Doris has a crush on the new guy at the office. When she’s not daydreaming about the two of them sucking face, she’s concocting excuses for him to visit her cubicle. Cute, huh?
Only, not so much, when you consider that John is in his twenties and Doris is just a few years away from getting a senior’s discount at the movies.
In a terrific performance, Sally Field plays Doris, a sixty-something woman who’s been living with her mom for the past thirty to forty years.
The film opens at her mother’s funeral. Afterwards, at a small reception, the shy and withdrawn Doris is accosted by her brother and sister-in-law. These two meanies couldn’t wait to confront poor Doris about selling the house and moving on with her life. Doris, though, recoils in horror at their suggestion. As far as she’s concerned – she isn’t going anywhere.
Turns out, though, that Doris’ life could’ve gone in a completely different direction. When she was much, much younger, she had a man in her life who wanted to marry her and move far away from her mom. But, Doris, ever concerned about her mother, chose to stay put. And, that’s where she’s been ever since – both physically and emotionally.
But, this isn’t the type of film that engages in a simplistic tug of war between ‘good’ characters and ‘bad’ characters. Those two “meanies” I mentioned earlier – her brother Todd (Stephen Root) and her sister-in-law Cynthia (Wendi McLendon-Covey) – turn out to be sensible people who are only looking to help an emotionally traumatized family member move on so she can open up her stale life to a whole new set of possibilities.
Trouble is, Doris thinks she’s already found that ‘new set of possibilities’ and the new guy at the office, John (Max Greenfield), is it. Newly transplanted from LA, John is young, handsome and friendly; the kind of guy who attracts friends and lovers with ease.
Too friendly, as it turns out, as Doris begins to believe the unbelievable – that twenty-something Max is just as hot for her as she is for him.
What starts off as light and cute eventually ends up heading in a far darker direction.
Pop a dozen champagne corks for Field’s performance. She plays cute and clueless without succumbing to caricature. She breathes life into Doris. This is no one-note, cardboard cut out creation. In Field’s hands, Doris soars above pathetic to capture our sympathy, having us rooting for her, while, at the same time, cringing as she takes one too many steps into her own personal, romantic Twilight Zone.
Very much centred on what it means to be young, what it means to be old and what it means to be old, but believing that you’re young and what kind of behaviour is expected from you, HMNID also skims the surface of hoarding and the consequences of living your life for someone other than yourself.
Featuring a terrific cast, it was especially wonderful to see Tyne Daly in the role of Doris’ tough as nails friend Roz. Though given only a few scenes in which to shine, she’s a standout who brings Roz to life in all her prickly, bullcrap free glory.
Wonderfully efficient at a brisk 90 minutes, the only real complaint I have is that it pulls back a bit too much and wraps up all too neatly.
Otherwise, it’s funny and touching and has a little more on its mind than you may, at first, think.
Glad to meet you, Doris. You’re a damn good film. Take care.
