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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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101 - 120 (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
 
 

As studies of characters these stories are each worth following.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

I do believe I've just experienced one of the best movies I'll ever see.

Full Review Source: MovieJuice! | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark Ramsey
Mark Ramsey
MovieJuice!

Some parts are imperfect, some of the seams are badly stitched, but the finished piece is a work of art.

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marty Mapes
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit

Groundbreaking innovations in how filmed stories are told.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/01/00
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

Only see Magnolia if you have a lot of time (and patience) on your hands.

Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Matt Easterbrook
Matt Easterbrook
Matt's Movie Reviews

Magnificent masterwork!

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

The more you think about Magnolia -- the dry wit, the bravura staging, the intricate design, the wondrous performances -- the better and more unusual the film seems.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune

The most imperfect of the year's best movies, Magnolia's flaws are easily forgiven because they are the result of go-for-broke ambition.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Writer/director P.T. Anderson plays the stories off one another to great effect.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike DeWolfe
Mike DeWolfe
Apollo Guide

Sprawling mess of a film.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Paul Tatara
Paul Tatara
CNN.com

Magnolia is a jigsaw puzzle of a film that, unfortunately, once its final image takes shape, is far less compelling than the pieces from which it was fashioned.

Full Review Source: Well Rounded Entertainment | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter G. Helfrich
Peter G. Helfrich
Well Rounded Entertainment

It turns out that Anderson tends to mistake redundancy for depth.

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

I wish I could join in the chorus of praise...

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine

Absolutely mesmerizing piece of filmmaking.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
01/01/00
Philip Booth
Philip Booth
Orlando Weekly

A rich and imaginative musical score.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Philip Wuntch
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News

An intricate mosaic of emotional stories intertwined by coincidence, Magnolia is an elegant exposé of human frailty.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

Magnolia withers under the weight of its ambition.

Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Nelson
Rob Nelson
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

"Magnolia" is magnificent!

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott A. Mantz
Scott A. Mantz
Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews
 
 
101 - 120 (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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