With him gone who is going to do the incredible acting that goes beyond what most put to film? I thought maybe Paul Giamatti could carry the torch but he seems to be MIA.
He was great in everything. Loved him as Brandt in The Big Lebowski. The number of amazing actors who came out of Boogie Nights never fails to wow me. I do miss him.
The best movie of the 90s to me. And just thinking about the fact that PT Anderson wasn't even 30 when he wrote the script makes me realize how Genius he is.
The truth as it relates to conscious life has been revealed, Search *_Truth Contest_* and read the top entry called "The Present". This is truth you can and should check for yourself, this is truth the evidence says is true.
This scene is something that, on paper, absolutely shouldn’t work. Then you watch it and it rips your heart out. Genius filmmaking, songwriting, and performances.
Incredible, strange, beautiful, moving, honest, sad, heartbreaking movie. The songs by Aimee Mann are so a part of something special too. I just bring this movie out every once in a while like a fine wine!
Brilliant film sequence. Deep and really moving. I like the fact that was filmed like a Musical yet really down to earth and intimate like a real life doc. I love this director as all his films.
I’ve watched this movie at least 50 times in the 20+ years it’s been out and over the years it has changed in what it means to me, or different parts resonate more now than they used to. It’s so incredibly complex and nuanced. It’s the only film I 100% agree is a masterpiece. And on a different note, the epic long take that follows stanley after he arrives at the TV studio. Pure genius.
Literally just noticed the Exodus 8:2 in the last scene in the rain!! I knew it was a recurring motif throughout the film but I never noticed it in this scene until now. This movie gets more profound with every viewing!! :):)
Why do people keep saying this is the worst part of the movie besides the raining frogs scene? Seriously why do people hate this scene so much? It is a very beautiful moment showing all the characters in their hour of weakness and reflecting on their lives.
The stellar cast in the movie makes it hard to focus on one favourite actor but Phillip S. Hoffman, Tom Cruise and Melora Walters stand out for me. Watching Melora's character struggle with the pain of her father's sexual abuse is a standout performance. Tom Cruise' performance as the dangerous pick up artist and the extraordinary ability of Hoffman are a joy to watch.
The theme of this movie is that we all mess up in our lives and in the end we might be defined by our regret. We may not be remembered for those things only but it is what we die with. And it will never be corrected because we only live once. All the success in the World does not cover for our regrets. However small or heinous.
Very, very, very few movies have a scene so moving and powerful. It's al the more astonishing that Magnolia has at least a 1/2 dozen more scenes that meet or exceeds this level emotional intensity. One the most fucking amazing movies of all time - brilliant writing and brilliant acting. I've found it makes a great litmus test for dating. If you don't love this movie, we aren't compatible.
One of the most powerful scenes in cinema.. Not sure why, but this movie really resonates with me. I think it's because it portrays this message of all this evil, sadness, and chaos in the world, and despite it all, there is still hope and optimism that shines through at the end, which is sort of parellels my outlook on life..
Perfect words there. Perfect words. I'm a Christian, (but not the usual Pharisaical sort) - And I think the Mag really goes down the rabbit hole of true pain and relational truth that puts everyone else on both the Far Left AND the Far Right politically to SHAME. I mean - it's just astounding how much truth is in that film. Like - Right out of the freaking pages of the BIBLE truth. Fathers-Sons-Marraiges-Honesty "a lonely word" - and so much more.
How did they DO that? Did the actors dub their own lines, having recorded the live takes to a background of the track? Did they have earpieces so they could sing in tune (and time) with her? It’s seamless, and brilliant, and technically hella impressive. And it sure helps that the song is an all-time keeper.
Andrew McGivney - Not sure how PTA did it, but it’s the sort of thing a production could do in a couple of steps: First, capturing the images with actors lip-synching to the music on set, just like any music video, then dubbing in the studio-recorded sound of actors singing, as ADR. Or even more simply, if the sequence of shots and music has been thoroughly planned, the musical sound, including the actor’s contributed parts, can just be prerecorded, and the shots done in lip-sync to it as the actors hear it on set. No visible earphones needed in either case, since no live sound is actually being recorded.
certain people - critics, mostly - _hated_ this scene when it came out. for some people it pulled them out of the movie entirely. see, i disagree. totally. i think this kind of grand sentiment and bold style SO great. the movies should sometimes be magical, strange places, shouldn't they? why is everyone so obsessed with hyper-gritty realism these days, even in something ridiculous like _Fast & Furious 9: The Atomic Autobahn?_
I put this on and somehow was able to sing all the lyrics perfectly. Probably because my dad used to play it to me every time I cried, the words are engrained in my head
It was an amazingly well created drama, showing people in different stages of life and how coincidences can happen, with fantastic performances from pretty much everyone in the cast, tackling emotional themes with nuance, then it rained frogs. Kind of killed my desire to re-watch it. I know it's a biblical reference but it completely took me out of the movie. I thought Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire was his best performance until I saw this movie.
I saw this movie in 1999 and liked it, but it didn't resonate for me at that moment in my life. 15 years later I rediscovered it... my Mom had just died from lupus, and watching this movie became my way of coping, of processing the pain, the anger, of dealing with how lost I felt. Every second of this (very long) movie speaks some truth. It is harsh sometimes, it is beautiful, it is ridiculous, it is hopeful, it is full of random, pointless circumstance, it is full of divine spirituality, it shows human frailty and strength. Thank you PT Anderson for creating this profound art that can reach people who are in pain. And thank you Aimee Mann for this song.
Jeremy Adams thank you for ur comment. What a nice discription of the movie. Its true. Its ridiculousy good. I was not in pain but the movie touched me and your comment to. Its nice song. (i'm so mellow)
+Jeremy Adams PTA made this film in large part as a response to his own fathers death. I think he might be pleased that the film helped you process your own loss...
+Scott Mumford Thanks, I appreciate your comment. I do think the fact that PTA wrote the film while going through loss helps it resonate in a way that few films do :)
+Jeremy Adams It's magic. I don't know how anybody could make something like this. I think they're in touch with something we all would like to experience. They're bringing it to us. Painters, writers, film makers, etcetera.
Matheus Albano Thats a good point, it is a very fine line to walk. I think when someone really believes in the message and presents it boldly without trying to be too clever, it can just work. Ive seen this movie 5 times and heard this song 10 and just heard its message. Dont expect anything to chamge until you figure out what's causing the pain to repeat itself. Even if has to rain down frogs to shake you up and get you to give up your game that keeps you losing everything important. The real things we want are kept hidden as we apply our own worst ideas in front of them.
Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA) directed, and thank you for mentioning him. I love this movie, and plan to watch or rewatch everything he's done. Aimee Mann is superb, a great singer-songwriter. Really love her and the intricacy of her lyrics. "Save Me" won an award but "Wise Up" is the one that resonates and pulls you apart emotionally. Really nice to revisit this years later.
"I really feel... That Magnolia is, for better or worse, the best movie I'll ever make." - PTA I honestly feel the same way too. This movie was amazing at the first watch and magic at the second.
I'm so glad he made it how he did and when he did. I will watch everything he's done. Magnolia was and is pure magic. So moving. Might be Aimee Mann's best, too, or let's say my favorite, too. "Best" can be an unbearable burden.
The surreal "coincidence" of all these interconnected characters singing the same song at the same time, it made me tear up in 1999, and it rips me apart in 2015. After going through so many personal highs and lows since first seeing the film, there's so much more in it that I can identify with than I did then. I thought the raining frogs was so peculiar back then, but it fits perfectly with the story as I experience it again. This is PTA's masterpiece. Thank God Boogie Nights did so well that he was given the freedom to make this happen, on his terms.
That's what makes this movie so unforgettable and timeless. Anyone can identify with the struggles the characters are going through and can relate them to their own life. And then when the years pass you by and you've experienced all of life's ups and downs, heartbreaks and heartaches, the good, the bad and ugly and everything in between, you can still come back to this movie and feel like you are not alone and your hardships and struggles are universal. Magnolia is my second favourite film of all time and will continue to be for a while!
I am always moved by this scene because there's an inherent paradox: All the characters are feeling isolated and alone at this point - but, at the same time, they are all bound together in a universal feeling.
If any modern director gets the absolute best out of their cast, it’s Paul Thomas Anderson, because he actually knows how to work with people. Magnolia is the best example of this. Every actor here is giving a career best performance, and that’s saying a lot because they are all GOD tier at their craft already
So sad when Stanley is just sitting there, like a prisoner with his text books, that dim lighting and slowly dollying the camera away from him as he says "Give up."
ScudgeJockey : I saw this movie in the movie theater, when it was first released and then saw it again, when it was released at Blockbuster video. This scene always made my eyes get misty.. Especially that young kid.. Omg. Superb acting by all of the main characters and supporting roles.
You just described the contents and technical details of the shot, then prefaced it by saying it was "so sad" because that's what you rationalized would be the correct emotional distillation of those technical details - You are a robot, you have become devoid of real emotion.
A dear friend, in introducing me to this film, said: “either you get magnolia or you don’t. And I have a hard time not judging the people who don’t” and tbh I still go by that
I think this is the only time that I have ever seen a movie turn into a music video without that being a bad thing. Somehow it shows that nobody is actually alone, no matter how alone we feel.
I must say this to myself 1000x per day. Like every time I open my mouth. You not alone tampa guy. My solution has to withdraw from everybody and every thing though don't recommend this for you God bless
Guys be strong. You can do it. Use the film as a rock use the quote ( this is stupid) as a rock. Every time you hear it in your mind or other. Be strong say no fuck you I'm not going down that road. Please try. This song always makes me cry. Please use me please make me smile x
If I had to pick one scene in all of cinema that'd I'd single out as a favorite, it'd be this one. Seeing (and hearing) the cast sing along to such poetic lyrics moved me to tears on my first viewing (and continues to do so). I view this as the turning point of the film; a small moment of serenity after a long string of emotional intensity to prepare you for it's harsh crescendo. There will never be a better filmmaker than Paul Thomas Anderson.
Tom Cruise really should have won an oscar. I had issues with my father. We reconciled long before his end but when I see Tom Cruise in this it is almost painful for me. Amazing performance.
My mother had issues with her father as well. Her father claimed her, but wasn't really there all the time. When my sister and I came along, he never denied that we were his grandchildren, but it would have been nice to have a closer relationship with him.
Julianne Moore gave a powerful performance as well. I remember watching her on a soap opera before she made it big in movies and thought ''wow, she's good.''
I still remember the evening when I came back home from high school. I watched this film by chance. I could not stand up till the credits were over. I discovered myself quietly shedding tears. This film means a lot to me.
Same here, I saw this in 2000 when I was 15 and it had such profound effect on me. I can’t watch the movie without crying be cause I relate so much to it. It’s a movie that was created out of despair and love
The one moment when the sad, lonely little boy wake up his father and says to him, "You need to be nicer to me"...that one moment...That's the moment I lose it every time.
I watched this film 20 years ago with two great friends as we travelled the US (we're English). We'd been drinking, causing chaos everywhere we went, having the time of our young lives. One rainy day we decided we needed a break so just sat in our hotel room and watched whatever was on, which happened to be Magnolia. And it was truly a special few hours, for all of us. I think we needed to be reminded of what we were running from, speeding towards, and experiencing along the way. Life is shorter than we'd like, but try telling that to the young and you'll be laughed at. 20+ years later and we're at different places in our lives, but still good friends. I saw on of them this very evening. I feel immensely lucky for that. This movie is like a Hundred Years of Solitude, or some other great works of humanity I cannot be bothered to recall. Foolish, hilarious, insane, full of hope and wonder and mad coincidence. Joyful and melancholy. Like humanity.
Searching through comments to see others who come back to this song and movie confirms, we may be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.
Robert Mucci I agree...I pretty much didnt like him in any of his movies, but this film, I really respect him for...strong acting on his side for once!
I think its because Tom's a bona fide douche and normally his roles glorify this ilk of people by portraying them as one dimensional action heroes who save the day and win the girl. Whereas Magnolia offers more in depth character studies into what could've turned these people into who they are now or at least who they pretend to be. They are neither villains nor heroes, just humans who are invariably flawed.
Probably one of the most moving and emotionally tangible scenes in any movie out there. Magnolia is in many ways, an unforgettable film and this scene highlights the power of the film's longevity. I don't know why, but I find it so chilling the way the camera pans across Tom Cruise's face, the look on his face when he sings "stop", right before it cuts away. Feels so cathartic and powerful.
That should’ve been Tom Cruise’s Oscar. In a year that included this performance, Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Michael Clarke Duncan in the Green Mile, and Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense, the Oscar went to Michael Caine for the freaking Cider House Rules. UNBELIEVABLE.
