Magnolia Movie Review

Magnolia (1999)

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Written by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Jason Robards, Alfred Molina, Patton Oswalt
Rated: R
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Plot
This sprawling character study of people in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning whose lives intersect by sheer coincidence in the San Fernando Valley.

Verdict
The first few scenes provide far fetched but 'true' scenarios that act as a primer for this movie. We follow various people and their interconnected struggles. These characters are completely engrossing from the beginning with an obvious depth. What's behind their pain or persona? The characters and acting are great, and with a stellar cast Tom Cruise might be the standout due to playing against type.
All of these characters are having the worst day of their life. While their connections seem like a stretch, the movie has already addressed it. Even the parts of the movie that are criticized for being too much, I appreciate this movie goes for it and makes an overt connection without floundering. Despite the run time, this never feels long as I was invested in these characters and their outcomes. It's a well made film that creates complex characters that carry this movie, and it's not content to do just that. It takes it to another level.
Watch It.

Review
This was Anderson's third movie following Boogie Nights. I was enthralled by this movie the first time I saw it. It's a movie I had to watch a second time once I knew how the characters connected. There were internet rumors about the clues hidden in the rap about the Worm. The second viewing you have the advantage of knowing where the stories are going, allowing a deeper read into every scene. All of the stories intertwine.

Despite the improbability these characters intersect somehow. We're provided several unrelated anecdotes of extreme coincidence, events so unlikely to intersect that it seems not just improbable but impossible. There has to be a reason for these occurrences, and that's the effective primer to help us believe what we're about to see. While the stories are presented as true, they are fictional.

Melora Walters, John C. Reilly play Claudia, Jim

This does a lot in just a few minutes. It's clear these characters are broken, insecure, and desperately seeking happiness. You get a sense of them instantly. We get inept policeman Jim (John C. Reilly), over confidant pickup artist Frank Mackey (Tom Cruise), game show host Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) and his troubled daughter Claudia (Melora Walters), Stanley (Jeremy Blackman) a kid who everyone just wants to use to make a buck, and the lovelorn Donnie (William H. Macy). There's some insecurity among all of them, and as soon as they're introduced we wonder why are they like this and what's happened. Why does Donnie want braces? How did Frank become a pickup artist? Why don't Jimmy and Claudia get along?

A common refrain among the cast is that "the past ain't through with us." They're all shaped by their past, and it's the past that keeps coming back to affect the future.

Tom Cruise plays Frank T.J. Mackey

This cast is great, and the movie allows them space to act. A number of scenes eschew dialog but provide a lot of information. There's a scene were Frank realizes the reporter knows his past. The change we see in Frank is amazing as his swagger changes to revulsion in seconds. "I'm quietly judging you." is the culmination of a great scene. All of the actors are great, but Cruise stands out in a great role where he's not playing the hero.

Sometimes in movies I wonder how all these characters have the worst day of their lives and happen to intersect at the same time. With this movie I quickly became invested in the characters and plights. The coincidence doesn't matter, and that's helped by the fact the movie has already addressed it. With good writing you happily suspend your disbelief. And at over three hours, this never feel near that long.

All of these characters are hurting. They've been taken advantage of, discarded, cheated, and more. Gator works on a kid quiz show that Donnie was on and won big. Donnie's parents cheated him and he hasn't recovered. It's a potential future for Stanley whose dad sees his son as a meal ticket and doesn't care about him. Stanley is smart but unappreciated. The producer of the show is Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) and his son is Frank.

Jeremy Blackman plays Stanley

The movie unpacks what these characters want. They are hoping for love or recognition while others are hiding from the pain of the past. There's so much happening in their life outside of what we see in the film. There's a lot we're not told that's left up to speculation. That just adds to the depth.

There's a sing along part that gets criticized but it shows how these character are connected and how they feel at that moment. The fact it's a debate and not a complete failure is an accomplishment. Few movies could even attempt something like that. The frog thing is just wild. It's a shock the first time, but when you consider it against the introduction to the movie you more easily accept it. The first time I saw this movie, I had never seen anything like that.

This movie is a showcase of how you create characters while also giving actors the space to do their job. There's so much to this movie and even more to unpack.