My gut reaction to Magnolia is "Now that's a movie." For the most part, my response is due to Magnolia's obvious celebration of the cinematic art. Magnolia could never be a stage show, for example, since the bold layering of the conglomeration of stories is so fast and furious that only cinema can capture it.
There's an exhilaration to Magnolia that is almost maintained for the three-hour duration of the film. Perhaps the film reflects the youthful vigor of its writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson. Recently celebrating his 30th birthday, P. T. Andersen's style is racy and attention seeking but not always successful. Three years ago Andersen turned heads with Boogie Nights, just as he does with Magnolia. Head turning is one thing, creating a cinematic masterpiece is another. With Magnolia, he comes very close.
Magnolia is a massive undertaking, that in the end conveys a message rather than telling a story. The action takes place during one day in Los Angeles. There are many stories and characters in the film, that, for the most part, are linked to a quiz show called "What Do Kids Know." The show's producer is Earl Partridge. He's dying of cancer, and longs to make peace with his son, a sleaze ball who sells misogyny under the title "Seduce and Destroy." The current host of "What Do Kids Know" is also dying of cancer, and needs to make peace with his daughter, Claudia. A drug addict who plays her stereo far too loudly, Claudia attracts the attention of a police officer named Jim Kurring, who falls in love with her at first sight.
The current whiz kid of the show is Stanley, who is bustled hither and yon by a busy and greedy father. Stanley is some kid, able to rapid fire the answer to questions that Regis Philbin couldn't even pronounce. Then there is Donnie Smith, who was a whiz kid thirty years ago, but has done nothing since.
At the outset, Magnolia races at breakneck speed between the various stories. Into the second hour, the film takes a little longer to develop each plot segment, some of which are more successful than others. Finally, the climax ties all the threads together, after a fashion. I won't say too much about the ending, since it has to come as a surprise. But those of you who aren't brushed up on your Old Testament, might like to take a quick look at Exodus before you go.
There are really engaging and exciting aspects to this film, and for the most I really enjoyed it. However, by the end of the film I felt I had been sermonized. There is even a section where all the characters sing a song together, and I felt that at any minute the audience would be asked to stand and join in the final hymn.
The film earned only one Golden Globe nomination, for Tom Cruise's racy misogynist. It's an easy role, trademarked by political incorrectness and excess, and Cruise does it well. Perhaps the fact that film earned only one Golden Globe nomination is telling. While Magnolia abounds in creativity, its most striking elements are stylistic. In the end, the sum is not greater than its parts.