Directed by:
Paul Thomas AndersonScreenplay:
Paul Thomas AndersonCinematography:
Robert ElswitCast:
Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Alfred Molina, Melora Walters (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story. Through a collusion of coincidence, chance, human action, shared media, past history and divine intervention they will weave and warp through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
Eight seemingly unconnected main storylines and a couple more subordinate storylines that cut through them all? Three hours long? With Tom Cruise actually acting? Impossible to rein in from the director’s chair? Evidently you haven’t seen Magnolia yet. It has its flies in the ointment, but overall it is very powerful and supported here and there with a scene that gives the impression “as if frogs were falling from the skies". The atmosphere is as engrossing as it is unusual. I thought up a working title for it: Magnolioid.
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It's a long film that stands on the performances, which are basically without exception excellent. Still, I couldn't get into the film and I don't see anything in it that was all that great. Maybe someday, upon a second watch, but I doubt it. Paul Thomas Anderson is not a director I would seek out. His talent can't be diminished, though.
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Well that was awesome. To make a three-hour running time where I’m not bored for a moment (and I really wasn't bored for a moment) either takes two directors or P.T. Anderson :)))) A perfect cast (my favorite was Julianne Moore :)), a dense and ingenious script supported by confident direction + a strangely "schematic" soundtrack will keep you hooked and won't let go :))) As a whole, Magnolia works really well and is an irrefutable proof of Paul Thomas Anderson's creative genius. 100%
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First and foremost, this film is not as complicated and difficult as it may seem at first glance. But it does have something to it and definitely does not lack originality, inventiveness, many unforgettable scenes and situations, and, last but not least, great performances by almost all of the main actors.
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As an objector of excessive duration, I’m frankly surprised with how much fun I had with this long film without a consistent plot. When I read in the synopsis that it was about “nine stories”, I thought that it’d be very complicated, that I would get lost, that I wouldn’t enjoy it, etc… But those nine stories are quite simple and straightforward and could be described in a couple of lines. The script switches among them without forcing it, consciously, clearly, and without ever confusing or cheating the viewer. It’s one of those films that, despite the not very straightforward plot, doesn’t demand you squeeze your brain for the whole three hours, it demands your empathy. If you manage to relate to the stories of those characters, you’ll love Magnolia. Otherwise, the film has four highlights: the very beginning, a long and incredibly well escalated scene right in the middle, the scene with the song and the final story about a frog. These four moments make it deserving of five stars. 90 %
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Gallery (28)
Photo © 2000 New Line Cinema
![Magnolia - Lobby Cards](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/158/740/158740562_7a16f5.jpg)
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