Film

Hello, My Name Is Doris

Name: Hello, My Name Is Doris
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 2015
Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Stephen Root, Natasha Lyonne

Romantic comedy
Light-hearted

Sally Field is Doris, a lonely sixty-something hoarder who, after attending a self-help seminar, decides to pursue her much-younger coworker. It's a film that finds genuine sweetness and humor in yearning, eccentricity, and the courage it takes to want something—even when the wanting itself is the point, not the having.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy gentle, awkward comedy about late-life longing and want a lead performance that carries both the giggles and the wistfulness, with Sally Field doing much of the heavy lifting.

Skip it if you want a sharp, fast-moving comedy with punchlines every few minutes; this one is more interested in small, uncomfortable moments and can drift when its mood turns soft.

What it asks of you: Ninety-five minutes of shifting gears: broad laughs give way to quieter, slightly melancholy scenes with little warning, so stay alert for the change in tone.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

About a Boy2002

A similar story of an older person's emotional awakening through an unlikely relationship, with the same warmth and wit about connection across age gaps. It earns its sentiment without ever feeling saccharine.

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Tammy2014

Melissa McCarthy in a road-trip comedy that's surprisingly tender underneath the chaos. Like Doris, it's about a woman deciding her life doesn't have to be small, and finding joy in the attempt.

But The humor is broad and scattershot. You have to be willing to let some jokes land badly to get to the ones that land perfectly.

Beginners2011

Christopher Plummer plays a man starting over late in life. It captures that same bittersweet tone—the beauty of reinvention mixed with the ache of time running out. Gorgeously made.

But It's quiet and melancholic. There are stretches where not much happens, and if you need constant momentum, it'll feel slow.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hello, My Name Is Doris

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Transparent2014

Both explore how transformation begins when you finally stop performing the role you've been assigned.

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But It's heavy. Family trauma is the central engine. You need emotional stamina, and some of the later seasons divide viewers sharply.

Ghostbusters II1989

Okay, hear me out: it's actually about middle-aged people finding purpose and courage in the face of absurdity. Plus, it's fun in a way that doesn't contradict being sincere.

But It's a Ghostbusters movie. If you found the first one tedious, this won't convert you. The logic is nonsense.

Punch-Drunk Love2002

Adam Sandler as an awkward, lonely man who finds unexpected love. Paul Thomas Anderson directs it with such tenderness that the strangeness of the character becomes deeply moving.

But It's surreal and stylized in ways that can feel affected. The romance is unconventional—some viewers find that refreshing, others find it cold.

The Farewell2019

Awkwafina and Shuzhen Zhao craft a film about a woman caught between worlds, trying to be herself while honoring what her family expects. There's joy underneath the complexity.

But It's bittersweet rather than funny. The ending doesn't resolve the central tension—it just shifts how you feel about it.

Fish Tank2009

A raw, unsentimental look at longing and fantasy. Like Doris, it's about a woman building an entire emotional life around someone who doesn't know she exists—and what that costs her.

But It's grimy and sometimes harsh. The cinematography is naturalistic to the point of ugliness. This isn't a comfort watch.

Amélie2001

An eccentric woman finds meaning by changing other people's lives, even as she struggles with her own isolation. It's whimsical but never mocking—Doris has the same kindness underneath the strangeness.

But The whimsy can feel cloying if you're not in the mood for it. Some people find the tone precious rather than charming.

Licorice Pizza2021

Paul Thomas Anderson again, this time celebrating the messy, awkward, genuine joy of two people finding each other. It's loose and loving about its characters' contradictions.

But The age-gap romance at its center makes some viewers deeply uncomfortable. Thematically, it might feel like Doris but morally positioned very differently.

Always Shine2016

Like Doris, it's about a woman who has constructed an entire fantasy around someone else—but it refuses to let that fantasy be charming or resolved.

An experimental drama about two actresses and obsession, shot in a fractured, dreamlike way. It captures the surreal quality of being consumed by another person's existence, but asks darker questions about what that hunger means.

But It's nearly plotless and deliberately destabilizing. The structure is fragmented. Some viewers find it brilliant; others find it exhausting or pretentious.

The Gleaners and I2000

Both celebrate the dignity and complexity of people society has written off as too old, too poor, too strange to matter.

Agnès Varda's documentary about people who collect the leftovers of society—food, objects, meaning. It's a meditation on dignity, solitude, and finding value in what the world discards. Doris is a gleaner of moments and attention.

But It's a documentary essay with no conventional narrative. Varda's voice is meditative and slow. If you need plot momentum, this will feel like watching someone's photo album.