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Magnolia

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Magnolia (1999)

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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

US Box Office: $0

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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Magnolia

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61 - 80 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Paul Thomas Anderson delivers his messages with grand imagination and daring.

Full Review Source: NUVO Newsweekly | comment Comment
01/01/00
Edward Johnson-Ott
Edward Johnson-Ott
NUVO Newsweekly

A remarkably inventive and audacious film.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/01/00
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unfortunately, only a few of the stories really do intersect.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

If you've got the time and a cast iron butt, you should definitely take this in.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

Overlong, self-indulgent and often laughable.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eric Monder
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

What leaves you breathless, though, is the knockout acting by the cast.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Ernest Hardy
Ernest Hardy
Film.com

Even Cecil B. DeMille might have been impressed.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

The exuberance and richness of Anderson's movies reflect the pure joy of somebody in a state of vocational rapture.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

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.

comment 2 Comments
01/01/00
Graham Verdon
Graham Verdon
TNT's Rough Cut

The performances are all around great, with everyone fitting perfectly into their given role.

Full Review Source: Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Greg Dean Schmitz
Greg Dean Schmitz
Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies

Each of the principals in this character-driven tale possesses a solid, distinct personality.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/01/00
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

The sins of fathers, sons and lovers come pouring onto the audience in a torrent of stifling intensity.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

Nearly as impressive as Anderson's rapport with his actors is his use of parallel action to juggle their performances.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
01/01/00
J. Hoberman
J. Hoberman
Village Voice

I'll guarantee you've never seen anything like them on or off the screen.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Those who 'get' the film are in for something that ranks as more of a cinematic experience than a mere movie.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Rife with unexpected outbursts, moments of catharsis and deeply funny observations about love and sex, this is a film that runs you through the emotional wringer, then shifts into reverse and pulls you back through again.

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

Too lengthy and jangled to properly serve Anderson's purpose.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jami Bernard
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News

What Anderson lacks in substance is offset by his great skill with actors, his gift for shaping resonant little individual vignettes and his extraordinary intuition.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Magnolia is Short Cuts with hope. It's my kind of mess.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe

A stunning achievement.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

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: Paramount Confirms "Mission: Impossible 3" is a Go
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"
More...

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