Magnolia

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Magnolia

R,

2000,

3h 8m,

Drama

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Watchlist

82%

220 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

100,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

220 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, 2025

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

Jul 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

Jul 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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Matt Oakes

Silver Screen Riot

Aug 20, 2026

Because in a world where it can rain frogs, nothing that already happened gets to be the last word. And Magnolia – a film obsessed with the idea that the past is never finished with you – cuts to black on the exact instant somebody decides to try anyway.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Feb 24, 2026

4/4

Its restless camera, onrushing music, heartbreaking monologues, and incomparable ensemble of marvelous performances generate a momentum that feels less plotted than propelled by raw emotion.

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Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Mar 28, 2025

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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Theodore S

Mar 28, 2019

The mind of director Paul Thomas Anderson is both creative and divisive. His 1999 film Magnolia is his magnum opus to that theory. It demands your attention through the whole thing; which results in a lot of good and bad elements. The positives: the performances are strong, the characters all have intriguing stories, and the messages it evokes to the viewers are fascinating. The negatives: the run time is overly long, the focus is incredibly incoherent, and there is no real connection to everyone involved outside of emotion. I still suggest you should see it, but you probably won't re-watch it.

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Abraham W

Mar 28, 2019

Random, self-aware and deeply intriguing throughout the several inter-connected stories, Paul Thomas Andersonâ(TM)s drama is unique and different, two elements already providing the best from the genre, and while the filmâ(TM)s runtime is considerably long for mainstream audiences, it is the treatment of these characters, their emotional development and, why not? The amount of unexpected humor mixed wonderfully with the filmâ(TM)s music, Magnolia is a unique piece of filmmaking with a great cast behind it.

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Theodore R

Mar 14, 2019

superb film with some wonderful moments and some real insights into the human conditions

Theodore M

Feb 25, 2019

One of my top movies of all time. The rough and broken lives/relationships put on display to deliver a subtle message about love in many forms was masterful.

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Feb 1, 2019

The best movie song ever sung: Save Me!

Leia R

Nov 20, 2018

Enthralling multi layered complex drama with magnificent direction and acting. Visually brilliant, emotionally and symbolically great study of guilt, redemption, the impact of fathers on their offspring and other deep themes. Genius.

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Paul Thomas Anderson

Director

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Earl Partridge

Julianne Moore

Linda Partridge

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Frank T.J. Mackey

Philip Seymour Hoffman

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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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