Magnolia

Name: Magnolia
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Genre: Drama
Released: 1999-12-17
Rating: 8

December 17, 1999· 3h 9m

Drama

Directed by

Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast

Tom Cruise Philip Baker Hall Philip Seymour Hoffman Julianne Moore William H. Macy John C. Reilly +107 more ↓

Cinemagraphs Score8.0

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.

Audience Sentiment

Overall8.0

1 — Hated it5 — Neutral10 — Masterpiece

Critics

8+ Great

6-8 Good

<6 Poor

19 reviews·Last updated 2d ago

Peak Moment

The 'Wise Up' sing-along moment

9.5at 1h 44m

Lowest Moment

Things get almost too intense

6.5at 2h 17m

Biggest Swing

The film drops from its peak during the acclaimed 'Wise Up' sequence (9.5) to its lowest point as the melodrama becomes overwhelming (6.5), before rebounding with the controversial but bold frog sequence

Magnolia opens with near-universal acclaim for its brilliant opening and masterful ensemble work, maintaining strong sentiment through most of its runtime despite some pacing concerns. The film reaches transcendent heights with the 'Wise Up' sequence but dips when the melodrama becomes heavy-handed, before the divisive but largely celebrated frog climax restores momentum toward a satisfying conclusion.

19 reviews analyzed|Sources: Guardian, Imdb, Tmdb