HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS (Michael Showalter). 90 minutes. Opens Friday (April 22). See Listing. Rating: NNN
This film about an older (60 anyway) woman who falls for the much younger new guy in her office is superbly acted. But the script lets the team down.
Doris (Sally Field) is slowly losing her grip. She’s turned into a hoarder while caring for her mother, whose death makes her want to hang on to stuff even more. She’s looking for something to give her direction, and soon she’s reading way too much into what her colleague John (Max Greenfield) is saying to her and loses touch with reality.
Field is terrific – angry, hopeful, desperate you’ll really, really like her – and Tyne Daly is wonderful as her long-suffering best friend. Their scenes crackle with authentic energy. Add Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is The New Black), Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) and you have a winning cast.
But director and co-writer Michael Showalter’s script, especially in scenes about Doris’s hoarding and the way her family relates to it, is slack, and the ending’s a bit too pat. Still, it’s fun to watch great actors do their thing. 90 minutes.
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