Remarkably underused across Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies and truly magnetic in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, few actresses boast the rich and varied career of Sally Field, who first caught Hollywood’s eye during her screen debut in 1967’s The Way West. Fast forward to today and there is already a lot of early buzz surrounding Field’s next appearance, the title role in Hello, My Name is Doris.
Written and directed by Michael Showalter, the film follows Doris, a humble, softly-spoken widow who is shaken out of her isolation after crossing paths with John (New Girl‘s Max Greenfield), an attractive and much, much younger co-worker who catches her eye. And so, in an attempt to bridge the generation gap, Field’s protagonist begins to roll back the years, attending concerts and even creating a false Facebook account all in the hope of earning John’s admiration.
But where so many features – Last Vegas and Dirty Grandpa, for instance – indulge in ridiculing the older generation, Hello, My Name is Doris embraces it with open arms, and the ways in which Field’s character interacts with her newfound friends paves the way for a heartwarming snippet of Showalter’s feature, rather than a crude, forgettable comedy that swaps engaging characters for shallow quips. Alongside Field and Greenfield are Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) and Beth Behrs of 2 Broke Girls fame.
Michael Showalter’s Hello, My Name is Doris is expected to hit theaters on March 11. To get the jump on Field’s turn in the film, check out our review from SXSW.
After the death of her mother, Doris, an isolated 60-year-old woman, becomes motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker at a hip Brooklyn clothing company. As she finds ways to connect with John (going to an electronica concert, hanging out in hipster coffee shops..), her authentic retro style thrusts her into the spotlight of the local hipster social scene and she soon gets caught up in the world of chocolate bar haikus and rooftop knitting clubs. But her other relationships suffer as a result of her new found popularity and Doris has to realize that what she wants isn’t necessarily what she needs.
