The Film
In the past few years, Sally Field hasn't been up on the big screen all that much. Aside from a plum role in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, she's probably best known to newer audiences as Aunt May from the Spider-Man reboot. Thankfully, director Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer) realized what a travesty this is and put her front and center with Hello, My Name is Doris.
The movie isn't exactly a blockbuster type, but Field certainly hasn't lost any of her star power. She embodies Doris Miller, a woman who dedicated her best years to taking care of her mother -- and developing a serious hoarding problem. When her mother passes, Doris quickly realizes how much of her life was wasted. Instead of getting a hobby, she gets several. However, all of them revolve around her unhealthy interest in John Fremont (New Girl's Max Greenfield), her company's new art director, who just happens to be about 30 years younger.
With very little support from her friend Roz (the hilarious Tyne Daly), a lot of help from Roz's 13-year-old granddaughter (Isabella Acres), and inspiration from self-help guru Willy Williams (Peter Gallagher), Doris begins to take on several of John's interests, including electronica and hanging with hipsters.
Hello, My Name is Doris definitely has a lot of funny moments. With some of the situations and especially the outfits, parts of this film play like a very special episode of New Girl (think "Meet Jess' Grandma"). Those moments are entertaining, but the movie often strays from that quirky path. It gets weird and insanely sad in some spots, watching this woman fabricate a romance, daydream, and even slightly unravel. It's as if Doris trades in one issue for another, going from hoarder to stalker.
Yes, Doris definitely has issues, but so does this movie. It's hard to know whether we should be laughing at or with the title character -- and whether both of those actions would be a bad thing. Showalter (who co-wrote the movie with Laura Terruso, creator of the short film Doris & the Intern) seems to throw every angle out there to see which one works best, giving the film a slight personality disorder. That said, Field smacks every one of those options out of the park. She's absolutely a standout -- and not just for the outfits. Of course, the talented supporting cast deserves plenty of accolades as well. Greenfield is adorable, Daly is hilarious, and there is a slew of other famous faces here, including Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Beth Behrs, Natasha Lyonne, Kumail Nanjiani, and Rich Sommer.
The Picture
Despite a dark color palette in the very beginning of the film, Hello, My Name is Doris has a 1.85:1 image that's as perky as its main character. Doris' wardrobe offers up a lot of different colors that stand out, particularly that bright red jacket. The film does have a lot of good detail as well, although a few soft backgrounds do pop up on occasion. This is a low budget movie though, so it's not all that surprising or distracting. There's still plenty to ogle, whether it's the action in the club, the wrinkles on Sally Field's face, the bustling street scenes, or the perfect comb lines in Peter Gallagher's perfect hair.
The Sound
Hello, My Name is Doris doesn't have a super memorable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but it's functional for what's going on throughout the film. There are a few atmospheric effects, but the dialogue is definitely the star here. It's always crystal-clear, even during some of the film's loudest moments. Most of those loud moments come in the form of club-style music, which does pop up a few times in the movie.
The Extras
Despite an all-star cast and critical acclaim, this is a pretty barebones release. Michael Showalter sits down for a feature-length commentary and there are 16 deleted/extended scenes. Otherwise, there are no other featurettes. There isn't even a DVD or Digital Copy of the film included.
Final Thoughts
When I first saw previews for this film, I couldn't help but think I was seeing a big-screen version of myself in 20+ years. Now, I'm not sure that's such a good thing. Hello, My Name is Doris definitely has a few quirks, but the cast certainly isn't one of them. The AV is nothing too memorable and the extras are sadder than some of the film's content. However, Sally Field alone is worth giving this film a watch.
Product Details
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