I seem to have a love / hate relationship with Magnolia. When I saw this on opening day in the theater, I came away from it impressed by the ambition that Paul Thomas Anderson had put into the film. Yes, I did think it was way too long, but I also knew that I hadn't seen anything quite like this movie prior to this. Sure, there have been other films that used the the premise of multiple characters, each in their own worlds, converging and intersecting with each other at the end of a single day, most recently seen in Crash. But Magnolia was something else entirely. I just couldn't put my finger what that was. There was a enough interest by me for the movie that as soon as the lights came up, I went straight to the book store to get the screenplay in book form.

Naturally I picked up the DVD when it first came out and still enjoyed the movie for what it was the few times I watched it. But then something happened, maybe 10 years ago, where I just didn't like the movie all that much. It was just okay, not the great masterpiece I originally labeled it. And my sentiments about the film stayed the same the couple of times I've watched it since then, the last being maybe 5 years ago. Maybe having stayed away from the movie for awhile, or maybe because I somehow ended up doing a little PTA DVD marathon, but watching Magnolia this time around, I really like it. More so than I have in years past.

I have to point out one thing though that I never saw any fault in and that's when the cast kind of "breaks the 4th wall" when they start singing along to Amiee Mann's Wise Up. Its this very scene that kind of kept me coming back to the movie, even though I wasn't a "fan" anymore. I get why some just absolutely hate it because on the surface, it does break the already established narrative. For me, I just think it adds an extra dimension to the film. Anyway, this is worth a Rent if you want to see more f*cked up characters like those seen in Boogie Nights. And I also like the 'Rain of Frogs' scene. It's surreal to see on a big screen and no, it doesn't take away from the movie either.

The one thing Magnolia doesn't have is the intentional/unintentional humor of Nights, that's for sure. Stellar cast includes Tom Cruise, Phillip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Melora Walters, Ricky Jay, Felicity Huffman, Luis Guzman, Melinda Dillon, Alfred Molina and Patton Oswalt and a whole bunch more. Too many to name.

PS, I think I may just bust out my Magnolia Screenplay book that has been collecting dust on the bookshelf all these years. I can't remember the last time I actually read it.