The cast is a who’s who of familiar faces; a personal favorite of mine, Stephen Root, plays Doris’ annoyed brother Todd; together with younger sister Cynthia (played by Wendi McLendon-Covey), the siblings try and selfishly push Doris out of their mother’s house with the intentions to sell it. Todd is set up as being villainous, but in a captivating emotional scene, we see he has genuine concern for his struggling sister. Natasha Lyonne plays a small role as one of Doris’ co-workers, and she looks like she just stepped off the set of American Pie; she’s never looked better. Actor Kumail Nanjiani has a small role as Nasir, another one of Doris’ office associates. He has some hilarious moments involving his promiscuous tendencies. There are no weak spots in the cast; everyone who shows up on camera puts on a strong, competent performance.
“Hello My Name is Doris is a film that made me completely uncomfortable; it challenged me, it truly made me feel something, and for that I found myself loving it.”
This film has some very heavy emotional scenes that elevate it past being just a quirky indie comedy. Doris is a hoarder and it’s a terrible thing to see someone live that way; unable to let things go, and unwilling to take care of themselves. Sally Field and Stephen Root have this incredibly emotional scene where the character of Doris is forced to rid herself of the clutter suffocating her inside her late-Mother’s house. We witness an emotional breakdown that is absolutely gut wrenching. Stephen Root is a highly underrated actor who should net way more dramatic roles than he does. On the lighter side, there’s this very brief scene where Doris is pressured into seeing John’s girlfriend, Brooklyn, perform her music. The look on Doris’ face during the performance is so full of hatred and disdain, and then John looks over at her and she instantly turns it into a polite smile…then as soon as he looks away it goes back to that perfect angry face. The timing and sentiment in this scene is absolute perfection thanks to Sally Field’s incredible acting.
Hello My Name is Doris is a film that made me completely uncomfortable; it challenged me, it truly made me feel something, and for that I found myself loving it. All the actors in this film are damned solid and the characters feel real and tangible. The ending had one of those clever conclusions where the audience is meant to draw their own conclusions as to the fate of the characters, and it works so well. When the credits rolled, I felt like I watched something incredibly special and unique. It’s an unconventional movie that’s captivating, powerful, and entertaining down to its very last moments.
Hello, My Name is Doris (2015) Directed by: Michael Showalter. Written by: Michael Showalter and Laura Terruso. Starring: Sally Field, Tyne Daly, Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Max Greenfield, Natasha Lyonne, Peter Gallagher, Beth Behrs
8 out of 10
