Magnolia

Name: Magnolia
Genre: Drama
Released: December 17, 1999
Duration: 188 min
Rating: 77
Cast: Jason Robards, Jeremy Blackman, John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall

1999

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 696 Ratings

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4.5

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4.5	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 696 Ratings

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Magnolia

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Movie Details & Credits

New Line Cinema | Release Date: December 17, 1999 | R

Starring: Jason Robards, Jeremy Blackman, John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Cruise, William H. Macy

Summary: On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story. [New Line Cinema]

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 188 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

F. X. Feeney

Part poem, part jungle blossom, all brilliance. Read full review

100

Lou Lumenick

Hands-down the best movie of the year. Read full review

Peter Travers

One of the best movies of the year--startling, innovative, hugely funny and powerfully, courageously moving.

Kenneth Turan

Drunk and disorderly on the pure joy of making movies. A frantic, flawed, fascinating film that is both impressive and a bit out of control, often at the same time. Read full review

Jay Carr

Magnolia is "Short Cuts" with hope. It's my kind of mess. Read full review

Emanuel Levy

A remarkably inventive and audacious film that almost overcomes its flaws. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

A three-hour-and-10-minute exercise in slight characterization, pointlessly showy editing and vapid plotting. Read full review

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User Reviews

seancriswell

Oct 7, 2012

Every so often a movie that you have heard a lot about but never seen blows your mind. Magnolia is one of those movies for me. Immediately after viewing this film I knew that it would be on my mind for weeks and that it would become one of my top 10 films. Every character in this movie isEvery so often a movie that you have heard a lot about but never seen blows your mind. Magnolia is one of those movies for me. Immediately after viewing this film I knew that it would be on my mind for weeks and that it would become one of my top 10 films. Every character in this movie is interesting on multiple levels. Every scene in this movie is thoughtful and poignant. The scenes that opponents of this film have problems with, the frogs and the musical interlude, work for me in every way. Both these scenes do seem out of place in this story, but for me that is what makes them amazing. They come from nowhere, but interlock these characters in a visceral, interesting way. There is so much to unravel in a film this large, with multiple plot lines and characters running both separate from each other and together at various times. You could probably write a book trying to accurately review this movie. I look forward to watching this movie again and again over the years, and trying to unravel all the characters and premises in my mind.… Expand

5 of 35 users found this helpful530

AndrewG

Jul 18, 2009

I noticed most of the zero's on here dismiss Magnolia as a boring or artsy film people enjoy because it makes them feel smart. Magnolia makes you feel smart because it IS smart. In fact, P.T. Anderson's shattering of narrative convention is the most unique undertaking since I noticed most of the zero's on here dismiss Magnolia as a boring or artsy film people enjoy because it makes them feel smart. Magnolia makes you feel smart because it IS smart. In fact, P.T. Anderson's shattering of narrative convention is the most unique undertaking since Citizen Kane. I won't ruin the ending, but I will say that different aspects of the film, from the characters to the themes, have already started to converge, making the ending acceptable. Some character studies are boring and have an unwarranted reputation, but not here. If your smart enough and want to invest some time towards wrapping your head around this one, you'll be amazed.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

dmcg1990

May 14, 2021

The length flies by. Great look at how we overcomplicate and **** up our lives over **** that doesn’t really matter — and how much better it would be if we could simplify our lives down to what truly counts.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

filmdude

Jan 18, 2008

I was speechless after watching this film lately. I heard good things about it and never had the chance to watch it. At first I thought it felt like experienmental film. Then I realized this film wasn't the conventional single-story driven film that an average hollywood films portray. I was speechless after watching this film lately. I heard good things about it and never had the chance to watch it. At first I thought it felt like experienmental film. Then I realized this film wasn't the conventional single-story driven film that an average hollywood films portray. It was expressing life as a community. Well, a community of a small group. This LIFE felt CHAOS from start to end. To smile it off at the bitter facts of life it decided to throw in the frogs.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Spangle

Aug 23, 2014

Who would guess that a film like this would be successful? However, it absolutely is. Magnolia explores the themes of loneliness, regret, forgiveness, the past, and parent-child relationships, with snapshots of the life of a group of broken and troubled people who are all linked, even ifWho would guess that a film like this would be successful? However, it absolutely is. Magnolia explores the themes of loneliness, regret, forgiveness, the past, and parent-child relationships, with snapshots of the life of a group of broken and troubled people who are all linked, even if they do not know it. Thanks to great acting from the ensemble cast featuring Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, Jeremy Blackman, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards, and Melora Walters, Magnolia's diverse (yet not as diverse as you may think) are brought to life brilliantly. It also does not hurt that the writing is superb and the depth we go to with these characters in just three hours is amazing. On that note, this one comes in at three hours and in spite of it, it feels like it was nothing more than an hour and a half, as the runtime just flies by. The ending is incredibly odd, though it brings the biblical references and the freak happenings of this one to conclusion nicely, as odd as it may truly be. Overall, Magnolia is a beautiful and brilliantly made film that will move and entertain you.… Expand

1 of 11 users found this helpful110

AmurabiM.

Sep 19, 2006

Through a series of coincidences, opportunities, human action, shared environment and divine intervention, this stories colludes and get involved themselves. These human lives that confronts each other daily and raises an unfogerttable climax are the field of this study of characters. Some Through a series of coincidences, opportunities, human action, shared environment and divine intervention, this stories colludes and get involved themselves. These human lives that confronts each other daily and raises an unfogerttable climax are the field of this study of characters. Some of this characters are searching forgiveness, some of them are searching escape. Some get better realtionships and others are exposed. "Magnolia" is a mosaic of American life through a series of comic and pathetic vignettes. Its a portrait of a lonely town, sometimes even a love letter. Its a personal search of the elements hidden in a crisis. Its a story about fix things. And its awesome.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JonW.

Jul 7, 2006

I thought "The Village", "Random Hearts" and "Intersection" were the worst movies of all time. Now they're only the 2nd - 4th worst movies of all time thank to this hunk of junk. The most interesting part of the film was the first 1 minute when 3 coincidences were summarized - the only I thought "The Village", "Random Hearts" and "Intersection" were the worst movies of all time. Now they're only the 2nd - 4th worst movies of all time thank to this hunk of junk. The most interesting part of the film was the first 1 minute when 3 coincidences were summarized - the only coincidence involving the actual characters in the movie were the boredom in which they inflicted, the pointlessness of their stories and the over-the-top acting by all of the cast members. By the end of the movie, I was praying that they all would die together, quickly because I cared nothing for any of them and only wanted to stop my pain. It will be tough to top this one as the worst ever, but I'm sure some Hollywood genius is already hard at work.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful

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26	#26 Best Movie of 1999
13	#13 Most Discussed Movie of 1999
16	#16 Most Shared Movie of 1999