Hours

Plot synopsis:
With the exception of the opening and final scenes, which depict the 1941 suicide by drowning of Virginia Woolf in the River Ouse, the action takes place within the span of a single day in three different years and alternates between them throughout the film. In 1923, Virginia has begun writing the book Mrs Dalloway in her home in the town of Richmond outside London. In 1951, troubled Los Angeles housewife Laura Brown escapes from her conventional life by reading Mrs Dalloway. In 2001, New Yorker Clarissa Vaughan is the embodiment of the novel's title character, as she spends the day preparing for a party she is hosting in honor of her former lover and friend Richard, a poet and author living with AIDS who is to receive a major literary award. Richard tells Clarissa he has stayed alive for her sake, and the award is meaningless because he didn't get it sooner, until he was on the brink of death. She tells him she believes he would have won the award regardless of his illness. Richard often refers to Clarissa as "Mrs. Dalloway" - her namesake - because she distracts herself from her own life the way the Woolf character does.
Virginia, who has experienced several nervous breakdowns and suffers from bipolar disorder, feels trapped in her home. She is intimidated by servants and constantly under the eye of her husband, Leonard, who has begun a publishing business, Hogarth Press, at home to stay close to her. Virginia both welcomes and dreads an afternoon visit from her sister Vanessa and her children. After their departure, Virginia flees to the railway station, where she is awaiting a train to central London, when Leonard arrives to bring her home. He tells her how he lives in constant fear that she will take her own life. She says she fears it also but argues that if she is to live, she has the right to decide how and where.
Pregnant with her second child, Laura spends her days in her tract home with her young son, Richie. She married her husband, Dan, soon after World War II. On the surface they are living the American Dream, but she is nonetheless deeply unhappy. She and Richie make a cake for Dan's birthday, but it is a disaster. Her neighbor Kitty drops in to ask her if she can feed her dog while she's in the hospital for a procedure. Kitty reveals that the procedure is related to the fact that she has been unable to conceive, and may portend permanent infertility, and that she really feels that a woman is not complete until she is a mother. Kitty pretends to be upbeat, but Laura senses her sadness and fear and boldly kisses her on the lips; Kitty laughs it off as if it didn't happen. Laura and Richie successfully make another cake and clean up, and then she takes Richie to stay with Mrs. Latch. Richie runs after his mother as she leaves, fearing that she will never come back. Laura checks into a hotel, where she intends to commit suicide. Laura removes several bottles of pills and Mrs. Dalloway from her purse and begins to read it. She drifts off to sleep and dreams the hotel room is flooded. She awakens with a change of heart and caresses her belly. She picks up Richie, and they return home to celebrate Dan's birthday.
Clarissa appears equally worried about Richard's depression and the party she is planning for him. Clarissa, who is bisexual and has been living with Sally Lester for 10 years, had been in a relationship with Richard during their college days. She meets with Richard's ex-lover Louis Waters, who has returned for the festivities. Clarissa's daughter, Julia, comes home to help her prepare. Richard has taken a combination of Xanax and Ritalin and tells Clarissa she is the most beautiful thing he ever had in life, before he commits suicide in front of her. Later that night, Laura (the same who is the central character of the middle story), who is Richard's mother, arrives at Clarissa's apartment. It is clear that Laura's abandonment of her family was deeply traumatic for Richard, but Laura reveals it was a better decision for her to leave the family after the birth of her daughter than to commit suicide. She has led an independent, happier life as a librarian in Canada. She does not apologize for the hurt she caused to her family (Dan and their daughter are also both dead) and suggests that it's not possible to feel regret for something over which she had no choice. She acknowledges that no one will forgive her, but she offers an explanation: "It [her life] was death. I chose life." When Julia visits Laura in her bedroom, she treats her with kindness and sensitivity that Laura does not expect to receive.
The film ends with a voice-over in which Virginia thanks Leonard for loving her: "Always the years between us. Always the years. Always the love. Always the hours."

Tags: flashback

Review:
I will admit that I would probably not watched this movie if Paul Walker had not tragically passed away last Sunday.
This quiet little film certainly introduced me to a whole new and better Paul Walker."Hours" is about Nolan Hayes.
Just watch it (especially if you thought 'The Impossible' was a great piece of film)One of the core roles a man feels he needs to provide for his family is protection and to provide; this film shows this by putting Nolan (Walker) in scenarios where you feel his struggle to keep the only thing he has safe..
I watched this movie weeks before Paul Walker had passed and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I recently watched the brilliant Hours, and to say the great Paul Walker nailed this role is an understatement.What an honest and sincere portrayal of a desperate grieving father (Nolan Hayes) and the horrors of trying everything possible to ensure that his new born baby daughter (Abigail) survives, whilst on a ventilator machine in a hospital.It's simply just heart-breaking to watch and again, what a performance by Walker.All this includes the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina's devastation to add to the tension of this awesome movie.
The multiple flashbacks works extremely well to tell the back-story of Nolan's life and it reminded me of movies like 127 Hours.I have noticed that some critics and fans have complained that the movie is either too long or has some plot holes.
I just kept on thinking, the movie although it has a very simple story, covered what it needed too realistically and I didn't personally find any plot holes; plus the time-frame was just perfect.What a great shame that Paul Walker died recently, because although greatly missed, he should rightly so, be very proud of this movie (and many others that he had done previously), and had so much more to offer as a great actor.I urge everyone to see this movie as soon as possible - whatever the format for Walker's performance but also, the movie as a whole is genuinely great.
In August 2005, in New Orleans, Nolan Hayes (Paul Walker) brings his pregnant wife Abigail (Genesis Rodriguez) with Eclampsia to the Saint Mary Hospital.
"Hours" is a dramatic and tense movie with Paul Walker that has magnificent performance in the role of a father that struggles to keep his baby alive during the tragedy of the Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
the adrenaline pumping action movies that has made him a household name that would be remembered forever.Decently directed unfortunately quite poorly written by Eric Heisser, this script offers Paul Walker a herculean Hollywood challenge.
I have to admit a fan wouldn't see that Paul Walker is capable of pulling HOURS off as well as he does since it is pretty much a one man show much like Tom Hanks in CASTAWAY.
I guess if you are brave enough to take a jab at the challenge of writing a movie around a true disaster you need to be ready to take certain hits.To be released on the 13th December HOURS is the story of Nolan who loses his wife Abigail to the birth of their own daughter on the night of the devastating typhoon Katrina.
Nolan Hayes (Paul Walker) brings his pregnant wife (Genesis Rodriguez) to the hospital right as Hurricane Katrina is about to hit.
Also, initially, it does tend to lag a bit and might permeate a false sense of tedious pacing, so it's important that you be patient and allow yourself the chance to be rewarded as the pace and tension kicks in with further proceedings.Kudos to the Director for keeping his viewers engrossed till the end and making us care enough for the only two relevant characters in the entire film, to the point that we simply need to find out their eventual fate.
Yes, the suspense and tension is there, but in a much more dramatic and character driven sort of way.Coming down to the performances, there is virtually just one actor in the entire film and nobody else.
Take the scene where Paul Walker's character is being given very bad news from a doctor concerning his wife.
Hours should've been a film full of tension, but Heisserer failed to deliver by adding so many unnecessary and forced scenes and not relying on Walker's physical performance alone.The film takes place in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina as Nolan (Paul Walker) takes his pregnant wife, Abigail (Genesis Rodriguez), to a local hospital as she enters early labor.
It dragged during several moments making me feel like I was watching an over two hour film, when in reality it was just a 95 minute movie.
Paul Walker does a great job acting in this movie, and that pretty much is the only thing holding this film together.
first off allR.I.P Poul..it really broke our heart.we will miss u in F&FOK..this movie..his last movie..i know this movie about a guy and his daughter trapped at a hospital for a whole day and need Help but nobody is there and above that ..there will be some action in last 15 minutes..but dunno what to say honestlyfrom start to finish ..same place..same thing..leave daughter and look for something..get back and again and again and again same stuff for 75 minutes ..directing is poor..Paul acting was meh..i respect him but im 100% sure he's not good for movies he only need to act in F&F just for the fans...thats it..i cant even rate this movie 4..but i'll give it 3.
In this low budget small cast film Walker demonstrate that he was capable of providing a fine dramatic performance with the addendum of fast cars and wild action that brought him to fame.
Writer/director Eric Heisserer manages to make a film with big emotions confined to a hospital corridor and room, and given the presence of Paul Walker, it works.We are transported to New Orleans August 23, 2005 - August 30, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina's devastation destroyed the lives of many.
Nolan Hayes (Paul Walker) gets a call from his beloved wife Abigail (Genesis Rodriquez) that she is going into early labor and is being taken by ambulance to the hospital.
The degree of love that forms between the new father and the infant now named Abigail is palpably real.The film has weak points - a script that loosens when it should tighten, some extraneous business that doesn't add to the drama, some very un-medical information that must be taken with a grain of salt - but Paul Walker manages to involve us and make us care.
As this was the last full movie made by Paul Walker before he died in a fatal car crash, you can't help thinking that it's a total waste of a great actor who didn't really get the recognition that he deserved.
I couldn't imagine how it would be to be in a situation were you are in a hospital by yourself keeping your baby alive, so with that in mind, it wasn't all bad.Budget: $4million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into there deep dramas about a man trying to keep is baby alive with a generator in a hospital by himself.
Paul Walker did a great job in this film.I love his acting ability and he always fascinates me with his acting.In this film you'll see a guy who deals with his daughter during hurricane.You'll see despair and perseverance.In brief,it is a film that you should watch..
When it comes to acting, like I said earlier, Paul Walker carried the entire cast throughout the entire movie, and it is truly incredible.
you really feel his drive and emotion in this film such a great performance and movie all around, the only thing I didn't like is that it was focused around Katrina and how awful people acted after the hurricane.
With great actor like Paul Walker these movies are almost perfect.The Story-line was great.
It had BEAUTIFUL Ending and also it's very emotional film.I Recommend this movie to everyone, who love great Dramas and Especially to those who knew Paul Walker.Rest in peace.
not a big Paul Walker fan myself, but his acting in this film should, have won him an award for sure.
I would have liked to look-up the real guy and his daughter online to find out how their lives have been since Katrina.So despite not meeting my initial hopes and expectations, this film was a near-total success, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it..
It kind of surprised me when I realized that there hadn't been any major movies about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it brought to New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast in 2005 – until "Hours" (PG-13, 1:37) hit theaters.
Like many smart filmmakers, Eric Heisserer, who wrote this film and also directs (for the first time), tells a very big story through the experiences of a very small group of people.
This whole situation is all the more poignant because the star of "Hours", Paul Walker, didn't live to see this movie released.
Abby dies and Nolan's baby girl is not yet breathing on her own, needing to be on a respirator for about 48 hours.Then, Hurricane Katrina robs the hospital of its power and the subsequent flooding takes out the back-up generators and forces the hospital to evacuate all its patients, staff, nurses and doctors.
Minutes stretch into hours and Nolan grows increasingly desperate for help to arrive before either he or his baby succumbs to their overwhelming circumstances."Hours" is both an excellent thriller and a great drama and is the kind of movie that can even make a tough guy tear up.
The tragedy and tension in the movie competed for my emotional attention with the sadness I felt believing that this film could have been a game-changer for Paul Walker's career.
One of the final movies of a fine actor of our time, Paul Walker.
He was more known for starring in Fast & Furious franchise, along with many other action movies, but I feel Paul Walker had only begun to mature as an actor, he will be sorely missed.Nolah Hayes (Paul Walker) is trapped in a hospital during her wife's labor and also hurricane Katrina, a mix of excellent timing and unfortunate fate.
The crucial aspect is how Walker delivers it with a hint of desperation.Hours is a simple movie elevated by a great actor, who delivered one of his last and best performance..
Just like "Gravity," this movie is basically a one-man show, and Paul Walker effectively and surprisingly carries all the dramatic weight needed to combat with Hurricane Katrina.This film centers around a man named Nolan Hayes who is in the hospital with his wife in labor.
Facing the hurricane's wrath, Nolan must fight the odds to keep himself and his baby alive.To see Paul tackle a role like this amazed me, because he was mostly an action star.
It's a little rough at the beginning as Walker's character Nolan reacts to hearing news that his wife has died during child birth and that his daughter, born premature, is on a respirator for at least 48 hours.
this is the list of depression movies like Tom Hanks in Coast Away when he was lost in island but in this movie it is hospital he has to protect his daughter baby born daughter his wifegave birth to her baby she died from that i find that very sad because when the daughter grows up the daughter will only live with Nolan Paul Walker not mum that is shame that is so sad.
Paul Walker does an amazing job and he made the film for me he made his character that everyone would care about him being desperate, this movie kinda suits for the weather because it is depression movie with bad weather, playing sad role like in i am legend this is kinda bit like that because dog is with him protecting him and baby this is not rip off like i am legend.
It's simply just heart-breaking to watch and again, what a performance by Walker, i have to say the great Paul Walker nailed this role is an understatement he just put's the heart on this movie and himself and Genesis Rodriguez just made characters in caring about them there is very sad scene with Paul and Genesis sitting together in room with baby she is ghost when i looked at Paul Walker crying i feel bad about him even i cried some of scenes were very it's like his saying i miss everyone that he loves specially his wife i find Genesis Rodriguez role very supporting she is not in all movie she was still hot with red dress i love the Love scenes with Paul Walker there is back stories it doesn't just show Paul in Hospital with Baby him talking i mean that would be boring i agree in 127 hours was slow just James Franco is at rock trapped doesn't do noting this movie did a lot Apart form 127 Hours this is so strong as it made cry so hard most people should respect Paul Walker i mean people say he is crap actor i mean why ?
It's a special breed who can claim so much screen time in a film and carry it so convincingly.There were a lot of tense moments that gave the viewer a thrilling ride through this man's ordeal, pausing just enough for a light encounter or a reflection on a building love story to tie it all together in a very interesting and entertaining way..
Immediately I wanted to see the film after watching the trailer as it seemed like Walker puts out his best acting performance yet!
After watching the film I was stunned by Paul Walker's performance.
If the plot holes were fixed and if they would gave some of the actors bigger roles in the film I think this could have been a really great film.My suggestion to people who want to see this movie or are fans of Paul Walker is see this movie.
Paul Walker was supposed to be lead roles in other films such as Nicholas Sparks newest movie "The Best of Me" and Agent 47.
Except for that aspect, which is only a small part, the movie was great and this is easily Paul Walkers best work.
Nolan (Paul Walker) tries to do whatever he can to save his newborn baby girl after all the hospital staff takes off to help save other patients.
It's a Macguffin, at best.) By the time other characters appear, you're already numb with boredom, and it's too late to save the film.But Walker's acting is good, so it deserves some stars..
I heard of this movie right after Paul Walker's death, it was his last film.
It's a story, placed in 2009 during Hurricane Katrina, about Nolan Hayes (Paul Walker) whose wife dies during childbirth and who is struggling to save his newly born child lying in neonatal incubator.
Here Walker, very good, showing his capabilities as an actor if given the right material, is forced to stay back at an evacuated hospital, to look after his infant daughter, after Katrina strikes.
Paul Walker was always been a good man in every movie he play.
this man risks life and limb to save his daughter and the ending of the movie will move you like never before.not a big Paul Walker fan myself, but his acting in this film should have won him an award for sure.
Walker did a good job acting and overall the movie is watchable unless you are one to have a hard time watching a story line that is utterly impossible and unbelievable - c'mon...
Instead it's a single location character drama for the most part, as the late Paul Walker is the sole resident of an evacuated hospital in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina.
Walker's okay - he was always a better actor than people expected given his popularity in the Fast & Furious films - but the pacing is slow and the direction fails to inspire, the movie only coming to life in the last 20 minutes or so..
The best thing about the movie is we get to see a different side to Paul Walker.
The Hurricane itself passed through without too much damage but a weakened and likely poorly-designed levee system allowed massive flooding, power loss, and a multitude of problems.This movie stars Paul Walker as Nolan Hayes, beginning as his wife is in labor for their first child.
The primary reason I watched this movie was because it had Paul Walker in it.
because it's a pretty realistic story and tells a story of a father who struggles under unimaginable situations to keep her newborn daughter alive during a hurricane.I would perhaps have ranked this movie even lower than 5/10, if not for Paul Walker..
It doesn't feel low budget and doesn't take anything from the story.Paul Walker is the star of this film.
Paul Walker is essentially, the entire show here, and he carries this film like a champ.
To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not sure how good this movie would have been without Paul Walker.
Though I admit to being a fan of the Fast and Furious franchise, this movie shows that Paul Walker's best acting still lay ahead of him before his untimely death.
(Spoiler alert) The movie is set in the hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, where Paul Walker's character, Nolan, battles to keep his premature, incubator dependent baby alive in a hospital devoid of power.
In "Hours", it sadly does; since Paul Walker's character can't get out of the room for more than two minutes, he basically spends all the movie's length in the same room.
A little morbid to watch this movie after the passing of Paul Walker.