Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense Virginia Woolf-inspired drama; suicide, depression.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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The Hours
What's the Story?
Spanning a century and long distances, from England to LA to New York, THE HOURS follows the stories of three women. Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) is struggling to write her famous novel Mrs Dalloway in 1920s England. Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) is a dissatisfied housewife living in 1950s California whose second pregnancy has left her feeling trapped and hopeless, and Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) is a literary editor in 2001 New York who's planning a party for her poet friend Richard Brown (Ed Harris), who's becoming increasingly sick with AIDS. All of the characters are lost and isolated in their own way and come to their own moments of transcendent understanding.
Is It Any Good?
A phenomenal cast is led by powerhouse performances from Kidman, Streep, and Moore in this intense drama that raises existential questions about suffering. The Hours isn't action-packed; it's intense and philosophical in its study of three generations of women, each with their own experiences of isolation and suicide. Its literary ties are strong—adapted from Cunningham's Pulitzer prize-winning novel and inspired by Woolf's classic Mrs Dalloway, it will likely appeal to fans of either.
All three of the lead actors confidently stand up to the scrutiny of the camera, as do an incredible supporting cast including Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, John C. Reilly, Margo Martindale, and Miranda Richardson. It's also great to see the LGBTQ+ representation on screen, and characters are complex, but they do fall into the Hollywood cliché of ruminating on queer suffering (as played by straight actors, of course). Still, it's a powerful drama that was nominated for nine Oscars and came home with one for Kidman's particularly sensitive portrayal of the literary great.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how suicide is treated in The Hours. How does it affect each of the main characters' lives? Where might you turn if you or someone you know was having suicidal thoughts or experienced the suicide of someone close? (If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.)
The main characters are all women. How are they portrayed? Do you think they're realistic/sympathetic/powerful characters? Why, or why not? Why is it important to see women in central roles?
How does the movie treat gender and sexuality? Are the queer characters portrayed with nuance? Do they fall into stereotypes? Why is it important to see different kinds of queer experiences on screen?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 10, 2003
- On DVD or streaming : June 24, 2003
- Cast : Julianne Moore , Meryl Streep , Nicole Kidman
- Director : Stephen Daldry
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mature thematic elements, some disturbing images, and brief language
- Awards : Academy Award - Best Picture Nominee , Academy Award - Other Category Nominee , BAFTA - BAFTA Winner , BAFTA - BAFTA Nominee , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 10, 2026
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