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Magnolia

Rating

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson

Screenplay

Paul Thomas Anderson

Length

3h 08m

Starring

Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, April Grace, Luis Guzman, Philip Baker Hall, Thomas Jane, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ricky Jay, Emmanuel Johnson, William H. Macy, Benjamin Niedens, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, Michael Murphy, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards, Melora Walters, Michael Bowen, Henry Gibson, Felicity Huffman, Eileen Ryan, Danny Wells, Clark Gregg, Patton Oswalt, Cleo King, Jim Beaver

MPAA Rating

R

Review

Is there really such a thing as coincidence? Or is there some higher power guiding every occurrence? Or are our lives so dependent on others for success that connections develop naturally over the course of time? “Magnolia” delves deep into the questions, but never comes up with a true response to any of these.

“Magnolia” is an intense ensemble piece in the tradition of Robert Altman. Paul Thomas Anderson returns to directing two years after his 1997 success “Boogie Nights.” Both films are ensemble-driven and both contain brilliant performances…however, in “Magnolia,” the closest thing to a traditional lead is police officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly). This not only intensifies the performances, but adds a lot to the notion that people are interdependent for most of their lives.

There are several stories at work in “Magnolia,” most of which eventually interconnect by some stretch of the imagination. However, to reveal exactly how is giving away some of the fun of the movie. Tom Cruise is a motivational speaker, Frank T.J. Mackey, who encourages men to be the strong centers of all of their relationships. Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) is a television personality.

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Phil Parma, the tender nursing assistant for Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) who is dying from old age while his young, nubile wife Linda (Julianne Moore) has to seek help from several professionals for both his and her mental and physical health.

Melora Walters plays Jimmy’s daughter Claudia whose drug addiction might get her in trouble with the police. Jeremy Blackman plays Stanley Spector, a child prodigy whose knowledge has landed him on a successful game show where his father Rick (Michael Bowen) prods him with a heavy hand.

William H. Macy is Donnie Smith, a former child genius whose life of celebrity hasn’t helped him a bit, but lands him a job as an electronics salesman who isn’t taken seriously at all. He has a sexual interest in a young bartender with braces and insists that he must get them as well to get close to him. The only problem there is that the barkeep already has a sugar daddy (Henry Gibson).

Eventually, every member of the cast has a storyline that directly (and sometimes indirectly) links them with everyone else in the film. This idea is what makes the story so interesting and worthwhile. The only slight problem with the film comes with the climax. The way everything is tied together so neatly in a seemingly unnecessary event, might feel like a cheat if it weren’t alluded to earlier in the film. It is rather difficult to completely understand why the climax occurs, but looking at it, we might see the answer to one of our earlier questions: “is there some higher power guiding the plots of our lives?” I think the answer to the question is yes, but also no. I think all three questions can receive the answer yes, but also no, because while they are all dependent on one another, they can also stand as answers on their own. It makes for a rather confusing, if not interesting discussion on the values we place on life in general.

The rest of the film is terrific. The music plays an interesting necessity in the film. The opening title song “One” adapted by Aimee Mann talks about the loneliest number and implies that we are indeed alone, but connected when everything comes to an end. Later in the film, the entire cast, sitting in relative desolation at the turn of events in their lives, begins singing the song “Wise Up.” Each person completes a different lyric to the song.

In the end, “Magnolia” might have a sometimes confusing, but ultimately rewarding plot, but it is the ensemble that makes the film. The cast performs admirably and if there were an Oscar for best ensemble, there’s no doubt in my mind that “Magnolia” would be the winner. Each performance is multi-faceted and intricately written. Anderson’s flair for directing actors is apparent in his earlier work on “Boogie Nights,” but easily transcends his previous work in the terms of performances. While the story isn’t nearly as interesting as in his treatise on the porn industry, “Magnolia” is undoubtedly the better ensemble. I would even be so bold as to say “Magnolia” is one of the best ensemble casts in the history of cinema.

Awards Prospects

Picture and director are not out of the question. Moore and Cruise are almost guaranteed nominations, as is the screenplay. Editing and cinematography are also potentials with a picture nomination.

Review Written

February 27, 2000