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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 rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
10/18/08
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY

What this film may have needed to get on its feet is some honest-to-goodness violence.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment 7 Comments
04/27/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer

Anderson was better off dealing with what goes into the mouths of babes than what comes out of them.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com

Anderson is still a solid talent, but he should remember to explore his ideas in depth as well as breadth.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Anderson considers himself an actor's director, but he's something far less romantic: a star-struck enabler.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Overlong, self-indulgent and often laughable.

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

Proves the truth of the old Zen adage: those who try too hard usually miss the target.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/21/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

"Days of Our Lives" with better production values.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
10/30/01
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

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

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, ultimately, *is* this jumbled mess about, anyway?

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment 1 Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

How did Paul Thomas Anderson attain the pinnacle of self-indulgence so quickly?

comment Comment
01/01/00
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

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

Sprawling mess of a film.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Paul Tatara
Paul Tatara
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten 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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