Movie Review – Hello, My Name is Doris

“The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.” –Henry David Thoreau
Hello, My Name is Dorisis a romantic dramedy starring Sally Field as Doris. Quickly realizing that she has spent the majority of her adult life caring for her recently deceased mother, Doris is not sure how to move forward with life on her own. Her brother Todd (Stephen Root) tries to be helpful, but fails miserably. Her best friend Roz (Tyne Daly) and her daughter Vivian (Isabella Acres), along with motivational self-help seminar, provide the support that she needs to get back on her feet.
Doris starts to come out of her shell at work and immediately meets John (Max Greenfield), the new young, handsome executive. After a few short encounters and misinterpreted conversations, Doris convinces herself that John is interested in her in ways other than office colleagues. Her delusions cause a series of disastrous misadventures, which range from comical to heartbreaking.
Hello, My Name is Doris tries too hard to capture all of the stereotypical rabbit holes that a middle age person falls into after a major life changing event. These include inappropriate use of social media, life inhibiting anxiety disorders, seeking advice from a psychiatrist, and attending self-help seminars. The cast is strong, but the material makes you cringe as each new problem unfolds. I am sure many viewers will be able to relate to parts of the film, but when you group it all together, it becomes too much to handle. Hello, My Name is Doris is playing now at both the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak and The Maple Theater in Bloomfield Hills.