Watch The Hours

The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Michael Cunningham. The film features an ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Julianne Moore, and tells the story of three women from different times and places whose lives are intertwined by Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs. Dalloway.

The film is set in three different time periods: the early 1920s, the 1950s, and the present day. Each period follows a different woman and explores their struggles with depression and the roles that society has imposed upon them. In the 1920s, we see Virginia Woolf (played by Nicole Kidman) as she writes Mrs. Dalloway and struggles with her own mental illness. In the 1950s, we are introduced to Laura Brown (played by Julianne Moore), a housewife who is unhappy with her life and escapes into reading Mrs. Dalloway. Finally, in the present day, we meet Clarissa Vaughan (played by Meryl Streep), a publisher who is planning a party for her friend Richard, a poet dying of AIDS, and who is often compared to Mrs. Dalloway.

The three narrative strands are interwoven with each other, as the film explores themes of identity, sexuality, and mental illness. The film's structure mirrors the structure of Mrs. Dalloway, with all three women preparing for a party or dinner, but also includes flashbacks that reveal more about their characters and experiences.

Nicole Kidman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Virginia Woolf, and her performance is widely regarded as one of the best of her career. Kidman's portrayal of Woolf captures both her brilliance as a writer and her struggles with depression and mental illness. Her prosthetic nose, which she wore for the role, was also noteworthy, and helped to transform her into the character of Virginia Woolf.

Julianne Moore also delivers a powerful performance as Laura Brown, a character who is torn between the expectations of her family and society and her own desires for something more. Her scenes with her young son (played by a young Jack Rovello) are particularly poignant, as we see her deep love for him mixed with the guilt and shame she feels about her own unhappiness.

Meryl Streep is as brilliant as ever in her role as Clarissa Vaughan, a character who is often compared to Mrs. Dalloway. Streep brings a quiet intensity to the role, capturing both the strength and the vulnerability of her character. The scenes between Streep and Ed Harris, who plays Richard, are especially touching, as they explore the complex nature of their relationship and the ways in which they care for each other.

Overall, The Hours is a powerful and emotionally resonant film that explores deep themes and difficult subject matter. The film's structure and performances are all exceptional, and the film raises important questions about identity, sexuality, and mental illness that are as relevant today as they were when Mrs. Dalloway was first published in 1925.

The Hours is a 2002 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 54 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5 and a MetaScore of 80.