# Magnolia (1999)

### reviewed by
Donlee Brussel

    Magnolia (1999)

Cast: Jason Robards, Philip Baker Hall, Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeremy Blackman, Melinda Dillon Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson 185 minutes Rated R

    Review by Donlee Brussel

"There is the story of a boy genius, Stanley Spector. And the game show host, Jimmy Gator. And the ex-boy genius, "Quiz Kid" Donnie Smith. There is the story of the dying man, Earl Partridge. His lost son, Frank T.J. Mackey. And the dying man's wife, Linda Partridge. The caretaker, Phil Parma. And there is the story of a mother, Rose Gator. And the daughter, Claudia Wilson Gator. And the police officer in love, Jim Kurring. And this will all make sense in the end."

The successor to "Boogie Nights" is mindblowingly brilliant. "Magnolia's" detractors will impute that this kaleidoscope of avant-garde originality is too long. Roger Ebert would say, "Those who say it is too long have developed cinematic attention deficit disorder." Half the people who witness "Magnolia" will cherish and extol it; the other half will hate it with a passion.

"Magnolia" is a collage of about ten separate stories. Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman) is the current wunderkind on the hit TV show "What Do Kids Know" which is in its 33rd year hosted by Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall). Stanley is three days away from breaking the record set by "Whiz Kid" Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) decades ago. Donnie is currently working for Solomon Solomon (Alfred Molina), an electronic store that uses Smith's celebrity status to lure customers.

Jimmy Gator's got issues; he's just been diagnosed with cancer and has been given only two months to live. His estranged daughter, Claudia Wilson Gator (Melora Walters), is a coke-sniffing slut who hates him. Walters is a stand out in "Magnolia" as a cracked and derailed twenty- something. She engages in meaningless anonymous sex and disturbs the peace in her neighborhood. Her mother, Rose Gator (Melinda Dillon) is worried about both of them. Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly) is the pious cop who just happens to meet and falls in love with Claudia at first sight.

Then, there's the Partridge Family. Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is in his last days in a deathbed, all he has is his wife, Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore), and nurse, Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He tells Phil his dying wish is to see his lost son, Frank T.J. Mackie (Tom Cruise). This is easily the most engrossing story in the film. The best dialogue and acting comes from this tale.

Two-time Oscar winner Robards delivers several affective monologues, Moore is at her PMSing best, and Tom Cruise gives the best performance of his career as the cocky macho misogynist guru of "Seduce and Destroy." He plays a character oozing enough sleazy, slimy charisma to earn my pick for "Best Sexist Performance of the 90s."

The man behind it all, Paul Thomas Anderson, is perhaps the most talented writer in showbiz today next to Quentin Tarantino. This guy has more ingeniously clever ideas than Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich). For example, each act in "Magnolia" is labeled by the weather forecast. He opens the film with a prologue made up of three unrelated vignettes to prepare us for the forthcoming coincidences. P.T. Anderson said, "The goal there was to have a lot of cinematic fun. But it's also a promise that can be made very quickly- weird stories, weird coincidences, and fucking strange shit will happen."

Indeed it does, one of the highlights of "Magnolia" is a sing along to the oracular "Wise Up" by all the characters in different scenes. It's one of several idiosyncratically whimsical moments in this masterpiece. Jon Brion's score or one of Aimee Mann's mellifluous songs usually accompanies these moments. P.T. Anderson said, "I really set out to write an adaptation of her songs... Her songs become the built-in voice of the movie, tying all the stories together." That and a spectacular climax of biblical proportions that makes "Magnolia" all the more a pièce de résistance.

Like a Kubrick film, some at first will hate "Magnolia." However, 20 years from now, those same people who said they hated it will realize its groundbreaking brilliance and say they loved it all along.

    - © 1999 by Donlee Brussel

    Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
    Before you buy.

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