Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Hello, My Name is Doris Blu-ray Movie Review

Finding Doris.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 29, 2016

If age is just a numerical value along the course of one's existence, then love seems to be something that transcends age, something that's woven into the very fabric of existence, that pays no attention to the little things like the cosmic ebbs and flows that define time and one's fleeting existence in it. Hello, My Name Is Doris explores the concept of love -- perhaps better said infatuation -- through the eyes of a woman whose time has all but passed her by. It's also a movie about the fine line between living in the past and moving on from it. That all makes Director Michael Showalter's (writer, Wet Hot American Summer) film one steeped in ideas of time and how the title character sees the world through the prism of her own accumulated life experiences -- one could even say physically manifested in her 60s-inspired "cat" eyeglasses -- versus how life is when it's presented directly in front of her face, when she finds she has no choice but to saturate herself in an alien world, to free herself from the bonds of her past in an effort to reconnect with the more spry, full-of-life version from it.

Young at heart...again.

Doris (Sally Field) is a New York office drone whose time has passed her by. She's stuck in a bygone era. It's easy to see. Her clothes, her eyeglasses, and her mannerisms all scream "it's not my time anymore." It's a young person's world, and she's somehow slipped through the cracks and finds herself forced to work from the (comfort? discomfort?) of a "Posture Ball" rather than an office chair, surrounded by a cadre of co-workers who, to her, may as well be from Mars. It's a minor miracle that she can even handle the office computer. She lives with her mother, or at least she did. Her mother recently passed away, leaving behind her cat, her home, and all the junk inside of it, junk that Doris treasures. Her psychiatrist and family want her to move on, but she's not ready. One day, a good looking new co-worker named John (Max Greenfield), fresh from the west coast, arrives in the office. She could probably be his grandmother, but she's smitten. Big time. Combine the excitement of a handsome new face with a newfound confidence following attendance at a motivational speech, and she's ready to turn back her clock by leaping into the 21st century and, she hopes, into John's arms. But can she exist in his world, and if the impossible were to happen, he in hers?

Hello, My Name Is Doris unquestionably looks a bit goofy on the surface. The story of an aged pack-rat cat lady, who has never moved out of her mother's house, smitten like a teenager and falling head over heels for a guy a good thirty or so years her junior seems like the stuff of cheap romance novel whimsy or indeed, as the movie shows a few times, wild flights of imaginative fancy that sound good and play out perfectly in the head but have about as much of a chance of happening in real life as striking a mega-millions lottery. Back-to-back. The movie follows Doris as she, with a little help from people who think it's "cute" that's she obsessive and borderline psycho about a boy who was born when she was nearing middle age, plays a game of 21st century mental and physical gymnastics -- a little cyber stalking, an effort to recondition her tastes to match his -- in an effort to get close to her would-be boy toy and live the dream. But she soon finds out, or perhaps better said rediscovers, outside of her self-made bubble of would-be pleasure, that life is far more complicated than that, and that her age is, really, the least of her problems and one of the lesser reasons why the relationship is a long shot.

But the movie is much more than a peek into the mind of a woman whose life is quickly passing her by and whose mind churns out one more good fantastical yarn that hearkens back probably more than four decades to a time when she had her whole life in front of her rather than the vast majority of it behind her. The movie's subplot involves her therapist and family trying to make her move on with her life, to surrender her obsession with hoarding the past -- physical goods to be sure but, a little less obvious, mentally and emotionally as well -- and spend the last years of her life moving forward rather than stalling in a broken reverse gear. The film's overreaching themes extend through both narratives. They deal with ideas of coping with reality, accepting life's truths (including the passage of time), and not surrendering to the world or even accepting all of its change but, at the very least, moving forward with it in one's own way rather than hoping for the miracle that's never going to come. It's very neat and tidy, finely, but obviously, entwined in the movie's DNA. It's a fascinating picture on many levels that's very well done not only narratively, but technically, too.

Sally Field is masterful in the lead. The two-time Oscar winner nails the part's complexities, whether her dogged stubbornness in her ways -- particularly in hanging onto the past as it's physically manifested in her mother's overstuffed home -- or her sudden burst of youthful, teenage exuberance when the lady goes gaga over John. Her ability to carry the look of someone stuck in the past while exuding a bubbly excitement over the prospect of rekindling her life is a sight to behold; few actresses could blend so much cheer, vulnerability, and deeply held anguish as well as Field. She shares excellent screen chemistry with co-star Max Greenfield who plays the part like his John is on top of the world. His relationship with Doris is very well defined, in the uneasy first cycle of their relationship; the more fluid, fun, and in some ways suggestive middle stretch; and how they handle the realities that manifest in the film's third act.

Hello, My Name is Doris Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hello, My Name Is Doris arrives on Blu-ray with a satisfying 1080p transfer that never struggles to present a pleasing, well-rounded image. Detailing is excellent. The digitally sourced image does show a little innate flatness and smoothness, but core textural elements don't suffer. Doris' heavier clothes look lovely, with plenty of fine fabric density and material definition to enjoy. Faces are revealing, whether deep wrinkles, fine pores, moles, hair, or makeup. Little odds and ends around her mother's home -- all that junk -- or little touches around the office, like the textures on cubical dividers or other office furniture and nicknacks, all impress in clarity and definition. Colors are healthy and honest. Clothing is the highlight, particularly the loud attire Doris wears to a concert. It's bright and showy but never overblown. More neutral shades blend in nicely, and well lit scenes -- most of the movie -- always yield a high level of natural, effortless punch. Skin tones appear even and black levels appropriately deep. The image does show a light layer of source noise, and minor aliasing is evident in a couple of places, notably an overhead city exterior shot earlier in the film. When it's all said and done, however, Sony's presentation pleases on all fronts.

Hello, My Name is Doris Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hello, My Name Is Doris is, unsurprisingly rather reserved and front-heavy in its sound presentation. Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack handles the movie's needs without incident. Sonic clarity is fine throughout the movie's modest foundation. Music largely remains up front, with a healthy enough spacing and solid clarity. More lively club music during a key sequence partway through the film is likewise more front heavy than it is surround intensive, but the greater diversity and power helps to spice up the proceedings. Minor support atmospherics manage to push a little further into the backs. Little office din and details gently penetrate the rears, and with enough scene-matching exactness, to draw the listener into the environment. Mostly, however, the movie is dialogue intensive, and Sony's soundtrack expectedly replays the spoken word with firm, natural, front and center placement.

Hello, My Name is Doris Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hello, My Name Is Doris contains an audio commentary track and a voluminous collection of deleted and extended scenes. No DVD or digital versions of the film are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Co-Writer/Director Michael Showalter delivers an even-keeled and well-spoken track, discussing shooting logistics and locations, concept origins and influences, cast and performances, themes and narrative structure, and plenty more. A strong track that's nicely supportive of the film.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 25:05 total runtime): Bye, Mom, These Balls Are BS, Poor Doris, Cheers, I Like Your Socks, Singles Over Sixty, Chinos vs. Khakis, Oh No She Doesn't, We Should All Move to Staten Island, Ploppers, Lick the Victoria, Spending More Time Together, Ties, Anything Was Possible (Extended), Gender Trouble, and This Is a Space Fit for Love and Healing.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

Hello, My Name is Doris Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hello, My Name Is Doris is a pleasant little movie that finds the right balance between tender and humorous as it explores the timeless subject of life through what time one has. Its message is simple, its themes complex, its nature cheerful, its purpose substantial, and its characters well drawn and detailed. It's a movie that's easy to fall in love with at any age. Sony's Blu-ray is peppy, too, featuring quality video and audio to go along with an audio commentary track and plenty of deleted scenes to enjoy. Recommended.