The year's best acting showcase next to `Chicago' is a beautiful literary adapted tearjerker from the novel by Michael Cunningham. The performances are moving and brilliantly showcased by Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, and Ed Harris. Directed by Stephen Daldry, `The Hours' is a melancholic, arresting, and powerful movie about three women living in three different times and how one's life touches and shapes the life of the other. Amazingly enough, the film takes place in one day. It features Virginia Woolf (Kidman) writing the novel Mrs. Dalloway and how Laura Brown (Moore) and Clarissa Vaughan (Streep) are wired within the book's pages, which reveals an emotionally overwhelming, tragic, yet life-affirming story. This unforgettable mosaic is woven through some poignant vignettes and its flawless editing, rousing musical score, and masterful screenplay make it one of the year's best. This film garnered a best picture win from the National Board of Review and the Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Motion Picture. Special note: This has been a great year for John C. Reilly (`Magnolia') who has appeared in some of the year's most recognized films including `Gangs of New York,' `The Hours,' `Chicago,' and `The Good Girl.'
