Magnolia
1999 · Movie · R · 189 min · ★ 7.7 · 80% critics
On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, many lives collide as an ailing father, a young wife, and a variety of other figures each get pulled into separate emotional stories. Bound together by one ongoing day’s pressures, the film builds a dazzling web where all the threads ultimately point to a single tale.
Also known as mag-no'li-a
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Details
- Years
- 1999
- Release date
- 1999-12-17
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 189 min
- Critic score
- 80/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.7/10 (4,017 votes)
About
If you enjoy sweeping ensemble dramas that follow multiple intersecting lives and lean hard on music and emotion, you may like Magnolia; Not for you if you want a simple, steady plot, clean answers, or shorter runtimes than American Beauty.
Pros: soaring ensemble drama; powerful performances; memorable songs | Cons: very long runtime; confusing interconnections; divisive tone
Themes
- dying and death
- daughter
- farewell
- regret
- unsociability
- chance
- becoming an adult
- parent child relationship
- suicide attempt
- loss of loved one
- child prodigy
- reconciliation
- +4 more
Awards & recognition
- Golden Bear · 2000
- National Board of Review Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1999
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 2000 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 2000 · nominated
Cast & crew
Tom Cruise
as Frank T.J. Mackey
Philip Baker Hall
as Jimmy Gator
Philip Seymour Hoffman
as Phil Parma
Julianne Moore
as Linda Partridge
William H. Macy
as Quiz Kid Donnie Smith
John C. Reilly
as Officer Jim Kurring
Melora Walters
as Claudia Wilson Gator
Jeremy Blackman
as Stanley Spector
Jason Robards
as Earl Partridge
Melinda Dillon
as Rose Gator
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson