

While a generation of millennials is trying so hard to be cool, Doris just is.

And that’s why, ultimately, the movie works. It’s a celebration of being yourself, of aging ungracefully and owning it.

Although you may question whether someone like John could actually ever fall for someone like Doris, or whether an older woman’s look would actually ever be noticed by a cutting edge rock photographer or whether she would actually ever be embraced by her young co-workers — well, thanks to Field’s beautiful performance, there’s just enough possibility in the answer to believe it’s possible.