Mrs. Dalloway

PG-13

Released Sep 4, 1997

1 hr. 37 min.

Drama

List

71%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

First seen in Virginia Woolf's novel, Clarissa Dalloway (Vanessa Redgrave) looks back on her youth as she readies for a gathering at her house. The wife of a legislator (John Standing) and a doyenne of London's upper-crust party scene, Clarissa finds that the plight of ailing war veteran Septimus Warren Smith (Rupert Graves) reminds her of a past romance with Peter Walsh (Michael Kitchen). In flashbacks, young Clarissa (Natascha McElhone) explores her possibilities with Peter.

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Kathy P

I was disappointed. I haven't read the book and in reality the movie should be able to stand alone. It lacked any real depth of characters, an opportunity missed in portraying PTSD, depression, women's limited choices, sexuality and unrequited love. A remake might be able to do wonders with the basic story background this movie gave. Hopefully the book would provide more depth, but possibly not, however you shouldn't need to read the book to understand the characters of a movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Vanessa Redgrave can deliver an internal monologue like no one else.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Pauline B

Don't like Vanessa Redgrave. Slow

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/17

Full Review

Audience Member

This adaptation of Virginia Woolf's signature novel of the same name is a beautiful narrative about the titular matriarch's reflections on her choices made in her younger life one afternoon before her evening party, marred only by a peculiar subplot involving a shell-shocked soldier.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Watched the first half twice as E fell asleep the first time .... actually it's a difficult read turned into a difficult film, so a second look at the opening was a good way to get a handle on the structure and intention. It's well acted and no doubt true to the novel, which was no doubt groundbreaking in its day. It's more about message than character: and it didn't really speak to me from this time and place. The trials and tribulations of posh folk in the Twenties - nope.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I liked "The Hours" better, but this is a good movie. Its set in the period between WWI and WWII, and to me it seems Victorian, so realize that. Understand that it focuses on two people who don't know each other: Septimus a shell shocked veteran, and Clarissa an upper class housewife. Also understand that the movie jumps back and forth between the past and the present of Clarissa's life. If you understand that you will be understand the movie. Kind of a downer, but makes you think about what is important to people.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

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Marleen Gorris

Director

Vanessa Redgrave

Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway

Natascha McElhone

Young Clarissa

Rupert Graves

Septimus Warren Smith

Michael Kitchen

Peter Walsh

John Standing

Richard Dalloway

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Director Marleen Gorris and screenwriter Eileen Atkins have done a remarkable job of suggesting the inner mental jumble Woolf strove to convey and constructing an exterior narrative of luminous beauty.

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

A highly romantic, deeply melancholy drama, the film offers psychological and existential insights about the inevitable effects - and price - of life choices.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Jan Stuart

The Advocate

It's a complicated strategy -- the film manages to jump three time frames and locales before the end of the opening credits -- but it works.

Jun 1, 2022

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 3/5

Oct 1, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 4/5

Jun 11, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

First seen in Virginia Woolf's novel, Clarissa Dalloway (Vanessa Redgrave) looks back on her youth as she readies for a gathering at her house. The wife of a legislator (John Standing) and a doyenne of London's upper-crust party scene, Clarissa finds that the plight of ailing war veteran Septimus Warren Smith (Rupert Graves) reminds her of a past romance with Peter Walsh (Michael Kitchen). In flashbacks, young Clarissa (Natascha McElhone) explores her possibilities with Peter.

Director: Marleen Gorris
Executive Producer: Chris J. Ball, Simon Curtis, Bill Shepherd, William Tyrer
Screenwriter: Virginia Woolf, Eileen Atkins
Distributor: First Look
Production Co: First Look Pictures Releasing
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 4, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.3M
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

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