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Magnolia (1999)

R  |   |  Drama  |  7 January 2000 (USA)
8.0
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Ratings: 8.0/10 from 229,894 users   Metascore: 77/100
Reviews: 1,428 user | 221 critic | 34 from Metacritic.com

An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

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Title: Magnolia (1999)

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Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 27 wins & 48 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Sir Edmund William Godfrey / Young Pharmacy Kid
Genevieve Zweig ...
Mrs. Godfrey
Mark Flannagan ...
Joseph Green
...
Stanley Berry
Rod McLachlan ...
Daniel Hill
...
Firefighter
...
Delmer Darion
Raymond 'Big Guy' Gonzales ...
Reno Security Guard
...
Craig Hansen
...
Forensic Scientist
...
Sydney Barringer
...
Arthur Barringer
...
1958 Detective
John Kraft Seitz ...
1958 Policeman
Cory Buck ...
Young Boy
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Storyline

24 hours in L.A.; it's raining cats and dogs. Two parallel and intercut stories dramatize men about to die: both are estranged from a grown child, both want to make contact, and neither child wants anything to do with dad. Earl Partridge's son is a charismatic misogynist; Jimmy Gator's daughter is a cokehead and waif. A mild and caring nurse intercedes for Earl, reaching the son; a prayerful and upright beat cop meets the daughter, is attracted to her, and leads her toward a new calm. Meanwhile, guilt consumes Earl's young wife, while two whiz kids, one grown and a loser and the other young and pressured, face their situations. The weather, too, is quirky. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours.

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, drug use, sexuality and some violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

7 January 2000 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Mag·no'li·a  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$37,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$193,604 (USA) (17 December 1999)

Gross:

$22,450,975 (USA) (12 May 2000)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

There were reported walkouts when Magnolia (1999) was first released into cinemas. See more »

Goofs

The movie takes place when it is cold outside (we can see this from the clothes that the characters wear and from the visible exhaust from cars), yet the Partridge's pool is uncovered when the frogs fall. Assuming the pool is heated, this wastes energy, but is not impossible in a climate where the temperature does not approach freezing. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: In the New York Herald, November 26, year 1911, there is an account of the hanging of three men. They died for the murder of Sir Edmund William Godfrey; Husband, Father, Pharmacist and all around gentle-man resident of: Greenberry Hill, London. He was murdered by three vagrants whose motive was simple robbery. They were identified as: Joseph Green, Stanley Berry, and Daniel Hill. Green, Berry, Hill. And I Would Like To Think This was Only A Matter Of Chance. As reported in the Reno...
See more »

Crazy Credits

As the credit for Robert Downey Sr. scrolls up the screen, the words "(a prince)" appear next to his name. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Natholdet - med Anders Breinholt: Simon Kvamm (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

Momentum
Written by Aimee Mann
Performed by Aimee Mann
Courtesy of Superego Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
The best movie of 1999.
6 April 2000 | by (Helsinki, Finland) – See all my reviews

Forget American Beauty, The Sixth Sense, Eyes Wide Shut. Magnolia is definitely the best movie of 1999, and one of the best American movies ever made.

Boogie Nights, Paul Thomas Anderson's previous effort was already a promising effort, but it was a bit too long. Magnolia is even longer, but it's filled with such a spectrum of touching stories and such a quantity of wonderful characters, that I didn't even notice the three hour length. Magnolia is a mosaic of intertwining and intercepting stories, dealing with such issues as forgiveness, hurt, redemption, sin and the role of chance in our lives. And though the film offers a deep emotional catharsis, it never loses it delicate, humane tone. The people Magnolia displays are not the best of men, but none of them are beyond forgiveness. That, to my opinion, is the most important message the film conveys.

As many have already said, Magnolia is an ensemble piece. Acting is superb throughout the film, and though Magnolia has approximately ten lead role and a bunch of supporting characters, there isn't a single member of the cast who is misplaced. My personal favorites are Philip Seymour Hoffman as the sensitive nurse (compare this role to the sleazy characters he played in Boogie Nights, Happiness and The Talented Mr Ripley and you'll notice what a great actor he is), Tom Cruise as the self-made seduction guru (his best performance ever) and William H. Macy as the former child prodigy who never grew up (his role resembles the one he did in Fargo, but in Magnolia he is redeemed of his sins).

No film is perfect and even Magnolia has it's flaws, but I'm still so stunned by this masterpiece that I haven't even started to think what they could be. That, I think, says it all about the quality of this film.

Rating: **** (of ****)


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