Magnolia

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Magnolia

R

2000

3h 8m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

218 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.

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Critics Consensus

An eruption of feeling that's as overwhelming as it is overwrought, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia reaches a feverish crescendo and sustains it thanks to its fearlessly committed ensemble.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

May 9

5/5

Anderson made an aching, yearning three-hour epic about lost souls in LA’s San Fernando Valley, culminating in a nutty, biblical-level frog deluge.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

07/15/2023

4/4

Magnolia is operatic in its ambition, a great, joyous leap into melodrama and coincidence, with ragged emotions, crimes and punishments, deathbed scenes, romantic dreams, generational turmoil and celestial intervention, all scored to insistent music.

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Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

07/15/2023

3/4

While not as fully realized as Anderson's last movie, Boogie Nights, Magnolia is filmed with the same skillful abandon, and takes many more artistic risks... The result is a movie as fascinating for its flaws as for its considerable successes.

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Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Mar 28

5/5

A fever dream of souls crashing, repentance, forgiveness and second chances. Tom Cruise is phenomenal in what could be Paul Thomas Anderson's best offering. [Full review in Spanish]

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Philip Bagnall

Loud and Clear Reviews

09/19/2024

Magnolia is an extraordinary film about ordinary lives.

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Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

07/15/2023

A-

Anderson has dared to make a movie that refuses to conceal its excesses, an amazing abundance of strong emotion, technical verve and pure performance power.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Dec 9

It took me a while to get around to this one because it's runtime looked unattractive. I didn't really read what it was all about, so I went into it cold (as I do with almost all the films I watch). Despite being a little over 3 hours, it felt necessary. It was literally the entire cast of Boogie Nights which I thought was interesting, but didn't really like that aspect. There's always something about year 2000 films that seem trippy (and not just cuz Requiem fo a dream, American Psycho, Amores Perros, etc came out in the same year) I liked it as a whole and it wasn't entirely confusing. I do think it's a little overrated and praised a little to much. I'm surprised the audience score isn't in the 90s. I'd give it an audience score of 85%. There's a LOT of cursing in this movie Damn! I know I'll come back to it at some point.

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@TripleNegation Nov 29

Multiple waveforms, which individually may appear as mere noise or meaningless information, are extremely complex and chaotic, yet those stories are integrated through Fourier Transform with precise timing and amplitude, resonating at the frequencies we know so well. Transmission Complete.

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Robert O

Nov 25

I gave it 2-1/2 stars because I thought the acting throughout was just spectacular. That being said, I thought it was easily one of the most depressing films I have ever seen, and I'm 70. Not sure what this movie was trying to say, but it seemed like the message was, "Everyone in L.A. is ALL fcked up and in need of intense therapy." Side note: I grew up in L.A. and lived there until I was 30.

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Steve C

@Steveohmgawd Nov 20

It's a film of power, substance and superlative performances that challenges audiences. Hopefully, audiences will be up to taking that challenge.

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Paul B

Nov 4

An absolute, and unforgettable, masterpiece.

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Charlie K.

@cmkaniak Oct 30

A masterpiece and movie I’ll rewatch the rest of my life.

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Synopsis

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Sellar
Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Ghoulardi Film Company, Magnolia Project
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 7, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.5M
Runtime: 3h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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