Critics praised Daldry's direction, the musical score, and the performances of the three central characters. Kidman's performance was widely acclaimed, and she won numerous awards for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf, including the Academy Award for Best Actress. "The Hours" has an 79% rating on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on 195 reviews and an average rating of 7.50/10. The consensus says, "The movie may be a downer, but it packs an emotional wallop. Some fine acting on display here." On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B- on scale of A to F.