The Hours

Three women living in different times and places seek something deeper than life as expected. In 1950s California, Laura Brown wrestles with domestic duties and a growing sense of invisibility as she reads a book that stirs questions about happiness and identity. In 1920s England, Virginia Woolf battles inner turmoil and creative pressure while drafting a novel that will become a landmark. In contemporary Manhattan, Clarissa Vaughan organizes social gatherings and cares for a dear friend facing a terminal illness, all the while hiding her own yearnings. The film threads these strands together, drawing connections through memory and literature, and builds toward a moment of shared recognition that links these lives across time without revealing the moment today altogether.

Directed by Stephen Daldry, The Hours adapts Michael Cunningham's novel with a screenplay by David Hare. It's a literary drama that intertwines three eras through the lives of Laura Brown, Virginia Woolf, and Clarissa Vaughan, each finding her own yearnings.

The film earned $108,846,217 worldwide against a $25 million budget, underscoring returns for a drama released in the early 2000s. Its cast performances, direction, and period atmosphere helped it become a standout among award-season dramas, appealing to critics and audiences.

The Hours sparked conversations about women's creativity and the costs of social expectations, and it elevated its leads to enduring status in the 2000s mainstream drama. Its cross era structure inspired later ensemble pieces and drew attention to adaptations of literary biographies, reinforcing the film as a touchstone for storytelling.

Critics praised its sensitive handling of longing, grief, and the tug between duty and desire, though some found the interwoven narratives too tidy. The film centers on memory, the power of storytelling, and how ordinary moments can carry lasting resonance. Viewers respond to the revelations that surface in intimate scenes.