The Hours Turns 20 In 2022

So, believe it or not, 2022 rolled around and quietly marked a rather significant birthday. A certain very famous movie, one that makes you ponder life's big questions, hit a major milestone. That's right, The Hours turned a whopping 20 years old.

Twenty years! It feels like just yesterday we were all clutching our tissues, trying to figure out if anyone was actually going to get a happy ending. And honestly, who can blame us? It was a lot to take in.

Now, before you all start throwing virtual tomatoes, I have a confession. It’s a bit of an unpopular opinion, I know. But here it goes: I kind of, sort of, maybe didn't love The Hours the first time I saw it.

Please don't judge me. I tried. I really did. I sat there, eyes glued to the screen, soaking in the artistic brilliance. I nodded sagely at the profound dialogue.

I even made a mental note to Google a million things afterwards. Like, what was that book about? And why did everyone look so incredibly sad all the time?

And the acting? Oh, the acting! You had Nicole Kidman, all prosthetic nose and existential dread. You had Julianne Moore, looking like she carried the weight of the world on her perfectly coiffed shoulders.

And then there was Meryl Streep. Need I say more? The woman can do no wrong. Her portrayal was, as always, utterly captivating.

But still. Something didn't quite click for me. It felt like I was being lectured by a very sophisticated, very sad art teacher. A teacher who really, really wanted me to understand the importance of Virginia Woolf.

I remember leaving the cinema feeling… drained. Not in a good, cathartic way. More in a "I need a giant tub of ice cream and a cartoon" kind of way.

I thought maybe it was just me. Maybe I was too young. Maybe I hadn't lived enough life to truly appreciate the nuances of a film about depression and societal pressures.

So, for its big 2-0, I decided to give it another go. You know, with a fresh perspective. Maybe my palate had matured. Maybe my brain had caught up.

And guess what? It was… still pretty heavy. Shocking, I know. The three timelines, weaving together, were still incredibly poignant. The performances were still top-notch.

But this time, something shifted. Maybe it was the added years of experience. Maybe it was the realization that life is often a bit messy and melancholic.

Suddenly, I wasn't just watching characters exist in their sadness. I was seeing their struggles. I was feeling a connection to their internal battles.

It’s like the difference between reading a poem and understanding the poem. The first time, I was just reading the words. The second time, I felt the rhythm.

And the soundtrack! Oh my goodness, the soundtrack by Philip Glass. It’s like a beautiful, melancholic hug. It just washes over you.

The way it ties everything together, the way it echoes the emotional journeys of Virginia Woolf, Laura Brown, and Clarissa Vaughan. It’s masterful.

I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for stories that show ordinary people dealing with extraordinary internal turmoil. And The Hours certainly delivers on that front.

It’s a film that doesn’t offer easy answers. It doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow. And maybe, just maybe, that’s why it's so powerful.

It’s a reminder that even on the most ordinary days, there can be a whole universe of feelings happening inside us. Big, small, happy, sad, it’s all part of the human experience.

And the connection between these three women, separated by time but united by their shared experiences of love, loss, and the search for meaning. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.

So, while my initial reaction might have been a bit lukewarm, I’m now firmly in the “appreciate The Hours” camp. It’s a film that stays with you. It makes you think.

It might not be a popcorn flick. It’s definitely not a laugh-out-loud comedy. But it’s a work of art. And it deserves its place in cinematic history.

So, happy 20th, The Hours! You might have taken a while to grow on me, but you’ve earned my respect. And perhaps, just perhaps, a virtual tissue too.

Maybe the secret is just giving these kinds of movies a second chance. Or maybe it’s just getting older and realizing that life itself is a bit of a beautiful, sad, complicated masterpiece.

And if you haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in a while, I highly recommend it. Just maybe have some comfort food handy. You know, for afterwards.

It’s a film that reminds us of the quiet struggles we all face. The inner monologues we all have. The moments of profound realization.

And the enduring power of literature to connect us across generations. A shout-out to Virginia Woolf, of course, for planting the seed.

It’s funny how time changes our perspective, isn't it? What feels overwhelming and perhaps even inaccessible at one point can become deeply resonant later on.

So, here’s to The Hours, a film that, even two decades later, still manages to stir the soul. And here’s to all of us, navigating our own hours, with all their joys and sorrows.