By Mark Saldana
Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars)
Sally Field has already established herself as a seminal and consistent talent in Hollywood. He wonderfully charming personality and disarming screen presence has made me a long time admirer of her work. It came as no surprise that her latest performance in this SXSW headliner comedy would win my heart as my favorite performance of the festival. With the intelligent and talented Michael Showalter at the helm and with a truly amazing screenplay by Laura Terruso, this film became my favorite headliner of the festival.
Field stars as the titular Doris, a 60-year-old woman coping with the recent loss of her mother and a working lady who feels out of place at a job where mostly younger people prevail. Feeling the need for a major change in her life, Doris decides to romantically pursue one of her younger employees, a hip and handsome man named John (Max Greenfield). As Doris attempts to reinvent herself to fit in John’s world, she also manages to alienate one of her longtime close friends (Tyne Daly) and bewilder and frustrate her younger brother Todd (Stephen Root) and his domineering wife Wendi Mclendon-Covey.
I was completely blown away with Terruso’s script which has such a wonderful mix of hilarious humor and realistic and poignant drama. Showalter and his cast perform beautifully here, particularly Sally Field who delivers a luminous and moving performance worthy of accolades come awards season. I cannot wait for this film to get released worldwide because I want many others to experience what has been one of the best movies this year. I also cannot wait to watch again.