It’s also bloated with characters and too long.
This is absolutely a movie with many flaws.
But the strengths and genius of Paul Thomas Anderson far outweighs the negatives.
A movie doesn’t need to be perfect for it to have great meaning.
I feel like you see this kind of movie when a director finally gets major creative control.
With Magnolia, he’s guilty of just doing too much.
He’s so creative, he literally had too many good stories to tell.
My favorite storyline is the Tom Cruise/Jason Robards/Philip Seymour Hoffman one.
A son losing a father is so complicated.
In that movie, Hoffman is so evil and terrifying.
I haven’t even mentioned how believable and sad Jason Robards' performance is.
The regret and pain is conveyed so well.
What Magnolia does so well is showing the brutality of dying.
It seems like in most movies, old and sick people die peacefully.
Here, it is guilt that is almost bursting out of these men.
I mentioned some flaws earlier.
I could do without all of the quiz show elements.
That should have been its own movie.
I’m just not sure it belonged here.
Similar to The Talented Mr. Ripley, Magnolia had the misfortune of coming out in 1999.
1999 was just an absolutely stacked movie year.
Among the three Oscar nominations it did receive was a Best Supporting Actor nod for Cruise.
It has been the last acting nomination he has received.
Watching this made me wish Tom Cruise the great actor would return.
But I’ll get more into that with the next movie on the list next week.
I wouldn’t put this movie in the top half of Phillip Thomas Anderson’s filmography.
This is a guy who made Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and Licorice Pizza.
But it’s the one that makes me the most emotional.
My dad died of cancer when he was only 42.
I was obviously filled with grief when he was sick and dying but I was furious too.
Magnolia shows that you don’t always leave this mortal coil with a peaceful look on your face.
Sometimes you leave kicking and screaming.
Other times you leave so sad at the things you may have done.
But no matter what, we all leave eventually.
It takes work and luck to leave with peace.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
63.
The Usual Suspects
65.
In The Line Of Fire
66.
My Cousin Vinny
67.
The River Wild
79.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Stir Of Echoes
82.
Mission: Impossible
83.
For Love Of The Game
86.
Being John Malkovich
87.
Men In Black
88.
Glengarry Glen Ross
92.
Die Hard With A Vengeance
93.
The Blair Witch Project
94.
Any Given Sunday
99.
The Wedding Singer
100.
