By John Corrado

★★★ (out of 4)

Doris (Sally Field) is a lonely older woman who has worked at the same office job for years, and lives with her cats in the junk-filled Staten Island house where she devoted her life to taking care of her recently deceased mother.  When an attractive and much younger new recruit (Max Greenfield) arrives at her hip New York office, Doris finds herself drawn to him, but gets increasingly mixed messages from their tentative friendship.

Directed by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris affectively mixes tones, balancing its broader laughs with some genuine pathos.  Sally Field shines in an excellent showcase of both her dramatic and comedic abilities, drawing laughs from some of the more physical aspects of the title character, while also sympathetically and believably portraying her struggles with loneliness and hoarding.

The screenplay finds its most powerful moments when openly confronting the complex emotions behind the story, even when at risk of being uncomfortable to watch.  Because of this, Hello, My Name is Doris is a delightful small gem that also resonates with a deep undercurrent of heartbreak.  It’s an entertaining pseudo-romantic comedy with tragedy hidden beneath the surface, a careful balance that is always brilliantly pulled off by Sally Field, who is working here at the top of her game.

The DVD also includes commentary with Michael Showalter, deleted scenes and an alternate opening.

Hello, My Name is Doris is a Sony Pictures release.  It’s 90 minutes and rated 14A.