From there, the film cuts to 1951 and Laura (Julianne Moore). A stay-at-home mom, Laura is also unhappy with her claustrophobic and restrictive lifestyle. Leaving her small son Richie with a neighbor, Laura checks into a hotel, intending to kill herself, but somehow begins to read a copy of Mrs. Dalloway and abandons her plan to commit suicide, returning to her son and husband instead. Fast--forward to 2001, and Clarissa (Meryl Streep) is preparing a party for her friend Richard, a poet who is winning a lifetime achievement award and is dying of AIDS.
In time, the audience realizes that Richard is Laura’s grown-up son Richie. The intertwining storylines weave a sense of connectedness between the characters as they highlight the extreme loneliness each feels. See one of Kidman’s best performances (along with nice turns by Moore and Streep) at 8:30 p.m. Domy Books, 1709 Westheimer. For information, call 713-523-3669 or visit www.domystore.com. Free.
Wed., Aug. 25, 8:30 p.m., 2010
