FILMMAKER MOVIE REACTION!! Magnolia (1999) FIRST TIME REACTION!! 

What a damn roller coaters of a film! Let me know your favorite moment in this movie! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Get ready for Synecdoche, New York movie reaction/commentary Wednesday! Enjoy the day!

What a bloody tragedy that Hoffman is not here any more.

Aimee Mann's soundtrack is like a supporting character in this movie.

This movie literally changed my life. When I first saw it I’d moved two thousand kilometres from my home town due to a really bad life experience. But the move wasn’t enough. I’d had a drinking problem which only escalated being away from home. So I saw this movie and that part when each character reaches there own “ breaking point” really affected me. I understood what was actually happening. The funny thing was I was reaching my own turning point and the movie ended up triggering my own one. I’ll never forget it.

Cruises best acting in my opinion. Thought he was gonna win supporting actor Oscar

James most common reactions so far: "oh man" "love this shot" "im loving this editing" "let me know what you guys think" new reaction added to the list: " wow *nervous laughter* wow"

“I wonder why they keep showing the weather”... lol...you will find out

I think this is a masterpiece even though PTA has said that with him still being pretty young at the time, he kinda overloaded the movie with emotion. But that's just why it's so impactful. Cruise's best performance and one of the greatest in history, IMO.

If you look carefully at the background of the film, sometimes you can catch random signs and things that say "Exodus 8:2" which is a bible verse that quotes, "But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs." PTA foreshadows the rain of frogs, and the symbolism there is heavy.

Jason Robards (the actor that played the role of Tom Cruise's father) actually had lung cancer during the filming of Magnolia and this was his last performance before he died.

Best John C. Riley & Tom Cruise performances of their career imo.

For anyone interested “That Moment - Magnolia” is the making of documentary to this film. It’s the most thorough and candid making of documentary I have ever seen and is a great behind the scenes look at a film production from Pre production through post.

That scene where every character starts singing is so heartwarming and emotionally tangible. Love your reaction James

Yes! Such a masterpiece. Every element is on point. HBO's Euphoria owes a lot to this film.

Melora Walters' character slowly looking up at the camera and smiling is just the perfect ending to this film and one of my all-time favorite ending shots to a film. And, as others have mentioned, on a rewatch, look for all of the 82 sightings in the film, foreshadowing (as an Exodus 8:2 reference) the frog scene.

Absolutely my favorite movie of all time, it’s not for everyone because of how massive it is, but I think that the runtime is justified. Such a beautiful and well crafted movie.

Tom Cruise purportedly improvised sections of T.J. Mackey's final meeting with his father.

When the cop finds the body in the closet, and the lady says, "That ain't mine!"

I am a big fan of this movie and PTA himself. At 29, he was able to make a 3 hour drama about cancer, childhood trauma, and unique events that forever bond people. That's how much power and weight he had at such a young age! When they say films like X don't get made today, I think about films like this, where PTA was able to make his greatest attempt at an Robert Altman film. After this, he would mainly focus on character studies but this captures him where he was still wearing his influences on his sleeve.

FUN FACT: It has actually rained frogs several times in recorded history. To my knowledge it happened in Minnesota sometime in the thirties or forties, also in Mexico more recently. Small lakes or ponds get sucked up by a violent storm in their entirety, evaporated, and REcondensed in the atmosphere, thus separating the solid matter (in this case frogs) and dispersing it somewhere else. So you see, this actually is JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS. If you did this, you GOTTA do P.T. Anderson's breakout BOOGIE NIGHTS. I heard he spent the first thirty years of his life developing it in some form or another. Apples and oranges when it comes to the story but another great film with some knockout performances. His best film next to There Will Be Blood imo.

The scene with cruise confronting his dad is honestly one of the best acted scenes ive ever seen

I love Magnolia. Ensemble films such as this one are special and rare. The cast is solid on every level. The cinematography is brilliant. The soundtrack is soulful. The film's themes (regret, forgiveness, trauma, and loneliness) are universal and impactful. The rain of fogs is one of the most surprising plot twists in cinema history. So completely out-there yet it fits within the story somehow. The opening teases it with the bizarre stories of coincidence. The last image of Claudia's tearful smile always fills me with a hopeful joy.

PTA is my second favorite director, and this is my second favorite film from him (: i highly recommend punch-drunk love (which is my favorite)

Magnolia can only be described by one single word: masterpiece

My favorite part of this is definitely the “this is the scene in the movie...” it’s kind of an obvious meta moment but it’s so powerful and really hits on that thing where sometimes you have these crazy emotional moments in life and it almost doesn’t feel like it could be real, but sometimes ... that really happens

Tom Cruise is just on another level here too.

I consider this to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘thank you’ letter to Robert Altman (he was known for his ensemble drama films). The camera work is due to the incredible collaboration of PTA and Robert Elswitt. Everything from the fast zooms to the slow panning almost has this angel like nuance, as if we were flying around, witnessing the lives of these characters.

The two things that I love the most are: The score, with it's apocalptical tone, making everything sound intense and building up for something really big. The pacing. I mean, you can't even get tired by any one of the storylines, he is already switching to the next one in a really high point, then another, and then he comes back. And the connections between each storyline are so sweet. I also love the performances, specially Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise and Phillip Seymour Hoffmann, his performances are so natural and organic.

I haven't watched this film in so long and I'd totally forgotten how good it was. Hard to believe there's this many characters in a film and the character development is still top level

PTA may be my favourite director alive and this is my favourite from him. You should watch rest of his films too.

This movie is such a masterpiece.

Everything reaches a crisis point, and it's so disturbing, than no character can look beyond themself to realize thst the crisis is striking EVERYone else, exactly as hard.

The writing in this film never ceases to amaze me. It juggles and interweaves so many stories separately and connectively, so seamlessly it's such a work of art. - also Tom Cruise's performance in this movie is fuckin awesome

One of my favourite movies of all time. I saw it on the cinema when it first came out and was completely blown away. Nice reaction and commentary.

The scene of the morning after Frank's father passed, with the sun shining through the windows... it's almost as if he's been cleansed in a way - he's freed himself from the hate that festered within him for years. As much as I disagree with Cruise's beliefs, I have to say he was incredible in this film.

This is Paul Thomas Anderson's homage to Robert Altman and the ensemble dramas he's famous for.

The actress playing the woman with the coke habit also played George Costanza's girlfriend in an episode of Seinfeld, it's the one where they all go to the Hamptons and to George's dismay his gf sunbathes topless while he's away buying tomatoes. It's also the one where George is the victim of significant "shrinkage" after swimming in the pool. xD

you have witnessed a masterpiece, it's always great to see someone watching it for the first time, now you HAVE to watch Boogie Nights, PTA is a genius.

The DVD had a bonus disc with a documentary about the making of the film. P.T. Anderson said he borrowed a friend's cabin, and the first day he walked onto the porch and there was a snake on the porch and he went back inside and was afraid to step out for two weeks and he wrote the screenplay during that time.

damn the energy of early PTA films is just so captivating, same goes with Boogie Nights, there's definitely some influence form Scorsese too with some of those shaky zoom in shots

this is quite literally the greatest film ever made

This is a movie your can't forget, from the acting, writing, camera work, editing, soundtrack, emotional impact... It's a real work of art. Crying, laughing, longing... All emotions this movie brings out, I always liked Tom cruise before this but after this it elevates him higher as a top actor not just action star..

"Short Cuts " by Robert Altman strongly influenced this film

That is one of my all time favorite films, and now you know why. It is an actors and filmmakers treat. The whole cast just kills it.

I like this brutally honest PTA quote. I don’t know if I agree, but it would be interesting to see his 2020 cut. :) ‘When asked if he would change anything about the film today, Paul Thomas Anderson said: “Oh, I’d slice that thing down. It’s way too long. It’s unmerciful, how long it is.” Speaking of cuts - a shame the pharmacy scene with Julianne Moore didn’t make the RU-vid cut. Some of the best film acting of the last 20-25 years. I’ll have to check out the full reaction on your Patreon one of these days. Thank you. Has anyone recommended The Skin I Live In? I think you’d have fun watching and reacting to that one. It stars Antonio Banderas (one of his best performances)... that’s all the information needed if you haven’t seen it. :)

Paul THomas Anderson is the best ever. Period.

Damn, great to see you react to this gem. Kudos for the Patreon who advised it.

This is an incredibly good reaction. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.

One of my all time favorites! Thoroughly enjoy your reviews and analysis - keep up the great work!

This is my favorite film. All of the performances are every kind of beautiful. I'm so glad you reacted to it!

This is one of my favorite channels I’ve ever came across. Big fan of the work!!

Gosh I havent watched this movie in 20 years, thanks for letting me rewatch it with you!

I am obsessed with this movie. It’s almost hypnotic how the soundtrack and the editing movies you through the characters, the emotions and scenes. My favorite movie of all time and it’s not close.

This makes me so happy. I can’t wait until Wednesday because Synecdoche, New York is one of my favorite films and Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the greatest actors there is. So many good reaction.

I saw it about 30 or 40 times. Aimee Mann did most of the soundtrack. Look up "Save Me" and "Wise Up" to see her vids with direct help from the actors straight from the movie...

Another Good movie You should watch is a movie called Being John Malcovic. Its a classic.

This is my favorite film of all time.

Love Ricky Jay’s narration. He was such a wonderful actor. You ought to react to David Mamet’s 2001 crime movie “Heist” with Gene Hackman, Sam Rockwell, Danny DeVito, and Ricky Jay. It’s an underrated classic that is growing in stature with time. Beautifully acted and the dialogue will stick with you for a while.

You need to watch more of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films ASAP!

This is one of my favourite movies. Just like Cloud Atlas the expert editing meshes multiple stories into one whole emotional journey that has to be watched in one sitting.

lol, just watched the dvd (again) two weeks ago! 3 hours and not a single wasted minute!. the whole cast is amazing, Tom Cruise at his best, but actually, this is where I fell in love with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. And that ending! "Deus ex 🐸🐸!"

The best way I can describe this film...is it’s immersive...everything from the performances and the camerawork just pulls you in...which I absolutely love!!

It's a top film. It's got an almost relentless intensity, speed and energy, scene after scene. Crazy performances. The ending, look to camera and that slight smile gets me every time.

Always nice to watch a movie with you in these troubling times, man!

Changed my life, showcasing just how unable we are to control how our past grips us - and how the random inter-weavings of other people’s lives can affect us - but that we have no choice but to try to rise above it anyway. Chaos is inevitable. What’s really crazy is how I can relate to the restaurant scene and Donnie’s last line in a way that I couldn’t 20yrs ago - meeting girls whose soul/pain I could see and understand so clearly but they couldn’t let me in because their trauma wouldn’t let them (i.e., the shame they had about their past despite it not being their fault)...yet wishing they could see how much I understood maybe better than just about anybody..

Raining frogs and fish has supposedly happened throughout history randomly en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_of_animals

You have just stumbled onto one of the best movie experiences I have ever had. This movie is a masterpiece. It was my #1 film for many years. It is now #2 to Shaun Of The Dead. I’ve only seen it once but I feel like so many scenes have impacted me and I never forgot. Incredible filmmaker, incredible cast, incredible story. Its criminally unknown.

Hey man great reaction! I just noticed as of now, your the only film reaction channel on RU-vid to do Magnolia. I hope more people react to it. I just watch this film not so long ago for the first time and this film is now my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film of all time. (That title previously went to Boogie Nights, which I also love.) I have never seen a film that effecting me so emotionally and mind-blowing before. The editing, score, music, visuals, camerawork, cinematography, acting, and stories are phenomenal. The frog rain sequence was so out of the blue it brought such a unexplained biblical divine intervention type of chances and coincidences, which ties back to the opening prologue. The film is amazing and I love it!!!!! 10/10 I’m looking forward to PTA’s new film, Licorice Pizza which as a similar vibe of mostly Boogie Nights and a little bit of Magnolia. Keep up the great work man!!! 👍🏻❤️❤️❤️

The amount of great actors and acting in this movie is amazing!

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. This movie should be its own course in film school. One of the greatest movies I've ever seen.

Loved all the depth each character had to them. Their layers peeled back and then you understand completely why they were who they were and acted the way they did

The Song playing at the beginning of the film was called " One " that was written & recorded originally by Harry Nilsson. The version in the movie is by Aimee Mann.

One of my favorite movies. I remember seeing this for the first time when I worked at a videostore about a year after it came out on VHS! It was a double VHS set. The emotions in this film are so tragic, intense and beautiful. I don’t think Paul Thomas Anderson has done better films than this and Boogie Nights. I watch all his films hoping to be impressed and while the performances are always great, the movies just don’t live up to these two. P.S. that role was written with Tom Cruise in mind!

Glad to see that this film was chosen for your first time viewing experience. I remember seeing this in the movie house. I am looking forward to your reaction. Jason Robards was my favorite actor in this all star cast. So many great performances!!! I haven't seen this movie in years and I am going to give another watch through through. Can not wait to see your completed reaction.

Boogie Nights, which PTA made before this film, is a long flowing story like this one, but more a lot more fun and less heavy. It's a really cool movie if you haven't seen it.

You should check out The Master. My favourite PT Anderson but possibly he’s least accessible. Would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Great reaction, man. Can't wait for you to react to all of Paul Thomas Anderson's films. You should react to Boogie Night next. It's a masterpiece. Favorite moment in Magnolia is easily when Phillip Seymour Hoffman calls to get a hold of Tom Cruise’s character and describes it how this the scene from the movie when the guy is trying to find his long lost son. Brilliant acting and filmmaking.

as a recovering addict i can't even watch this movie anymore, it just brings up too many emotions(especially regret), and put's me in a place where it's almost impossible to come back from, even clips, been like 5 years since ive seen even a snipit of this movie but i was able to watch this entire post and only cried(like i always do) once and that is that ending shot, after 3 plus hours of a roller coaster that encapulates a lot of real people's life experience(that smile in the end just fills me with so much emotion, basically saying that "it's going to be ok"....this is so much more than just art!!!!!!

YAY Miriam Margolyes. What a legend!

Bruh, it's good to see someone actually do a reaction to this flick. My favorite PTA film by far is Hard Eight. This was his first film and stars Phillip Baker Hall, Paul C Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel Motherfukin Jackson. A truly AMAZING piece of cinema, but I hardly ever see or hear anyone mention it when talking about Paul Thomas Anderson's career.

I can’t believe bohemian rhapsody won a best editing Oscar, and this film wasnt even nominated. Just shows how little weight the Oscars hold

Jason Robards’ monologue is one of the most emotionally pulverizing 3 minutes ever put to film.

I just fall more and more in love with your channel sir. 😊 So happy each time I see a new upload! 🌻 Not sure if you even take requests from the comments but I'd like to suggest, White Oleander, Thirteen or The Lovely Bones. ✌🏽

This was nice to come back to and re-watch. I need to update my DVD copy of this and pick up a Blu-Ray.

best ending to a movie ever, that smile, always just makes me feel(cry), no matter how many times i resee it and know that it is coming but still just like clockwork, the waterworks just start flowing.....i hope this movie is being taught in college courses, doesn't have to even be film major related, because it just encompasses the whole life experience, especially regret(s) and that at some point for some reason, everybody has them(truly a masterpiece)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

watched this movie twice in 24 hours with my long distance gal and yeah, its was our first time watching last night and wow, its like one of our favorite movies now. its truly TRULY incredible.

One of my all time favorite movies. Great acting!

Would love to see the film natural born killers on here. The movie has really interesting editing choices and shots you would love :))

One of the few YT reactors to have the BALLS to react to this absolute masterpiece :)

Great movie, haven't seen it in years! It's not often you get an ensemble like this with everyone firing on all cylinders.

This is a MasterClass of filmmaking

I think this is my favourite Paul Thomas Anderson film. Remmembe seeing it ages ago andd thinking how can a film maker just be great across the board... Acting, lighting, camera movement/composition, emotion and editing. Never got the frogs thing but just accepted it. Your reaction just solidified my first viewing. Please watch more PTA esp Punch Drunk Love or Boogie Nights...

Back again, always a pleasure.

if you ever make merch it should say "this shot right here"

You should watch Robert Altman’s Short Cuts or Nashville if you like this style of storytelling

If you watch some old classics that would be great. Please put some of those on upcoming patreon polls. My recommendations are Seven Samurai, Ran, Paths of Glory, Barry Lyndon, Rear Window, Vertigo and The Searchers. Modern Hollywood directors are heavily influenced from these movies.

The "its not going to stop" scene, and William H Macy's love line...hit me like a train man

This movie is a gem. Thanks for showing it.

Heck yes = my reaction before even watching. Hope Boogie Nights comes soon!

such a great movie honestly probably my favorite movie period.