Magnolia

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Blackman, Melinda Dillon, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Thomas Jane, Luis Guzman, Orlando Jones
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows one crazy day in Los Angeles, seen through the eyes of several people, most connected to each other in some way. They include a dying father trying to get hold of his son (Tom Cruise) while his wife (Julianne Moore) tries to deal with his imminent death; a police officer (John C. Reilly) starting a new relationship, and a child game show star (William H. Macy) trying to cope with disappointment.

Review:

Tim: Paul Thomas Anderson directs one crazy movie here with Magnolia. The opening few scenes are incredible, as we hear about different unbelievable but true stories. This really sets the stage for a different and exciting film.

The plot of the movie is very interesting, as we see many different characters interacting in different ways over the course of one crazy day. At over three hours, however, the epic film becomes nothing more than a slow moving bore that you can't wait for to end. What starts out as excitement in the beginning slowly begins to turn into lethargy. Sure, it is amazing that Anderson kept all the stories straight and knew what was happening even when the audience gets lost, but three hours is far too long for a serious drama of this nature.

The cast is actually pretty good, even if they don't all get a chance to be together on screen with each other. Tom Cruise plays a very un-Cruise-like character as a womanizing motivational speaker. He was awarded an Academy Award nomination for his performance, and fortunately (in my eyes), lost. He is very unlike his typical self, but not necessarily excellent.

Julianne Moore is good, but is quite annoying as her character, a younger woman who married to an older, dying man for his money. Her performance is good, but her character is not interesting to watch. John C. Reilly is pretty excellent as a cop. He doesn't have the biggest part in the film, but his scenes are the most enjoyable of the film. Alfred Molina is only in one scene, which doesn't give us enough to really judge him. William H. Macy plays an odd and unlikeable character. He throws in his usual supporting self. The film's concluding scene with the frogs is unbelievable to watch and eye-opening. I don't understand it, but it was by far the most insane and best part of the film. After suffering for over three long hours, I give Anderson credit for ending his film with something that wakes us up and forces us to pay attention.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



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