Magnolia (1999)

Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer (WGA):

Paul Thomas Anderson (written by)

Release Date:

7 January 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours.

Plot:

An epic mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

Plot Keywords:

Coincidence | One Day | Whiz Kid | Cancer | Cocaine

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 35 nominations

Cast

Julianne Moore	...	Linda Partridge
William H. Macy	...	Donnie Smith
John C. Reilly	...	Officer Jim Kurring
Tom Cruise	...	Frank T.J. Mackey
Philip Baker Hall	...	Jimmy Gator
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Phil Parma
Jason Robards	...	Earl Partridge
Alfred Molina	...	Solomon Solomon
Melora Walters	...	Claudia Wilson Gator
Michael Bowen	...	Rick Spector
Ricky Jay	...	Burt Ramsey / Narrator
Jeremy Blackman	...	Stanley Spector
Melinda Dillon	...	Rose Gator
April Grace	...	Gwenovier
Luis Guzmán	...	Luis (as Luis Guzman)

Also Known As:

Mag·no'li·a (USA) (promotional title)
mag-no'li-a (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, drug use, sexuality and some violence.

Runtime:

188 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Angelus Oaks, California, USA

Company:

Ghoulardi Film Company

Trivia:

The story at the beginning about the boy being shot as he is falling out of a window is an urban legend.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Much of the prolog, while appearing to be fact, is either fiction, urban legend, or severely altered fact. But then, the movie is fiction.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: In the New York Herald, November 26, year 1911, there is an account of the hanging of three men. They died for the murder of Sir Edmund William Godfrey; Husband, Father, Pharmacist and all around gentle-man resident of: Greenberry Hill, London. He was murdered by three vagrants whose motive was simple robbery...

Movie Connections:

References Short Cuts (1993)

Soundtrack:

Whispering

The best film I've seen this year!!!

The first encounter that I ever had with Paul Thomas Anderson was through "Boogie Nights." I admit, I first saw it because of I heard that it was about the porn industry. However, I was surprised to discover an intimate look into the damaged lives of several very interesting, well-developed characters. I also was delighted to have found a new and exciting director whose career and films I will be sure to follow. Anderson's cinematic flamboyance, technical bravura, and inspired storytelling ability make him a talent who is emblematic of the resurrgence in creative and dynamic filmmaking that has occured in this past year. Like Fincher(Fight Club), Mendes(American Beauty), Jonze(Being John Malkovich), and the Wachowski Brothers(The Matrix), Anderson has created a truly unique film that stretches the boundaries of cinema.

Many who I saw the movie with grumbled repeatedly about it's length. Clocking in at about three hours and ten minutes, "Magnolia" is long. Even if you are as strong an advocate of the film as I am, you will think that it is long. I really had to go to the bathroom the whole time. But I did not want to miss a single second of Mr. Anderson's fascinating opus. The prologue is very well done, doing a good job of drawing in the viewer. It makes an interesting commentary on coincidence, wjich segues nicely into the rest of the film. The first half hour of the film is the most wonderfully done I have ever seen. Just as Anderson does in "Boogie Nights," the prodigy weaves a fast-paced web of intrigue, flashing tidbits of the many characters' lives that leave the viewer thirsty for more. The rhythm of the film slows down for the bulk of it, as we learn more and more and become more intimately involved in the lives of the wonderfully flawed characters. The film seems to build and build into something bigger than itself. In a way, that is the main flaw of it, but also the beauty of it. Anderson's ambitiousness is huge, but I wouldn't call him an overreacher.

This film is so full of great performances. It is probably the best ensemble piece that I have witnessed. There has been much Oscar buzz on Tom Cruise's behalf, but I honestly believe that there are so many Oscar worthy performances in this film that it is a futile effort to mention them all.

Particularly strong in the movie is the editing, which allows for the interconnected stories of the various characters to be placed parallel to each other very smoothly. The cinematography is wonderful, obviously influenced by Scorcese. I really don't believe that this film could have been as good as it was if it were any shorter. Seeing it is truly an experience. I was almost sad to see it end.