Magnolia

Play trailer

Magnolia

R

2000

3h 8m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

218 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

An eruption of feeling that's as overwhelming as it is overwrought, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia reaches a feverish crescendo and sustains it thanks to its fearlessly committed ensemble.

Read Critics Reviews

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

May 9

5/5

Anderson made an aching, yearning three-hour epic about lost souls in LA’s San Fernando Valley, culminating in a nutty, biblical-level frog deluge.

Go to Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

07/15/2023

4/4

Magnolia is operatic in its ambition, a great, joyous leap into melodrama and coincidence, with ragged emotions, crimes and punishments, deathbed scenes, romantic dreams, generational turmoil and celestial intervention, all scored to insistent music.

Go to Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

07/15/2023

3/4

While not as fully realized as Anderson's last movie, Boogie Nights, Magnolia is filmed with the same skillful abandon, and takes many more artistic risks... The result is a movie as fascinating for its flaws as for its considerable successes.

Go to Full Review

Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Mar 28

5/5

A fever dream of souls crashing, repentance, forgiveness and second chances. Tom Cruise is phenomenal in what could be Paul Thomas Anderson's best offering. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Philip Bagnall

Loud and Clear Reviews

09/19/2024

Magnolia is an extraordinary film about ordinary lives.

Go to Full Review

Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

07/15/2023

A-

Anderson has dared to make a movie that refuses to conceal its excesses, an amazing abundance of strong emotion, technical verve and pure performance power.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

John F

Jan 12

A lot to take in and it's a marathon to be sure, but totally worth it, primarily for the fine performances of Moore and Cruise (which just might be the best of his career).

See more

Duane M

@Duanedabath Jan 9

Magnolia is the kind of material actors cherish, with bravura passages of emotional release and dialogue crackling with despair

See more

Jack F

@MovieFan111 Dec 9

It took me a while to get around to this one because it's runtime looked unattractive. I didn't really read what it was all about, so I went into it cold (as I do with almost all the films I watch). Despite being a little over 3 hours, it felt necessary. It was literally the entire cast of Boogie Nights which I thought was interesting, but didn't really like that aspect. There's always something about year 2000 films that seem trippy (and not just cuz Requiem fo a dream, American Psycho, Amores Perros, etc came out in the same year) I liked it as a whole and it wasn't entirely confusing. I do think it's a little overrated and praised a little to much. I'm surprised the audience score isn't in the 90s. I'd give it an audience score of 85%. There's a LOT of cursing in this movie Damn! I know I'll come back to it at some point.

See more

UC

@TripleNegation Nov 29

Multiple waveforms, which individually may appear as mere noise or meaningless information, are extremely complex and chaotic, yet those stories are integrated through Fourier Transform with precise timing and amplitude, resonating at the frequencies we know so well. Transmission Complete.

See more

Robert O

Nov 25

I gave it 2-1/2 stars because I thought the acting throughout was just spectacular. That being said, I thought it was easily one of the most depressing films I have ever seen, and I'm 70. Not sure what this movie was trying to say, but it seemed like the message was, "Everyone in L.A. is ALL fcked up and in need of intense therapy." Side note: I grew up in L.A. and lived there until I was 30.

See more

Steve C

@Steveohmgawd Nov 20

It's a film of power, substance and superlative performances that challenges audiences. Hopefully, audiences will be up to taking that challenge.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Paul Thomas Anderson

Director

Jason Robards

Earl Partridge

Julianne Moore

Linda Partridge

Tom Cruise

Frank T.J. Mackey

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Phil Parma

John C. Reilly

Jim Kurring

American History X

84%

96%

American History X

Watchlist

Body Shots

11%

28%

Body Shots

Watchlist

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

83%

71%

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

Watchlist

One Night Stand

34%

39%

One Night Stand

Watchlist

The Virgin Suicides

80%

81%

The Virgin Suicides

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Virgin Suicides

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Sellar
Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Ghoulardi Film Company, Magnolia Project
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 7, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.5M
Runtime: 3h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now