Magnolia poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly ... see more see more... , Melora Walters , Jeremy Blackman , Michael Bowen , William H. Macy , Philip Baker Hall , Melinda Dillon , Emmanuel Johnson , Lillian Adams , Henry Gibson , Felicity Huffman , Ricky Jay , Alfred Molina , Luis Guzman , April Grace , Patton Oswalt , Mary Lynn Rajskub , Pat Healy , Don McManus , Don Mc Manus , Ezra Buzzington

An intriguing and entertaining study in characters going through varying levels of crisis and introspection. This psychological drama leads you in several different directions, weaving and intersectin... read more read more...g various subplots and characters, from a brilliant Tom Cruise, as a self-proclaimed pied-piper, to a child forced to go on a TV game show and the pressures he faces from a ruthless father.

Flixster Users

88% liked it

164,188 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

139 critics

R, 3 hr. 8 min.

Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Release Date: December 17, 1999

Keywords: deep, weird, depressing, complex

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: July 25, 2000

Get It:

Stats: 11,262 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

magnolia Magnolia Magnolia Magnolia Coked Out Claudia Magnolia Magnolia Magnolia Magnolia Moore and Robards Magnolia Magnolia Magnolia Julianne Moore Cooking up a coffee or coke, maybe? Magnolia Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly) & Claudia Wilson Gator (Melora Walters) Melora as Claudia in "Magnolia"
Upload a Photo | View All Magnolia Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (11,262)

  • fb100001048934982
    January 27, 2012
    fb100001048934982
    Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Magnolia' is a great achievment for the director. The acting from the great ensemble cast was brilliant (Tom Cruise= WOW), the camera work was the usual PTA top notch, and the surprising, unexpected climax was appalling. Fans of Film should relish such a m... read moreulti-layered film, but the casual movie watcher may find the 3 hour run time too much to handle.
  • fb1664868775
    November 20, 2011
    fb1664868775
    PTA uses what he learned from watching Robert Altman and creates an epic, operatic masterpiece. With an ensemble cast that is second to none, this one blew me away.
  • dunmyer
    August 7, 2011
    dunmyer
    I finally sat down and watched the three-hour epic "Magnolia" from Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood"). I found it to be a sterile, overblown intellectual exercise with no characters that had any authenticity. All the characters, and there are about 20, were caricatures ... read moreintended to convey the filmmaker's ideas. Not one of them felt like a real person to me.

    Furthermore, the filmmaker's ideas weren't interesting.

    The legendary frog shower at the end struck me as a pretentious device from a screenwriter running on empty. Rarely have I seen a filmmaker try so hard and come up so empty-handed.
  • moonrivers
    July 24, 2011
    moonrivers
    Forgiveness, like anything truly important in life, is all too easily spoke of and ruminated over but oh so difficult to come to. Anderson boldly attacks this consideration with a masterpiece of an ensemble work that's perhaps not for everyone and yet nonetheless sublimely stunn... read moreing and magnificent.
  • fb100001050230219
    June 19, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    When watching Magnolia, many emotions go through your head at different stages. There are times when you might laugh, times when you might cry, but the final scene provides an emotion greater than any other. Hope. When a certain character smiles, you smile, as you know that even ... read morein difficult times there is always someone who cares about you and help you get through it. Paul Thomas Anderson made a film where everything falls into place beautifully. You follow 9 characters apart of one storyline, and not one feels out of place or under developed. This is one of the best ensamble casts in a film I've ever witnessed. Everyone gives a truly magnificent performance, with Philip Baker Hall, Julianne Moore and especially Tom Cruise, who gives the performance of his lifetime, standing out. The screenplay proves to have incredibly moving moments, which Anderson executes in a way that shows his genius. You will be able to identify with the characters, you can connect with all 9 of them. Certain scenes will always stick in my mind, as will the incredible soundtrack. All of these stories lead to an unforgettable climax and to the scene I mentioned at the beginning of this review. It is a film essential for you to watch, it may help you at a time in your life. P.T. Anderson said that, for better or for worse, Magnolia will be his best film. It is, arguably, his best film.
  • FrizzDrop
    May 9, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    The keywords given to describe this film are perfect: deep, weird, depressing, and complex. In the very beginning we're told that the lives of these people all somehow intersect to make a type of tapestry that weaves the events of the film together. Some of the characters are nic... read moreely put together, including TJ Mackey (Cruise), a misogynistic self help guru for likewise heterosexual men trying to claim women as possessions. Cruise is intertwined with Earl Patridge (Robards) a wealthy man on his death bed, awaiting closure with his son, TJ, before he dies. Tied into all of this are the stories of Earl's wife (Moore) a woman utterly hysterical at her own stupidity and certain newfound love for her aged husband, a cop who loves a woman who is secretly a junkie, a dying game show host, and a former boy wonder who is left with less intellect after being struck by lightening. Nothing here is the type of weirdness that infatuates the hipster breed, but instead a strange series of events that are both nonsenical to the average person, but also scope the quite average person's take on death, love, addiction, possession, and leaving the past to dwell in said past. Besides the ridiculous ending (SPOILER ALERT: frogs rain down from the sky) everything is shown to be building to some form of resolution. It caters to everyone's mindset, without belying the point of happiness and forgiveness, central to all of Anderson's films.
  • fernandorafael
    May 1, 2011
    fernandorafael
    Magnolia is proof that Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the best directors working today. P.T.A. achieved not only an impressive film, but he managed to put together an undisputable classic. He made two otherwise ridiculous scenes work, and actually made them seem necessary (they'r... read moree, of course, the singing bit and the frog rain).

    Beautifully shot and scored, by Robert Elswit and Jon Bryon, respectively, Magnolia flows smoothly, while it successfully moves you with its strong portrayals of diseased and troubled lives.

    The film is a beautiful work of art on so many levels: the cinematography, the score, the editing, Anderson's master-class direction, and of course, its most popular asset: the unbelievable ensemble cast. Tom Cruise gives his best performance here, but other actors stand out too, especially Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, Jason Robards, William H. Macy and April Grace.
  • shawnewing92
    April 23, 2011
    shawnewing92
    An emotional and complex film with some terrific performances by an all-star cast. The film might run a little long and the story might be a bit strange, but there's definitely something special here.
  • stevenecarrier
    July 7, 2010
    stevenecarrier
    Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" is a powerhouse of a film. It's complex, probing, emotional and unforgettable. Every actor in it's large ensemble turns in a riveting performance. "Magnolia" is as much of an opera as it is a film, with is epic emotional scale and larger than lif... read moree but always intensely human performances.
  • lewiskendell
    May 1, 2010
    lewiskendell
    I've watched this three times in the last few days, and I feel like watching it again as I write this. It's extremely complex; even more so than the other Paul Thomas Anderson movies. I know how I feel about it, but it's almost impossible to communicate it with words.  

    There ar... read moree so many characters and so many loosely connected plotlines, but I  never once felt lost. The fact that this three hour movie never once feels tedious or drawn-out, is absolutely amazing. It's incredibly easy to watch and get swept up in the events of these people's lives. Some of them are much more interesting than others. A few of the characters and storylines held little interest for me, but what John C. Reilly, Tom Cruise, and (especially) Melora Walters do here is just amazing. I never thought I'd see a movie with Philip Seymour Hoffman and William H. Macy in it where they weren't the best actors, but as good as they were, they can't hold a candle to the three performances I just mentioned.

    This isn't for everyone. That's an understatement. Some people will find it pretentious. Others, will find certain events absurd. And most people will find themselves searching for the meaning of it all, after it ends. Magnolia is the kind of movie that requires repeated viewings, so be aware of that. Every single time I've watched it, I've understood and loved it a little bit more. Once you watch that final scene and feel something click inside you, you'll know that you've seen something special. Something so ambitious and unique that there's really little I can compare it to.

View All Magnolia Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
April 28, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A wonderful mess. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

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

Jeff Millar
July 21, 2005
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

All the work is top-notch. Full Review

Liam Lacey
March 22, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

You don't have to like everything [Anderson] does, but if you enjoy seeing the walls rattled and the roof raised in the Hollywood citadel, you've got to love it. Full Review

David Edelstein
January 15, 2002
David Edelstein, Slate

Yu could spend three hours snickering at Anderson's 'What the World Needs Now Is Aimee Mann' metaphysic. But his vision cuts deeper than a lot of folky bathos. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 10, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Magnolia makes it three-for-three for writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson

Lou Lumenick
January 1, 2000
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

It's an audacious, hilarious, deeply affecting three-hour tapestry.

Charles Taylor
January 1, 2000
Charles Taylor, Salon.com

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

J. Hoberman
January 1, 2000
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

Nearly as impressive as Anderson's rapport with his actors is his use of parallel action to juggle their performances. Full Review

Philip Wuntch
January 1, 2000
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News

A rich and imaginative musical score. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Crash
    Crash (73%)
  • 21 Grams
    21 Grams (82%)
  • Boogie Nights
    Boogie Nights (77%)
  • I Heart Huckabees
    I Heart Huckabees (61%)

More Movies like Magnolia

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Frank "T.J." Mackey: Respect the cock! And tame the cunt!
    • Phil Parma: Frogs are falling from the sky.
    • Dixon: When the sunshine don't work, the good Lord bring the rain in.
    • Donnie Smith: We may be through with the past, but the past is not through with us!
    • Linda Partridge: And you fucking call me lady? Shame on you. Shame on you. Shame on both of you!
    • Frank "T.J." Mackey: I will drop-kick those fuckin' dogs if they come near me.
Submit a Fact | View All

Magnolia : Watch Free on TV

Magnolia Trivia

  • In Magnolia, what song is Donnie Smith always listening to in his car?  Answer »
  • In the movie Magnolia, what fell from the sky at the end of the movie?  Answer »
  • What name do these all share? The name of the dog on Men In Black. Tom Cruise's name in Magnolia. The name of the bunny in Donnie Darko.  Answer »
  • SAME NAME: Jason Biggs in American Pie James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause Leonardo DiCaprio in The Basketball Diaries Sean Penn in We're No Angels John C. Reilly in Magnolia  Answer »
More Magnolia Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Magnolia Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Magnolia to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

SpikesOfFury Skin by SpikesOfFury
173 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins