The Hours

Wishing For More ‘Hours’

By Rebecca Redshaw

Reprinted from NotesFromHollywood.com

TheHoursIt is a rare author who honestly says, “I like the way my book worked as a movie.” Most authors dream of the large paycheck (compared to book sales) that accompanies his or her life’s work being adapted to the silver screen without thinking of the possibility of the literal butchering of their novel. Contractually, of course, writers are bound not to badmouth the finished project. That would definitely be bad for business.

Lucky Michael Cunningham, author of THE HOURS. In a recent New York Times article, he stated how it felt to see his characters on film. “These actors are not who I imagined when I wrote the book, but I feel as if they are reincarnations of people I’ve known intimately.” He adds, “I find myself in the embarrassing position as one of the only living American novelists happy about his experience with Hollywood.”

THE HOURS personifies excellence of almost every aspect of filmmaking. You start with Cunningham’s well-written book, brilliantly adapted as a screenplay by David Hare. Stephen Daldry’s (BILLY ELLIOT) sensitive direction flowed between the decades complemented by the seamless editing of Peter Boyle. The only distraction for me was the angst ridden music score by Philip Glass. It lacked (in a big way) the subtlety of the rest of elements.

It’s no easy task to keep the trilogy of struggling women in THE HOURS uncluttered in their respective troubled lives. Director Daldry must have a fairy godmother somewhere waving a magic wand because Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman are acting’s answer to the Dream Team.

Each woman brings a unique strength to the film, particularly Moore in a part that offers little external stimulus. But there are no weak acting links in the picture. Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Toni Collette, Jeff Daniels, and Claire Danes in lessor roles contribute far beyond their time on screen.

Watching THE HOURS? One of the only times I found myself wishing the movie was longer.