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Movies / On DVD / Magnolia
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

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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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Magnolia's finest achievement is the sheer ambition running through every vein.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/28/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of the most enthralling and exhilarating American movies in ages.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Cruise, with a sharklike stance, gives a career-best performance as a total bastard.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a gambler's strategy -- double or nothing -- and Magnolia's gamble pays off.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
12/03/02
Leslie Dick
Leslie Dick
Sight and Sound

Ever since the credits rolled I’ve been able to think of little else.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/02
Sarah Hall
Sarah Hall
ViewLondon

Simply compelling.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Speaks to us from places we know all too well – the dark side of the morning, and the solitary depths of the human heart.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/17/01
Andrew Howe
Andrew Howe
eFilmCritic.com

Magnolia is a deeply felt kitchen sink movie reminiscent, in a good way.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

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.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bill Pearis
Bill Pearis
Citysearch

Magnolia is real, full-tilt filmmaking, seducing our souls and nervous systems with a sensory, kinesthetic rush.

Full Review Source: Newhouse News Service | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Campbell
Bob Campbell
Newhouse News Service

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.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Graham
Bob Graham
San Francisco Chronicle

Magnolia is the only true end-of-the-millennium masterpiece, an achievement that will be hard to match for many years to come.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

Fancy stuff. Fanciful, too. There are lots of put-ons, a few put-downs, and some compelling revelations about human nature.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Thompson
Bob Thompson
Jam! Movies

Contains moments of considerable beauty, terror, and insight.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

A fascinating film from a director of great skill and even greater promise.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Charlie McCollum
Charlie McCollum
San Jose Mercury News

A bold move for Anderson, an amazing display of acting for Tom Cruise, and one of the best films of 1999.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Chris Gore
Chris Gore
Film Threat

As in his brilliantly incisive Boogie Nights, Anderson here tells the tales of remorse and hope among the lonely, the misguided, the desperate.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christine James
Christine James
Boxoffice Magazine

A smashing success.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Magnolia achieves a blinding grace in how its juxtaposition of the many storylines begins to confront and examine universal truths.

Full Review Source: Matinee Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chuck Rudolph
Chuck Rudolph
Matinee Magazine
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK 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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