What this film may have needed to get on its feet is some honest-to-goodness violence.
Magnolia (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:136
Fresh:113
Rotten:23
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Critics say Magnolia is an ambitious, lengthy work that ultimately succeeds due to the interesting stories and excellent ensemble performances.
Runtime: 3 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: In a single day in Los Angeles, a number of interconnected lives are changed forever. A lonely police officer (John C. Reilly) falls in love with a disturbed cocaine addict (Melora Walters). Her... In a single day in Los Angeles, a number of interconnected lives are changed forever. A lonely police officer (John C. Reilly) falls in love with a disturbed cocaine addict (Melora Walters). Her father (Philip Baker Hall), the host of the game show "What Do Kids Know?" has terminal cancer and tries to make amends for his past mistakes. A former champion of the show (William H. Macy) struggles to find love while the current champion (Jeremy Blackman) suffocates under the pressures of being a boy genius. An elderly man (Jason Robards) lies on his deathbed, tended by nurse Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman), while his trophy wife (Julianne Moore) wrestles with grief and guilt, and his estranged son (Tom Cruise), an infomercial host, teaches workshops on how to trick women into having sex. Throughout all of this, past deeds are lamented and strange forces loom in the air. Director Paul Thomas Anderson's follow-up to BOOGIE NIGHTS is an extravagant, emotional epic inspired by such films as Robert Altman's NASHVILLE and SHORT CUTS, with a sprawling cast of characters searching for love and meaning in a chaotic world. The cast delivers uniformly excellent performances, most notably Tom Cruise's Oscar-nominated role as the sleazy Frank T.J. Mackey. [More]
Starring: John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Starring: John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Melora Walters, William H. Macy, Jeremy Blackman, Michael Bowen, Melinda Dillon, April Grace, Luis Guzmán, Alfred Molina, Michael Murphy, Felicity Huffman, Henry Gibson
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Joanne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson
Composer: Jon Brion
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Reviews for Magnolia
I went into Magnolia like a kid running onto a beach with a pail and shovel ready to explore, only to find myself neck deep in quicksand three hours later, screaming for help.
Magnolia is the kind of film I instinctively respond to. Leave logic at the door. Do not expect subdued taste and restraint, but instead a kind of operatic ecstasy.
Magnolia's finest achievement is the sheer ambition running through every vein.
Speaks to us from places we know all too well – the dark side of the morning, and the solitary depths of the human heart.
Magnolia is a deeply felt kitchen sink movie reminiscent, in a good way.
Jason Robards gives the performance of his career as a terminally ill man trying to contact his son: He's so convincing, you fear for Robards' own health.
Magnolia is real, full-tilt filmmaking, seducing our souls and nervous systems with a sensory, kinesthetic rush.
In the most amazing performance of many here, Tom Cruise plays the charismatic guru of a cultish self-help 'seminar' for would- be macho lady-killers.
Magnolia is the only true end-of-the-millennium masterpiece, an achievement that will be hard to match for many years to come.
Fancy stuff. Fanciful, too. There are lots of put-ons, a few put-downs, and some compelling revelations about human nature.
Anderson was better off dealing with what goes into the mouths of babes than what comes out of them.
A bold move for Anderson, an amazing display of acting for Tom Cruise, and one of the best films of 1999.
Latest News for Magnolia
February 07, 2007:
Ben Stiller & Tom Cruise: The New Hardy Boys?
Will Tom Cruise resort to comedy in an effort to salvage his semi-damaged image? And if so, is Ben Stiller to be his partner in hilarity? More...
November 21, 2006:
Auteur Robert Altman Passes Away at 81
Robert Altman, the esteemed and venerable director of "M*A*S*H," "Nashville," and "The Player," died Monday from complications due to cancer. He... More...
June 09, 2005:
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Just a day after dropping their proposed "Watchmen" adaptation, Paramount Pictures announced that "Mission: Impossible 3" will go into production on July... More...
May 26, 2005:
Rhys-Myers and Monaghan Sign up for "MI: 3"
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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