Rating- * * * * (4/5)
As enlightened as the Academy appears to have become over the last few years, they still have a long way to go. I realize there is no reason to get upset about the Oscars, since they are just another promotional device for Hollywood studios, but I can’t help but yearn for a legitimate, singular institution to honor excellence in film and the Academy Awards seem like the closest thing to it. Needless to say, it bothers me when a studio railroads a particular film all the way to the Best Picture Oscar and better films are overlooked in favor of commercialism. Last year, thanks in part to a rather vicious campaign, DreamWorks’ finagled a Best Picture Oscar for Ron Howard’s A Beautiful Mind. Although the Academy had pledged to move up the dates on Oscar voting to cut down on campaigning by the studios, but they have since reneged on that promise so we will probably see more of the same this year. A Beautiful Mind, although an extremely well-made and entertaining film, was far from original or memorable, which are essential qualities to any truly great film. It won because it was tailor made to look like a great film without really challenging anyone too much. I mention all this because I believe that The Hours shares many of the same qualities as A Beautiful Mind, including its high appeal to Academy voters. Based on the novel of the same name, The Hours is actually three separate stories that all share the same themes and sentiments. The first story, which takes place in the 1920s, follows author Virginia Woolf (played by a very unglamorous Nicole Kidman) as she struggles with her depression and pours her feelings into a novel, Mrs. Dalloway, about a woman who wakes up one day and realizes that her life has no purpose or meaning. The second story takes place in the ‘50s and follows Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), a seemingly happy suburban housewife married to her happy husband (John C. Reilly) and with their wonderful son Richie. She, of course, is not actually happy but in fact extremely and inexplicably depressed. Her depression is never really explained to us but it is suggested that she may be a lesbian, which would certainly make her unhappy in the ‘50s. Most of this story, she struggles with whether or not she can remain with her family and retain her sanity. In the third story we meet Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep), a New York socialite in 2001 who lives with her lesbian partner (Allison Janney) and spends most of her time taking care of her ex-husband (Ed Harris) who is dying of AIDS. She experiences a “Mrs. Dalloway” day of her own when she realizes that she spends so much time concerned with her ex-husband so that she can avoid thinking about the meaninglessness of her own life. Each of these stories has its own plot elements and their only commonality (other than a couple of characters from the second story showing up in the third) is the common theme of women who cannot bear the burden of their loneliness. The cuts between the various stories are extremely well done and well planned out (which probably comes from the book). As would be expected, the acting is all top rate, being that these are probably the three best actresses in Hollywood today. My one problem with this movie is what I mentioned above: lack of originality and lack of any memorable attributes. It is a very well-made film, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t take any chances. It doesn’t give us anything to make it stand out from every other film we’ve ever seen and in my mind, every great film should stick out in your mind with its own unique persona, unlike anything else out there. I certainly recommend The Hours for viewing by all movie lovers, but I cannot praise it as visionary or great. Because of its similarities to last years big winner, I predict The Hours will do very well this year at the Oscars, but time will tell a different story.