Magnolia is Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 film about a nurse trying to help a dying man meet his long-lost son, the dying man's depressed wife, a boy genius and his abusive father, a once famous adult who wants to tell a man he loves him, a cocky entrepreneur with a secret, and a straight arrow cop who just wants to help out. All of whom have their lives changed and intertwined over one day in the San Fernando Valley in California. So, there is a lot I have to say about this movie. First off, the acting here is great. Regardless of what you think about the film itself, pretty much everyone here does a terrific acting job. Philip Seymour Hoffman was absolutely amazing in this movie. Watching him play his character, a nurse named Phil Parma, is like watching a skilled veteran at work. His performance here is so full of emotion and so genuine that I honestly think he deserved an Oscar nomination. Tom Cruise gives a really great performance here also. He plays a cocky and famous jerk who gives seminars about how to get women. Even though recently Cruise has been doing the same role and giving sub-par performances, he is fantastic here. He got an Oscar nod for it, but I still think Philip Seymour Hoffman did a slightly better job. John C. Reilly is an awesome actor. He may be one of the most ranged actors of our time. He's been in comedies like Step Brothers and Cedar Rapids yet he's been in acclaimed dramas like The Aviator and Gangs of New York. He even got an Oscar nomination for his role in Chicago! He's just as great in Magnolia. He plays an honest cop who falls in love with a cocaine addict he meets while on a call. He really plays the character well. Everyone is great in this movie! From Julianne Moore to William H. Macy, I honestly think they all deserved Oscars. P.T. Anderson is truly a master of his craft. Not only does he do an incredible job of directing here but his screenplay is so original and just plain extraordinary. He did get an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay. Not only is his film great, but Anderson is able to create a gripping, emotional, and never boring three hour movie! Most movies this long succumb to over-extended and talky scenes, or unnecessary subplots, but Magnolia has none of those things! Every second of the film is important and every scene has so much depth to it. At one point in the end of the film it rains frogs. This seems weird and nonsensical at first glance. If you look at it further, you see it has deeper meaning. The frogs bring the characters together and show that strange things happen every day. It's just one of those things. I can't review this movie as well as I would like to. Magnolia is just so deep and beautiful that it's to hard to express everything in one review. Two things is for sure after watching Magnolia: Paul Thomas Anderson is an incredible movie maker and 1999 was a great year for movies. Happy Throwback Thursday and Happy Viewing! You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies!
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