the transformation of Doris

Reading a bunch of comments on this board it seems many are not latching onto the core of the story here. It really ISN'T about John and whether Doris can get him or any other much younger man to love her. It ISN'T about her interactions with the younger generation and the musicians. Each of those things are a catalyst for her to evaluate her life, where it has been, where it is now, where she might want it to go.

The whole arc of this story is Doris herself, a late 60s spinster who had lived her life with her mom and had become a sad hoarder likely just like her mom. She had let most of her life pass her by, never reaching out to try new things or develop her interests.

SPOILER follows: So as the movie is ending we see Doris surrender her job and, even though she still can have the fantasy about John coming up to her and passionately kissing her, she realizes that isn't really important. So, when he goes towards the elevator as the doors close with Doris in it, she does nothing to stop the doors, to see what he wants. She went through that, she learned a lot about herself and life, she cleaned out her place, and she set herself up for a more interesting last 20 or so years of her life.

In a sense the movie's title, "Hello, my name is Doris", can be viewed as what she is saying to the whole world that has not yet met the Doris that she has become.

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes not.