when a director gets a $37M budget, and full creative control 

I was doing student teaching in a high school English class when Magnolia came out. I told my host teacher how much I loved this new movie. A few days later, several of her advanced senior students said Magnolia was terrible, lol. My host teacher got a befuddled look on her face, and said, "Someone told me it was good." The light bulb went off, and she turned to me. "Was it you?" Then I had to defend the movie to a bunch of know-it-all teenagers. I still remember a couple of them saying it was unrealistic for the dying guy to be singing, lol. I had to explain that it was stylistic--that all those characters weren't literally singing, but it was a way for the filmmaker to show how all these different stories were actually one story. I remember thinking they were young and immature, and maybe couldn't relate to serious life events. But I was only 26 or 27, lol. FYI, now I'm 50, and I've made it back to that same school where I'm now teaching that advanced class of seniors. Time flies...

I saw this in the theater when it came out. I was not prepared for the frogs, and it broke me. It still does the few times I’ve seen it in the years since. One of the greatest films, with the greatest ensemble cast I’ve ever seen. Magnolia is an underrated cinematic masterpiece, as far as I’m concerned.

Every second of Philip Seymour Hoffman on-screen is a revelation. But isn’t that true of the entire cast? Every performance is a miracle of acting. Every scene is my favorite.

One of those few films in my entirely life that really has affected me in every mind blowing way possible, Magnolia is one of them. A true dramatic epic cinematic masterpiece and I will die on that hill defending it. This film needs more love and recongition that it deserves. And the Raining of Frogs, for as crazy and biblical as it its, it is my fav scene not only in the film but one of the best scenes in cinema imo, genius. PTA is now one of my fav all time directors, def in my Top 5.

I remember seeing this movie in theaters. After the movie was over I couldn't understand what I had just watched, but somehow internally I knew I had just watched something unique.

For my theatre college class, I directed the restaurant scene between Jim and Claudia. I set it in a museum and cut the other interlaced stories. I'm so glad my teacher let me direct it, because it's one of my favorite scenes of all time.

Cruise did do Born on the fourth of July, so he has proven himself as a serious actor way before this.

To make a film about dysfunctional characters sad and yet totally hilarious is a work of brilliance. The scene where Tom's character instructs his audience to open up their dating instruction manuals immediately followed by the sound of a bunch of incels frantically flipping through their pages in the background gets me every time. And that's just one of many examples.

I heard his dad was dying of cancer when he wrote it too, that probably influenced the darkness of the script.

i really wish there was more info about how exactly PTA was on set for Eyes Wide Shut

@Cinephile Iceberg- I appreciate the delivery of your narration; the cadence and tone. Very easy to listen to and follow along with. No preterition. Keep the videos coming. Cheers!

There hasnt been a film like Magnolia since it released

Underrated channel

That doesn’t happens anymore

Cruise was himself in this film.

PTA = overindulgent and pretentious

Magnolia was absolute horse shit