
The Hours
2002, Drama, 1h 54m
195 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
The movie may be a downer, but it packs an emotional wallop. Some fine acting on display here. Read critic reviews
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The Hours Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Clarissa Vaughan
Laura Brown
Virginia Woolf
Richard
Kitty
Julia Vaughan
News & Interviews for The Hours
Critic Reviews for The Hours
All Critics (195) | Top Critics (53) | Fresh (155) | Rotten (40)
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It's a must-see. Mainstream epics routinely privilege the father-son bond... In The Hours, patriarchs barely figure, and the only phallic weapon on display is Virginia's pen.
November 15, 2017 | Full Review… -
Smart, thoughtful movie for older teens and up.
December 28, 2010 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review… -
David Hare's screen adaptation reduces Woolf and her art to a set of feminist stances and a few plot points, without reference to style or form.
February 11, 2008 | Full Review… -
A boldly realised, affecting work.
June 24, 2006 | Full Review… -
'In a sublime collaboration, David Hare and Stephen Daldry have created a delicate atmosphere of inchoate sadness.'
March 22, 2005 | Rating: 4.5/5 -
A puzzling and forbidding strangeness.
August 7, 2004
Audience Reviews for The Hours
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Jan 27, 2021If I didn't spend ‘The Hours' distracted more by the privilege of these women rather than learning the backbone of their suffering, it would've gone deeper. I feel Stephen Daldry's adaptation accidentally emphasizes what it's trying to denounce. There's no shortage of prolonged shots of pensive expressions adorning morose faces though. That combined with Philip Glass's heavy-handed (though tantalizing) score backs me into a corner with a film assuming my empathy for these characters rather than truly earning it.Marisol M Super Reviewer
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Oct 17, 2013Technically sound performances by the three leads are destroyed by a dullness to their tales. The Hours leaves you wanting to use these actresses more efficiently.John B Super Reviewer
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Jun 19, 2013Great cinematography with even greater performances all around. The Hours is solid from beginning to end with a unique premise and a topic that is rarely absorbed. I really appreciated this film.ZACHO D Super Reviewer
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Jul 29, 2012Great actings in a sentimental, but nice picture.Lucas M Super Reviewer
The Hours Quotes
Virginia Woolf: | I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been. |
Virginia Woolf: | Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more. It's contrast. |
Virginia Woolf: | Mrs. Dalloway said she'd buy the flowers herself. |
Laura Brown: | (Reading aloud) Mrs. Dalloway said she'd buy the flowers herself. |
Laura Brown: | [reading aloud] Mrs. Dalloway said she'd buy the flowers herself. |
Clarissa Vaughn: | (Shouting) Sally, I think I'll buy the flowers myself! |
Clarissa Vaughn: | [shouting] Sally, I think I'll buy the flowers myself! |
Clarissa Vaughn: | I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know, that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself: So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn't the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then. |
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