Product Description
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Paul Thomas Anderson's accled ensemble drama starring, among
many others, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Tom
Cruise. The lives of various inhabitants of Los Angeles and San
Fernando valley intersect when dying television producer Earl
Partridge (Jason Robards) seeks a reconciliation with his
womanising son, Frank T.J. Mackey (Cruise). Meanwhile, game show
host Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) - also dying of cancer -
tries to reconcile with his coke addict daughter Claudia, who
embarks on a relationship with cop Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly).
Jimmy's last television appearance goes awry when child genius
contestant Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman) - who is bullied by
his her, Rick (Michael Bowen) - refuses to participate, while
Donnie Smith (William H. Smith), a former contestant on the show
in the 1960s, declares his love to barman Brad (Craig Kvinsland).
From .co.uk
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A handful of people in California's 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
stockpiling tranquilliser prescriptions all over town with
alarming determination. Earl's nurse (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is
trying desperately to get in touch with Earl's only son, sex-guru
Frank TJ 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 film-making, and an ensemble
film to rank with the best of Robert Altman (Short Cuts,
Nashville)--every little piece of the film means something,
solidly placed 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
, 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 film-maker whose love of making
movies is so purely joyful. This electric energy is reflected in
the actors, from Cruise's revelatory performance to Reilly's
quietly powerful turn as the moral centre of the story. While at
three hours it's definitely not suited to everyone's taste,
Magnolia is a compelling, heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful
meditation on the accidents of chance that make up our lives. The
soundtrack ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004S84J/${0} ) features eight
wonderful songs by ee Mann, including "Save Me", around which
Anderson built the script. --Mark Englehart
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Review
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An absolute must-see...an astonishingly powerful film. -- Minx
Astonishing.... -- Marie Claire
Brilliant...superb...a great film. -- Independent On Sunday
Gripping...Magnolia is a near miracle. -- FHM
From the Back Cover
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On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying her, a
young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a officer
in love, a boy genius, an ex boy genius, a game show host and an
estranged daughter will each become part of one story. Through
coincidence, chance, human action, past history and divine
intervention they will weave through each other's lives on a day
that builds to an unforgettable climax.
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