Essay Questions

Why does the discovery that "Richard" is "Richie" shock the audience?

We learn that Richard is Richie Brown, all grown up, when Laura Brown is talking with Clarissa after his death. It comes as a shock because there has not only been no inkling of this but also no little hints that we can think about and kick ourselves for missing. The main reason for our surprise is that the connection between the characters has been more thematic than literal. We know they are connected by a book - "Mrs Dalloway" - but this is emphasized so strongly that it really makes us feel that this is the only connection. Thoughts of suicide, discomfort with their life circumstances and being lost in unfulfilling relationships are also common threads between the characters but again, these are theoretical. It is a shock when we find that there has been a stronger, actual connection all along.

Many critics believe that Nicole Kidman should have received Supporting Actress billing and plaudits instead of Best Actress in a Leading Role. Why was this? Do you agree with them?

The reason for this belief seems to be based on the practicalities of the movie and not on the actual impact of Kidman's performance. As Virginia Woolf, she has far less screen time than either Meryl Streep's Clarissa or Julianne Moore's Laura. She also seems to be more of the springboard for the plot as it pertains to the other two women rather than the central character of the plot itself. Another reason for the prevailing opinion that she was awarded for the wrong category is that her character is less connected to the others. However, it could also be argued that her character is the most important rather than the lesser, as the action all stems from the writing of her novel and the ideas that she presents within it. Without her, there would have been no Mrs Dalloway, and therefore nobody with whom to compare the other characters in terms of feelings or life circumstances.

One of the main themes of the movie is suicide. How is it presented differently in this film than in others?

Generally speaking, suicide in a film is either the act of a character who has been depressed for the duration of the movie, and is therefore the climax of the plot, or it is the first act in a movie by a character who is barely mentioned but whose action triggers the rest of the plot.What is different in the way "The Hours" addresses suicide is that it is seen as part of life not as the decision of one person looking to end their own life. It is seen to have many facets. Virginia Woolf believes suicidal people are unhappy and sensitive, which is why she decides that Mrs Dalloway should not commit suicide - she is too happy and not sensitive enough. Laura Brown sees it as a way of escaping her life, but on thinking about it realizes that she does not want to end her life, she just wants this unfulfilling part of her life to end. Clarissa is not suicidal but is also unable to recognize suicidal tendencies in others; despite seeing Richard on a daily basis she does not see his decision coming. Richard commits suicide for a specific reason; as a healthy man he would not have taken his own life but watching his physical self die whilst his mind remains aware turns out to be too much for him and he kills himself before he is unable to make any decisions for himself at all. In this movie suicide is not one act, but a culmination of many thoughts and circumstances that trigger it.