Hello, My Name is Doris

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Official Movie Description: 

 "When Doris Miller meets John Fremont, her company's hip new art director, sparks fly-at least for Doris. In the cluttered house she shared with her late mother, Doris mines the Internet for information on her one-and-only, guided by the 13-year-old granddaughter of her best pal Roz. When Doris begins showing up at John's regular haunts, she wins over his Williamsburg friends. Her new life brings Doris a thrilling perspective, but also creates a rift between her and her longtime friends and family, who believe she's making a fool of herself over a guy half her age. Eager for all the experiences she has missed out on, Doris throws caution to the wind and follows her heart for the very first time."

This is the type of indie that is constructed to be a vehicle for a legendary pop culture actor/actress to shine. In this case, it's Sally Field. They obviously market this movie to showcase her "amazing performance" as a "show-stopping", "jaw-dropping", and whatever other over-the-top adjectives. But, is her performance worth all the hype?

Well, it didn't change my life or anything, but I found Hello, My Name is Doris to be just as endearing, fun, entertaining, and compelling as the title character herself. It totes the line between comedy and drama rather confidently, juggling scenes of frivolous lightness and scenes of heavy-handed sincerity. It is syrupy in places that need it. However, I always appreciate a drama that does NOT get too heavy-handed. And Doris does not get too heavy-handed. Sure, there are plenty of melodramatic moments. But, there are no sudden or shocking deaths, or disturbing hospital scenes, or anything like that. It's simply a colorful character study of an aging woman who is rediscovering her place in the world. And, the supporting roles are all played well by young and beautiful actors and actresses.

It reminds me of the type of role Bill Murray would have played 10 or 12 years ago when he went through an Indie film resurgence. This may be like Sally Field's version of Lost In Translation. And that, to me, is a fun thing.


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