The Hours (2002)
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Three women in different eras are linked by a single novel and the shared experience of a single day.
The story
The film follows the lives of three women in different years and locations whose lives are interconnected by Virginia Woolf's 1925 novel, Mrs. Dalloway. In 1923 England, Virginia Woolf struggles with depression while writing her masterpiece. In 1951 California, a pregnant housewife named Laura Brown navigates a difficult marriage and personal turmoil. In 2001 New York, Clarissa Vaughan prepares a party for her friend, a poet living with AIDS. The narrative weaves between these three women as they navigate their respective challenges during the span of a single day.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with the 1941 suicide of Virginia Woolf. The narrative then alternates between three women over the course of a single day in different years. In 1923, Virginia Woolf struggles with depression and her husband's overprotectiveness while writing 'Mrs. Dalloway' in England. In 1951, Laura Brown, a pregnant woman in California, feels trapped in her marriage and seeks solace in the novel. In 2001, Clarissa Vaughan in New York prepares a party for her friend Richard, a poet with AIDS. The connections are revealed as the story progresses: Richard is revealed to be Laura's son, and the three women are linked by the text of the novel. Richard eventually takes his own life, and Laura later visits Clarissa, where it is revealed that her abandonment of her son was a result of her own desperate circumstances.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stephen Daldry
- Writers
- David Hare · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Nicole Kidman · Virginia Woolf; Julianne Moore · Laura Brown; Meryl Streep · Clarissa Vaughan; Ed Harris · Richard; John C. Reilly; Stephen Dillane; Jeff Daniels; Miranda Richardson; Allison Janney; Toni Collette; Claire Danes
- Genres
- psychological drama
- Themes
- mother-son relationships; depression; identity; artistic creation
- Tone and mood
- somber; poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- non-linear narrative; biographical; period piece
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1998 novel by Michael Cunningham
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, particularly praising the performances of the lead trio.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · scale: percentage · review count: 196; Metacritic · score: 80 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Awards and nominations
- Best Film Music · BAFTA Award · win
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2025.; The film and novel were adapted into an opera in 2022.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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