Video > DVD > Genres > Art House & International > General

	buying more than one thing? add to bookbag(uses Multi-Item Price Optimization™) ...or intereact!

Magnolia (New Line Platinum Series)
Actors: Michael Bowen, Melinda Dillon, Henry Gibson, Philip Baker Hall, and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rated: R (Restricted)
Retail Price (not our price): $26.98
Release Date: 2000-08-29
Theatrical Release Date: 1999
Studio: New Line Home Video
Run Time: 188 minutes
Format: Array
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Discs: 2


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
A handful of people in the San Fernando Valley are having one hell of a day. TV mogul Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is on his deathbed; his trophy wife (Julianne Moore) is popping pills with alarming frequency. Earl's nurse (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is trying desperately to get in touch with Earl's only son, sex guru Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise), who's about to have his carefully constructed past blown by a TV reporter (April Grace). Whiz kid Stanley (Jeremy Blackman) is being goaded by his selfish dad into breaking the record for the game show What Do Kids Know? Meanwhile, Stanley's predecessor, the grown-up quiz kid Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) has lost his job and is nursing a severe case of unrequited love. And the host of What Do Kids Know?, the affable Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), like Earl, is dying of cancer, and his attempt to reconcile with his cokehead daughter (Melora Walters) fails miserably. She, meanwhile, is running hot and cold with a cop (John C. Reilly) who would love to date her, if she can sit still for long enough. And over it all, a foreboding sky threatens to pour something more than just rain. This third feature from Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights) is a maddening, magnificent piece of filmmaking, and it's an ensemble film to rank with the best of Robert Altman--every little piece of the film means something, and it's solidly there for a reason. Deftly juggling a breathtaking ensemble of actors, Anderson crafts a tale of neglectful parents, resentful children, and love-starved souls that's amazing in scope, both thematically and emotionally. Part of the charge of Magnolia is seeing exactly how may characters Anderson can juggle, and can he keep all those balls in air (indeed he can, even if it means throwing frogs into the mix). And it's been far too long since we've seen a filmmaker whose love of making movies is so purely joyful, and this electric energy is reflected in the actors, from Cruise's revelatory performance to Reilly's quietly powerful turn as the moral center of the story. While at three hours it's definitely not suited to everyone's taste, Magnolia is a compelling, heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful mediation on the accidents of chance that make up our lives. Featuring eight wonderful songs by Aimee Mann, including "Save Me." --Mark Englehart

2) Description
An intriguing and entertaining study in characters going through varying levels of crisis and introspection. This psychological drama leads you in several different directions, weaving and intersecting various subplots and characters, from a brilliant Tom Cruise, as a self-proclaimed pied-piper, to a child forced to go on a TV game show and the pressures he faces from a ruthless father.

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5

1) Oh, puhleeeeze   [Rating: 2 out of 5]
Overhyped, overly long (took me 5 or 6 viewings to even get through it), over-acted, and yes, BORING. The falling frogs does not "save" the film, but only highlights what pretentious crap it is. Cruise manages to shine, delivering an energetic and overall excellent performance. Save your time and money though. And be weary of all the great reviews. It seems like they have an "Emperor's New Clothes" type of feel. In the future, I will try to avoid movies billed as "ambitious". Yuck!

2) Mixed feelings on a well made made mess   [Rating: 3 out of 5]
I'll count myself in the minority who don't think this movie is completely brilliant or alternately a waste of celluloid. No one can deny that P. T. Anderson is ambitious in the scope and style of the story he attempts to tell here. I found the multiple plot lines, acting and themes to be captivating. The final resolution (and the whole film for that matter) was completely original. The melding of music and story was beautiful. Anderson chose well in using Aimee Mann's music to reveal the complex emotions of the characters.Conversely, the acting (while well done) at times seemed out of place. As an example, the interviewer of Tom cruise's character seemed uncertain of her motivations. This disconnect at times made the characters seem histrionic. Also, the characters lives were so messed up, they failed to resonate with me (and I am guessing many viewers). I also thought some of the plot lines were left unresolved. If the idea was that many disparate events can soemtimes be joined in an odd way I wasn't persuaded.I did like the Cop who lost his gun. His resulting humility allowed him to accept a girlfriend who had more apparent flaws (drug use). But I think I kind of imagined that. Whcih goes back to my problems with the movie. But all else being equal, it was a beautiful, haunting and original movie. A masterpeiece? Not IMHO.

3) An introspective celebration of characters with skeletons in their cupboards   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I found this movie to have the best and longest build up that I have ever seen on screen. PT anderson directs this movie as an epic and he paints this expansive story about a bunch of individuals with an operatic pallete. The soundtrack score is the most bold and audacious. There is a long sequence of shots which is accompanied by repeated staccato notes. The director and the composer are being bold here. Right from the prologue scene up until say 45 mins into the movie, PT anderson builds the scenario with the bold score and his balletic and long steady cam shots. The problem is that the the build up is so good that the movie is forever building up. The premise we are given is that these seemingly disconnected lives playing out in parallel are going to come together in some unexpected commonality or shall we say a kind of "got you" twist ending. But it isn't meant to be a Shymalan film although the first half plays so mysteriously that keeps you wondering "where is this movie heading" and what has all of these seperate stories got in common. PT anderson's amazing direction of the story makes us believe there is more to this and there is a higher plan in all of this that we are not seeing. But plain and simple this is still just a story about those seperate characters who often have a single of multiple connection to the other characters in terms of aquantainces and relationships. I enjoyed the film for the pure art of the film making of it and the amazing element of suspense that is bred into the story which keeps us guessing on where the story is heading. The movie ends in a sequence of scenes of biblical proportions. Although the matter in the story is little, the style and execution of the screen play is eye candy. I loved this movie. It's one of those 3 hr movies which you can actually see again right after you finished your first viewing. Extras include - behing the sceens dairy of the production, interviews with actors and PT anderson and the co-writers of the movie. This one is an all time cult classic for me. regards, Vikram

4) Timeless Film   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
If you are a conscious person, that is to say, walking with your eyes wide open, then this movie is a must, must buy. On the other hand, people who don't like this film just don't get "life". As a matter of fact, if all people really "understood" this film, that would be the beginning of peace on earth. Calling this film "awful" or a "waste of time" is just a small indicator of the bigger problem in the world. That's the irony: How do you tell a fish in water that it's wet? It is because most people are walking around begging to be told the obvious -- in a constant search for another cliche -- that they miss the profundity of this movie. This movie is a cinematic epiphany -- nothing less than that. If you don't get it you must ask yourself what you think "good" is. Then look around you at the rest of the herd of sheep you are in the middle of. Wake Up.

5) Magnolia   [Rating: 1 out of 5]
Worst movie I ever seen. Rent it in the local library then bring a date you do not like to watch it. Better yet find 3 hours of something better to do. What a waste of 3 hours of my life that I can never ever get it back.