Sally Field Shines in “Doris”
By Skip Sheffield
Sally Field, we like you, we really like you. Even at age 69
we still like you.
Sally has a role tailor-made for her in “Hello, My Name is
Doris.” The original story is by Laura Terruso with screenplay by Terruso and
director Michael Showalter (“Wet Hot American Summer”).
Since her mother died, Doris Miller (Sally Field) has lived
alone is a clutter-filled Staten Island house. Every weekday she catches the
Staten Island Ferry to her job as an accountant at a large firm in Manhattan. Two things happen
to change Doris’ dull routine. First she attends a motivational speech given by
a charming lecturer (Peter Gallagher) who urges everyone to “take big risks.”
Doris has always quietly shied away from risks, but when a handsome young
executive is transferred from Malibu, Doris is smitten with this California-cool
dude named John Fremont (Max Greenfield).
It is hard to imagine any actress other than Sally Field with
the ability to pull off kooky, dowdy, adorable and yes sexy in varying degrees.
When Doris, at the urging of the 13-year-old granddaughter (Isabella Acres) of
her best friend Roz (Tyne Daly), fabricates a fake Facebook account to learn
more about what John Fremont likes, we think yeah, happens every day. When she
shows up at a concert by John’s favorite electronica music group, we admire her
pluck. When the group takes a shine to Doris we think, OK, maybe, but when they
decide to do a photo shoot of her for their next album, we think wait a minute!
Doris, who does have active fantasies, inevitably comes back down
to Earth. John has an attractive, age-appropriate girlfriend Brooklyn (Beth
Behrs) who is also a professional singer. Doris exposes a darker side of her
nature when she does something not very nice. It also shows she is human.
I am probably not the most impartial judge of Sally Field.
Shucks I have had a crush on her since I first saw her as “Gidget,” back in
1965. I see her as poster girl for sexy senior citizens everywhere and hey, she
is only a year older than me. Wouldn't you know, the local preview screening was hosted by A.A.R.P.
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