The Hours

2002 Drama

Three women, separated by a span of nearly 80 years, find themselves weathering similar crises, all linked by a single work of literature in this film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham. In 1923, Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) is attempting to start work on her novel Mrs. Dalloway, in which she chronicles one day in the life of a troubled woman. But Virginia has demons of her own, and she struggles to overcome the depression and suicidal impulses that have followed her throughout her life, as her husband Leonard (Stephen Dillane) ineffectually tries to help. In 1951, Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) is a housewife living in suburban Los Angeles, where she looks after her son Richie (Jack Rovello) and husband Dan (John C. Reilly). Laura is also an avid reader who is currently making her way through Mrs. Dalloway. The farther she gets into the novel, the more Laura discovers that it reflects a dissatisfaction she feels in her own life, and she finds herself pondering the notion of leaving her life behind. Finally, in 2000, Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep) is a literary editor who is caring for Richard Brown (Ed Harris), a former boyfriend and noted author, who is slowly losing his fight with AIDS. Clarissa is trying to arrange a party to celebrate the fact that Richard has won a prestigious literary award, but is getting little help from Richard's ex-lover, Louis (Jeff Daniels). As she labors to help Richard through another day, he wonders if his life is worth the unending struggle. The Hours also features Toni Collette, Miranda Richardson, Allison Janney, and Claire Danes. more..

Director: Stephen Daldry

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, John C. Reilly,Ed Harris

Reviews

  • The result is something rare, especially considering how fine the novel is, a film that's fuller and deeper than the book.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    27 April 2013

  • Kidman, Moore, and Streep do some of their best work, backed by a first-rank supporting cast.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    27 April 2013

  • The links and resonances remain largely abstract -- to understand them isn't necessarily to be moved by them -- while the individual dramas of those three lives are often stirring, and the three starring performances are unforgettable.

    Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal

    27 April 2013

  • For a movie audience, The Hours doesn't connect in a neat way, but introduces characters who illuminate mysteries of sex, duty and love.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 April 2013

  • These three unimprovable actresses make The Hours a thing of beauty.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    27 April 2013

Awards

  • Movie of the Year

    AFI Awards (2003)

  • Best Actress in a Leading Role

    Academy Awards (2003)

  • Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske spillefilm)

    Amanda Awards, Norway (2003)

  • Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic

    American Cinema Editors (2003)

     
  • David Hare

    American Screenwriters Association (2003)