"MAGNOLIA"
(1999) (Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Heavy	Heavy	Extreme	Moderate	Moderate
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	Minor	Minor	None	Extreme
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Extreme	Mild	Heavy	Moderate	Heavy

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QUICK TAKE:

Drama: A disparate group of loosely related people tries to cope with the problems and pitfalls of their lives in this look at one unusual day in Southern California.

PLOT:

In California's San Fernando Valley, any given day is likely to produce the unlikeliest of occurrences and coincidences. This is one of those days. While motivational guru Frank Mackey (TOM CRUISE) stirs up his all-male audience about how to nab women, veteran TV quiz show host Jimmy Gator (PHILIP BAKER HALL) is preparing for his next show that will feature whiz kid Stanley Spector (JEREMY BLACKMAN). Despite being a brilliant kid, he can't stand that his father, Rick (MICHAEL BOWEN), relentlessly pushes him in hopes of living vicariously through his success.

While Jimmy cheats on his wife, Rose (MELINDA DILLON,) and tries to made amends with their cocaine-addicted daughter, Claudia (MELORA WALTERS), he doesn't realize the damage his show can create. Case in point is Donnie Smith (WILLIAM H. MACY), a former child prodigy who's grown up into a disillusioned, middle-aged man. As such, he can't keep a job and wants dental braces so that he can be more like the male bartender that he's secretly in love with.

Meanwhile and across town, Linda Partridge (JULIANNE MOORE) is trying cope with her shattered life that includes her terminally ill husband, Earl (JASON ROBARDS) and the dual facts that she only married him for his money and has been cheating on him ever since. As she goes out to get more drugs to ease the last days of his life and contemplate considerably shortening hers, Earl awakens in a stupor, asking his at-home nurse, Phil Parma (PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN), to find his long estranged son.

While he does that, police officer Jim Kurring (JOHN C. REILLY) investigates a disturbance that leads to a dead body, a fact that Dixon (EMMANUEL JOHNSON), a streetwise young kid would like to help solve. Kurring has other calls to which he must respond, however, including one that leads him to Claudia's door.

As they begin a touch and go romance and Phil continues on his quest to find Earl's son, Stanley tries to cope with the pressures of performing, Frank deals with the probing questions of Gwenovier (APRIL GRACE), a visiting TV reporter, and Donnie drowns his sorrows with Thurston Howell (HENRY GIBSON) while plotting his revenge on his former employer. With each dealing with their own problems, a twist of fate and unexpected revelations soon affect all of them.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're fans of anyone in the cast (including Tom Cruise) or of director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights") they might, but this one seems attractive mostly to teens at best.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For strong language, drug use, sexuality and some violence.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JASON ROBARDS plays a terminally ill man who uses strong profanity and previously left his son and wife (when she was dying).

JULIANNE MOORE plays his distraught and suicidal wife who married him for his money, has cheated on him ever since, and uses strong profanity.

TOM CRUISE plays an arrogant, near misogynist, sexual motivation guru who's estranged from his father and uses strong profanity.

JEREMY BLACKMAN plays a brilliant kid who eventually cracks under the pressure of performing on a quiz show.

MICHAEL BOWEN plays his "stage manager" father who puts pressure on his son to continually excel.

WILLIAM H. MACY plays a former child quiz show champion whose subsequent life hasn't lived up to his or others' expectations. He uses strong profanity, is in love with a male bartender, and plots to rob his former employer.

PHILIP BAKER HALL plays a TV quiz show host who's dying, admits to cheating on his wife, drinks and uses strong profanity (and there are late suggestions that he molested his daughter sometime in the past).

MELINDA DILLON plays his wife who briefly uses strong profanity and isn't happy to hear about his philandering ways.

MELORA WALTERS plays their daughter, a young woman who continuously snorts cocaine, sleeps with guys she just met, and uses strong profanity.

JOHN C. REILLY plays a beat cop who hopes to romance Claudia.

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN plays an at-home nurse who cares for Earl. He also uses strong profanity.

EMMANUEL JOHNSON plays a streetwise young kid who uses strong profanity.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity is extreme with around 190 "f" words and many other profanities and colorful phrases. A great deal of sexually explicit dialogue is present, while several sexual encounters and some nudity are also seen. In addition, a male character is attracted to another man but nothing happens between them.

A character is addicted to cocaine and is often seen snorting it, while other characters drink and some smoking is also present. All sorts of characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, some of which generate tense family scenes.

Violence is present in the form of several quick glimpses of non-essential characters being killed/killing themselves early in the film. Off camera violence is implied, other characters attempt suicide, and a literal rainstorm of frogs falling from the sky results in many dead and bloody frogs along with damaged property and one injured character. Some of those scenes may be unsettling or somewhat suspenseful to some viewers.

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may want to see it, we strongly suggest that you take a closer look at our more detailed content listings.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

People have drinks at a dinner.

Claudia snorts cocaine.

Before hosting his TV show Jimmy announces, "I've got a lot more drinking to do before I go on" and we see a shot of liquor in front of him.

Claudia snorts more cocaine again and appears rather high and agitated when Kurring knocks on her door.

People drink in a bar and Donnie orders some Tequila.

Jimmy drinks a shot of liquor.

Donnie and others are still in the bar drinking.

Claudia snorts more cocaine.

We see Linda drinking down some pills with booze.

Claudia snorts more cocaine.

Jimmy's wife drinks.

Claudia snorts more cocaine and then does so again.

BLOOD/GORE

Blood splatters onto a wall after a man commits suicide via a gunshot in his mouth (which occurs off camera).

We briefly see some blood on the shirt of a person who's falling to the street after jumping from a building top (the blood is from a gunshot wound received during the fall).

Kurring finds a body in a woman's closet and there's blood on it and on the floor.

We see urine running down Stanley's legs during a quiz show as he is no longer able to hold it in (no one would let him use the bathroom).

We hear Donnie vomiting.

As a literal rainstorm of frogs fall from the sky and hit objects on the ground, they do so with occasionally bloody/gory results.

After the above hits Donnie, he's rather bloody (especially his mouth).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Frank comes off as arrogant and somewhat misogynistic in his actions and beliefs, and he has a bad attitude toward his father, who left him and his mother when she was dying of cancer.

Jimmy has affairs/sex with women other than his wife and there are late suggestions that he may have molested Claudia (his daughter) when she was younger.

Stanley's dad has both for putting undue pressure on his son to continue winning the quiz show contests and being mean to him when he appears he won't.

Some pharmacy workers question Linda's many prescriptions for Earl as if she were using them for herself.

Despite his repeated pleas, several people do not allow Stanley to use the bathroom before and during the TV quiz show.

A TV interview shows that Frank lied about his past (where we learn that his father left him as a teenager to care for his dying mother).

Linda admits that she met Earl and "I f*cked him" for his money, but then states that she "f*cked around" on him.

Some other student contestants on Stanley's panel are disrespectful toward him and others.

Frank is demeaning and mean toward a female reporter.

Dixon steals money from Linda's pocketbook.

Donnie steals money from a safe where he used to work.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

The overall setting and mood of despondent people screaming and letting lose with profanity may be unsettling to some viewers.

Kurring responds to a call of a disturbance at a woman's house. Although she denies anything being wrong, he starts to look through her house, while she repeatedly curses at him. He eventually finds a dead body in her closet.

Jimmy collapses on the set of his TV show (after we already know that he has a terminal illness).

An unseen shooter opens fire on Kurring who then loses his gun and frantically looks for it.

Distraught at her life, Linda sits in a closed garage in a parked car, nearly committing suicide and then tries again with pills and booze, while Jimmy later tries to kill himself with a gun.

A scene where a literal rainstorm of frogs is falling from the sky and pummeling anything in their path may be a bit unsettling for some viewers.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Shotgun: Used by a man to commit suicide (off camera, although we see the blood splatter).

Shotgun: Fired by a person with the shot accidentally hitting and killing a person who's just jumped from the top of a building to commit suicide.

Weapons: Carried by the police.

Unseen weapons: Fired at Kurring on the street.

Handgun: Nearly used by Jimmy to commit suicide.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Shut the f*ck up," "Go f*ck yourself," "F*ck you," "Get the f*ck out," "What the f*ck," "I'm f*cked," "C*cks*cker," "Suck my big fat..." "Suck my d*ck," "Blow job," "Pumping" (sexual), "Bastard," "Nuts" (crazy), "Balls" (testicles), "Bitch," "Slut," "Whore," "Suck," "Pissing me off," "Niggers" (said by a young black boy), "Hottie" and "Chicks" (for a woman), "Freakin,'" "Piss," "Pissed," "Screw it up," "Punk" and "Jerk."

A miscellaneous man jumps to his death in a suicide leap, while Linda sits in a running car in her garage, nearly committing suicide. Later, she tries the same with drugs and booze, while Jimmy nearly does it with a gunshot.

JUMP SCENES

Several shots are fired at Kurring.

Something suddenly smashes into a car's windshield.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A tiny bit of ominous music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 189 "f" words (12 used with "mother," 4 used sexually as is the term "pumping"), 42 "s" words, 16 slang terms for/using male genitals ("c*cks*cker," "c*ck," "d*ck" and "pr*ck"), 5 slang terms for/using female genitals ("c*nt" and "p*ssy" some of which are also seen written), 1 slang term for breasts ("t*t"), 16 asses (13 used with "hole"), 7hells and 21 uses of "G-damn," 3 of "Jesus Christ," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "Jesus," "Oh my God," "God" and "Oh Jesus" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

We see Frank at one of his sex seminars where he mentions (what sounded like) that the men there will have any blonde "dripping to wet your dock" and then goes on about making a girl "your sex servant."

We briefly see a man having sex on top of Claudia with views of her bare breasts as well as related movement.

We see Jimmy having sex with a woman from behind her while standing (with movement, sexual sounds and glimpses of the woman's bare butt).

In one of Frank's seminars, he states, "Respect the c*ck, tame the c*nt." As he continues in his speech, he then makes the hip thrusting motion of having sex from behind a woman. A sign behind him states, "No p*ssy has nine lives" and he comments about celebrating something regarding the shape of the vagina. He then suggestively says, "You're gonna give me that cherry pie, sweet momma baby" and then talks about his strategy of getting some "bush."

Jimmy shows up at Claudia's place and finds her in bed with some guy.

A comment is made about finding a large number of condoms next to a bed.

We briefly see a woman's bare breast and a person starting to take off her panties on TV as Phil changes the channels.

When making a phone order for delivery, Phil orders several porno magazines, but we find out that he did so to find an ad for Frank's seminars (and for a contact telephone number). As he looks through the magazines, however, we see brief images of women in sexually explicit ads.

We see Frank in his just his underwear.

During an interview, Frank talks about getting "the nasty" and "bush." He then talks about picking up "chicks," of "sticking your c*ck in" and getting a "blow job."

An older man in a bar comments about Donnie having money in his pocket or just being happy to see the male bartender that he's attracted to.

Linda admits that she met Earl and "I f*cked him" for his money, but then states that she "f*cked around" on him and "sucked other men's c*cks."

A reference is made to "pumping" (having sex with) a woman.

We partially see Claudia's bare breasts through a smoked glass shower door.

SMOKING

Donnie smokes a few times as do people in a bar with him, while Jimmy smokes once, Phil orders some cigarettes and gives one to Earl (who doesn't smoke it), and some miscellaneous characters also smoke.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

We briefly see a wife and husband fighting (with the wife holding a shotgun that's accidentally fired with the shot hitting their son who's just jumped from the top of their building to commit suicide).

Linda must cope with her dying husband and taking care of him.

Claudia doesn't particularly like her father, Jimmy, and yells at him to leave when he visits her.

We learn that Frank's father left him alone as a teenager to care for his dying mother. When Frank finally goes to visit him, he states that he hopes that his father dies.

Jimmy and Rose's marriage gets shaky when he admits to cheating on her and when allegations of him molesting their daughter arise.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Suicide attempts.

Desperate people in desperate situations.

VIOLENCE

We see brief archival footage of people being hanged.

We see some men punch and knee another man with whom they struggle on the ground.

We see a dead scuba diver high atop a tree (where he landed and died after accidentally being scooped up by a plane collecting water in its belly to fight a forest fire).

There's talk of another man committing suicide by jumping from the top of a building, but we then see through various flashbacks that he was actually accidentally hit by a fired bullet that killed him before he hit the ground.

A man jumps across a casino table to go after another person and we then see some fighting.

We see a man with a gun in his mouth and then hear the shot and see blood splatter onto the wall.

Donnie accidentally drives his car through a storefront window.

We see a dead body in a closet (after a woman has killed that person - not seen).

An unseen shooter opens fire on Kurring on the street but he's not hit.

Frank violently overturns a table during a seminar.

We see Stanley break a window to get into a library.

A literal rainstorm of frogs falls from the sky and smash into objects, killing most of the frogs and damaging many things (and causes cars to crash into other, an ambulance to crash, Donnie to fall from a pole, Jimmy to accidentally shoot his TV when trying to commit suicide, etc...).

Reviewed December 10, 1999 / Posted January 7, 2000

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