Rating: 
Summary: Something to Talk About
Review: This movie provides heaps of existential ideas that will be talked about for a long time. And that's good! The performances were all great. William H. Macy was excellent! He had the best line in the movie, "I've got some much love to give. I just don't know where to put it." Movies like this and Happiness and Kids and Crumb are so misunderstood because they have no connection to standard movies. At least these movies make you think. Are subects like relationships, death, fear, shame etc interesting to anyone? Or would you rather have...chats about the show "Survivor," Monica Lewinsky or Elian Gonzalez.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful slice of life picture
Review: i loved this movie, i mean really loved it. i lived in the san fernando vally two years ago and anderson gets the place right, he gets the people right, he gets everytihng right. this is just about the best picture i have ever seen. the actors are super, the emotions they portray so insightful and so insidious you can almost feel you are in the room with them, the pharmacy with Jullianne Moore, the bedroom with tom cruze and jason robards, etc. love, hate, rage, the pain of the past, the horror of abusive parents, it's all here. i also recommend boggie nights, another very true to life picture of how people actually live their lives, without the sugar coating most movies and tv shows bring. Magnolia is magnificant.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Ever
Review: I hated this movie when it first came out. I thought it was awful and wrote a really bad review of it here. I saw it again and I was very wrong. Now it's one of my favorite movies ever. Buy the DVD so you can see how awesome PT Anderson is. My favorite director of all time, the DVD lets you see his vision. Quality is very good, if not great, but I wanted a commentary. There was one on Boogie Nights and Hard Eight, where is it on Magnolia, a film that definitely deserves a commentary. Only one deleted scene, but it's funny. There should be more because there is a whole sequence they show them filming on the documentary that's in the script, I wanted to see what it looks like on film. Documentary is long and insightful. It shows how enthusiastic PT Anderson is about his films. While a bit of a film nerd, the guy is my idol. PT Anderson deserved much more accolades for this great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Magnolia was the true "American Beauty" of 1999
Review: One of those rare, satisfying, funny, and unique motion picures that could have only been made by people who love what they do and do it to perfection. With all due respect to the members of the Academy, this should have been the Oscar-winning Best Picture of the year.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolute Garbage
Review: This pretentious trash is horrible. It is THE worst movie of 1999, hands down. Even with the great cast they had, P.T. Anderson must have been drunk through the entire directing process. My god... why did he do this to me? Why Paul, why? Fear this movie, but if you like spending three hours watching a bunch of whiny adults feel sorry about themselves and and try and redeem themselves by whining more about how dumb and whiny they are, you will love this movie. Ugh....
Rating: 
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: I enjoyed the film... Slow at times although many separate ideas and issues with extreme results were dealt with. A disturbing plague like interference occurred during the film, which woke me up! A film with extremities and perhaps not for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: American Karma
Review: Thanks to everyone who's been writing reviews. I just watched this video last weekend, Saturday night and again Sunday afternoon. What a powerful, powerful film. If you haven't seen it yet, hold on, give it time, stay with it. The connections of characters, themes, cuts, and music are all perfect. One Amazon reviewer called the film of biblical proportions--and the scene of the second plague of frogs on LA-Egypt certainly clinched that image. Besides, health, or lack thereof, of frogs is an indicator of the human condition, and if this movie is about anything it is about the "human heart in conflict with itself"--while dwelling in the Promised Land of the US of A, LA. Who couldn't be moved by the themes and images of love, regret, fate (timing?), rage, compassion, knowledge, immoralities? ...Like Leonard Cohen's powerful song "Future" -- only in the film many of the characters do give us cause to hope, especially by the end of the day (and what a day it had been! ): the emotionally battered/used child who knew "frogs happen" and his dad should treat him better; the cokehead daughter who smiles at the very end of the film when her new friend tells her all the things the Cruise-character told guys to lie about to women but the policeman is sincere; the mother who finally confronts her husband and affirms her daughter's years of molestation by her father; the Cruise-character who walks towards his father's widow's hospital room; the nurse who feels the pain of everyone he genuinely tries to help. I need to watch the film again. It has been vastly UNDERrated! What a gem. The cuts, the characters, the music, the themes: "Get it right for yourself and give a hand to those around you. Face death and live." Yeah, "American Karma": those characters were trying to work it out, living it, making mistakes, sometimes getting it right--and as the Jason Robards character finally says, it's all about loving. Just know, this movie is worth your time; it's a work of art and the music is sheer perfection. Not only am I much moved by the music and plan to buy the soundtrack, but I would like a copy of the script--it's modern poetry, beginning with the title.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie and a wonderful DVD
Review: I had a chance to pre-screne the DVD version and it is wonderful. So many times DVD bonus material is worthless. This is not the case with Magnolia. The "making of" documentary really added to the exerience of the movie and made a second viewing of the DVD really fantastic. I saw the movie in the theater and I know that much of the audience in the theater HATED this movie. It is not everyone's cup of tea. But, if you love strong character development and filmakers with a flair for the unusual you will find much to enjoy in this movie. Few movies stay with me past my exiting the theater or turning off my TV. This is one that kept crawling back into my head and became more meaningful as I thought back on the film.
Rating:
Summary: An Exhausting Exhilerating Thrill of a Movie
Review: This was my favorite movie of 1999. I can understand why many did not like it, but for me it was a treat from beginning to end. It's true that it feels almost like stream of consciousness with no editing (in length anyway), but that is part of it appeal. It is an outpouring of emotion and energy. The performances (especially by Hoffman, Moore and Cruise) are exceptional. The music is astoundingly good. I CANNOT wait for the DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Hard to pin down
Review: My initial screening was on video. I found myself thinking of many negative descriptors while watching the movie through. "Too much" "Too serious" "Weak point", "Ridiculous", "Too sentimental"...but in the end "Wow". By movies end, I was captivated. Performances as well as story turns had me at times amused, at times entranced, and at times, in tears. Odd movie, to say the least. But one with subtle -- sometimes hidden -- impact. Agreed, you need some patience and open mindedness to appreciate this one, but in the end, I found it well worth the effort. I wish I would have seen it in the theater. Highly recommended.
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