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Magnolia

Play trailer Poster for Magnolia R 2000 3h 8m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
82% Tomatometer 220 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
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.
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Magnolia

Magnolia

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Critics Consensus

An eruption of feeling that's as overwhelming as it is overwrought, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia reaches a feverish crescendo and sustains it thanks to its fearlessly committed ensemble.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) May 9, 2025
5/5
Anderson made an aching, yearning three-hour epic about lost souls in LA’s San Fernando Valley, culminating in a nutty, biblical-level frog deluge. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jul 15, 2023
4/4
Magnolia is operatic in its ambition, a great, joyous leap into melodrama and coincidence, with ragged emotions, crimes and punishments, deathbed scenes, romantic dreams, generational turmoil and celestial intervention, all scored to insistent music. Go to Full Review Ann Hornaday Baltimore Sun Jul 15, 2023
3/4
While not as fully realized as Anderson's last movie, Boogie Nights, Magnolia is filmed with the same skillful abandon, and takes many more artistic risks... The result is a movie as fascinating for its flaws as for its considerable successes. Go to Full Review Matt Oakes Silver Screen Riot Aug 20, 2026
Because in a world where it can rain frogs, nothing that already happened gets to be the last word. And Magnolia – a film obsessed with the idea that the past is never finished with you – cuts to black on the exact instant somebody decides to try anyway. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Feb 24, 2026
4/4
Its restless camera, onrushing music, heartbreaking monologues, and incomparable ensemble of marvelous performances generate a momentum that feels less plotted than propelled by raw emotion. Go to Full Review Fico Cangiano CineXpress Podcast Mar 28, 2025
5/5
A fever dream of souls crashing, repentance, forgiveness and second chances. Tom Cruise is phenomenal in what could be Paul Thomas Anderson's best offering. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leprechaun K @LeprechaunKing Sep 27, 2026 Magnolia has big shoes to fill following the success of Boogie Nights. PTA tries to fit too much material into the movie. There are just too many subplots to follow and too much to digest. For a 3-hours long movie of non-stop chaos, it becomes suffocating and exhausting. The ending is also convoluted and unsatisfying. See more Brandon B @syncopatedbeet Sep 25, 2026 A bizarre, beautiful, almost biblical film in it’s explorations of power, loss, addiction, fame and all that’s in between. See more B.B. B @b.b.2026 Sep 21, 2026 a bizarre and unique movie. you've never seen anything quite like it. running time is a bit much See more Huntin P @PaxVobiscum80 Sep 16, 2026 Another movie that was punishing to behold in the cinema. Magnolia is three hours and more of pretentious, auteurist crapola. PTA, or QT the 2nd, is a director considered a hot property today, I assume, given all the Oscars. Back then he was still on his way up, or do I mean down? There are several candidates for Worst Scene, but my selection would be the one where all the characters sing. Cringe city! This was Tom Cruise's last ditch attempt to bag an Oscar. Jerry Maguire didn't do it. Eyes Wide Shut didn't do it. Born on the Fourth of July, Interview with the Vampire, nope nope. After Magnolia he shrugged his shoulders and reinvented himself as action man. And why not? Now, more than twenty-five years later, would I feel differently about Magnolia? My money's on no. When Hollywood tries to do anything Worthy, the outcome is so often Dull. Not even a rain shower full of frogs could save this one. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 6, 2026 Magnolia = a *4* star movie! See more Valentin Z @Valaton Sep 6, 2026 no one can properly review this masterpiece... I don't envy the movie critics who have to review this movie "professionally"... to review it is just to spoil everything... just watch it... so many (life) levels... so many feelings... so many thoughts... See more Read all reviews
Magnolia

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Cast & Crew

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Paul Thomas Anderson

Director

Jason Robards

Earl Partridge

Julianne Moore

Linda Partridge

Tom Cruise

Frank T.J. Mackey

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Phil Parma

John C. Reilly

Jim Kurring

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Magnolia

William H. Macy as Quiz Kid Donny Smith in New Line's Magnolia Philip Baker Hall and Melinda Dillon in New Line's Magnolia Tom Cruise and Jason Robards in New Line's Magnolia John C. Reilly and Emmanuel Johnson in New Line's Magnolia Philip Seymour Hoffman as Phil Parma in New Line's Magnolia Craig Kvinsland, William H. Macy and Henry Gibson in New Line's Magnolia Jeremy Blackman as Stanley Spector in New Line's Magnolia Julianne Moore and Jason Robards in New Line's Magnolia John C. Reilly as Jim Kurring in New Line's Magnolia Julianne Moore and Jason Robards in New Line's Magnolia View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer
Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Sellar
Screenwriter
Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Production Co
New Line Cinema, Ghoulardi Film Company, Magnolia Project
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 7, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.5M
Runtime
3h 8m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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