Magnolia (1999)

mag-no'li-a: flower, death, redemption, cancer, family, genius, coincidence, frogs, game show, freak, wunderkind, love, good book, cop, rap, suicide, murder, chance, guilt, humble narrator, past, one, drugs, rain, pool, acceptance, fire, tree, hanging, police, junkie, seduce and destroy, convention, interview, assistant, abandonment, library, books, cute, musical number, hysteria, pharmacy, technician, lawyer, paranoia. Three hour film by Paul Thomas Anderson. nurse, hospice, attendant, dog. Strong language, profanity, sexuality. song, bright lights, loud thud, oral surgery, coke and tequila, worm, truth, demure, glasses, all out sale, dreams, prescription, contestant, precipitation, clear skies. Aimee Mann songs, alienation, integration, suburbs, inner city, hotline. exciting. ambitious. copycat. mesmerizing.

Several characters in the San Fernando Valley tries to find all these things and pieces it all together before it is all to late. What strikes me the most, with the way director P.T. Anderson (Boogie Nights (1997), There Will Be Blood (2007)) approaches his films is his ability to intertwine all these stories in a seemingly coherent weave. From the start of the story, as the narrator relays the interconnectedness of everyone, may it be viewed as chance, coincidence or what have you, it is amazing how this is applied with the lives of the characters involved. Anderson uses long unedited cuts, and melds together the drama that unfolds. As Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) struggles through his day as a host of a long running game show, he fights his inner demons and confronts his family of his guilt. A similar situation plagues the Partridge family. Earl Partridge (Jason Robarbs) is dying of cancer, and would like to make amends with his long lost son (Tom Cruise). Various stories, branch out from these two characters, all involving and sometimes over the top. Yet, Anderson in someway keeps them together. Even admitting to the fact, that the narrator later on reveals that "if this would be in a movie, we would probably never have believed it."

Since there is a gamut of interesting characters to dissect, it seems that the 3 hour running time is not enough to get into all of them. The fluidity and seamless action is personified by the great ensemble cast which is quite a mouthful. From P.T. Anderson regulars, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy (Fargo (1996)), Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alfred Molina, Melora Walters, Luis Guzman to career defining performances from Melinda Dillon, Jason Robarbs, Felicity Huffman, April Grace, Jeremy Blackman, Henry Gibson, Eileen Ryan. Anderson certainly takes his cue from the great ensemble director Robert Altman (Gosford Park (2001), Short Cuts (1993), Nashville (1973)).

The film may also be viewed as somewhat biblical with its similar themes and repetitive reference to the good book. The characters, are enslaved by their sins, and past mistakes. The two central characters, the patriarch of the two families, whose sins of abandonment, infidelity and other horrible acts that caused pain and anguish to their families, , finally seek redemption as death nears them. Yet the past ain't through with them. Exodus 8:2 says "But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs." As the end nears, frogs rained in the valley. The film is purely absorbing. A true joy to watch.