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Magnolia

R Released Jan 7, 2000 3h 8m Drama List
82% Tomatometer 216 Reviews 89% Audience Score 100,000+ Ratings
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. Read More Read Less
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Magnolia

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Critics Consensus

An eruption of feeling that's as overwhelming as it is overwrought, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia reaches a fevered crescendo and sustains it thanks to its fearlessly committed ensemble.

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Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Magnolia is operatic in its ambition, a great, joyous leap into melodrama and coincidence, with ragged emotions, crimes and punishments, deathbed scenes, romantic dreams, generational turmoil and celestial intervention, all scored to insistent music. Rated: 4/4 Jul 15, 2023 Full Review Ann Hornaday Baltimore Sun While not as fully realized as Anderson's last movie, Boogie Nights, Magnolia is filmed with the same skillful abandon, and takes many more artistic risks... The result is a movie as fascinating for its flaws as for its considerable successes. Rated: 3/4 Jul 15, 2023 Full Review Rita Kempley Washington Post Magnolia, Paul Thomas Anderson's frenzied follow-up to Boogie Nights, can be as intoxicating as the flower it's named for, and its characters, most of them as flawed and fascinating as the film itself, seem intoxicated by the overpowering scent. Jul 15, 2023 Full Review Robert Denerstein Denver Rocky Mountain News Anderson has dared to make a movie that refuses to conceal its excesses, an amazing abundance of strong emotion, technical verve and pure performance power. Rated: A- Jul 15, 2023 Full Review George M. Thomas Akron Beacon Journal It's a film of power, substance and superlative performances that challenges audiences. Hopefully, audiences will be up to taking that challenge. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 15, 2023 Full Review Steve Persall Tampa Bay Times Magnolia is the kind of material actors cherish, with bravura passages of emotional release and dialogue crackling with despair and a hint of ironic humor. Rated: A- Jul 15, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member On of the greatest movies of all time. Legendary and perfect. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/25/24 Full Review Joseph L Simply put this is in my top 20 films of all time. A terrific ensemble cast go there and more. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/06/24 Full Review Christian K Crazy good stuff throughout from everyone, all synced to the highest level by PTA. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/20/24 Full Review Nathan W Not a perfect film, but it comes pretty darn close. A simple concept at its core... We follow the lives of several different, but loosely connected, people as they deal with their unique problems over the course of a day. I found it to be engaging, relatable, and immensely entertaining. This movie did not shy away from some of the darker aspects of human nature and really took the audience for an emotional ride. I thought it was filmed beautifully. There were a number of scenes with long takes that went on for minutes at a time. There were several standout performances from its immense pool of acting talent . Most notably, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore. Just a brilliant film with great acting, and even better storytelling, that felt much shorter than its runtime. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/07/24 Full Review KB B It's a very enjoyable movie with great acting and storyline. It's definitely worth the watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/21/24 Full Review Jeff M A cinematic tapestry of dysfunction, many consider this film overindulgent and overwrought - I think it's genius! This is one of the great movie-going rides I've ever witnessed. Each storyline is more fascinating than the next and nearly every performance is career-best or close to it. Tom Cruise is an actor I generally don't link, but he is electrifying here. Moore and Hoffman hit it out of the ballpark in their scene together - simply stunning! There is not a false note among the huge cast. The running time is over 3 hours, but to me it felt like 30 minutes. And the climax will have people scratching their heads and arguing for decades to come. If you're in the groove with the movie, you'll accept and appreciate what happens; if not, you'll likely consider it the most preposterous turn of events in movie history. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Magnolia

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer
Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Sellar
Screenwriter
Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Production Co
Ghoulardi Film Company, New Line Cinema, Magnolia Project
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 7, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.5M
Runtime
3h 8m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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