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Magnolia

Magnolia

Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours.

1999188 minRMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring
Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Magnolia?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Magnolia streaming on Cinemax via Prime Video and HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Magnolia?

Magnolia earns 13 badges, led by Stood the test of time and Top 5% of films.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Magnolia worth watching?

Magnolia's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 1M ratings across 6 sources. 84% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

97th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)94th

80 /100

97th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1990s

Critics 78 · Audience 81

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

84% liked it

94th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 1990s
84% rated it 7–1016% rated it 1–6

Critics 82% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 3 Oscar noms · 25 wins / 59 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Music, Original Song

98th percentile

1M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$37M
Opening weekend$194K
Domestic gross$22M
Worldwide gross$48M

Returned 1.3× its budget — 94th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film pairs a sprawling, interconnected ensemble with bold directorial swings, but its unrelenting length and emotional intensity divide viewers over whether that ambition pays off.

Fans praised

  • Tom Cruise's career-best turn as a misogynist pickup artist
  • PTA's fearless 3-hour ambition and intertwined ensemble structure
  • Aimee Mann's songs woven into scenes as narrative commentary

Detractors panned

  • Self-indulgent runtime that feels its full 188 minutes
  • Pretentious, with characters too unpleasant to care about
  • Coincidence-driven climax that undercuts emotional buildup

What stands out

ActingDivisive90

Cast praised across the board, with Cruise's standout performance and Philip Seymour Hoffman's warmth singled out

OriginalityDivisive90

Audacious, genre-defying hyperlink narrative with surreal flourishes

Sound and music85

Aimee Mann's soundtrack and sound mixing are pivotal, though some call the music overbearing

CharactersDivisive75

Flawed, damaged people whose lives intertwine; some find them unlikable and grating

Emotional impactDivisive75

Moments of genuine catharsis, especially in the final reconciliations, but some find the suffering hollow

DialogueDivisive75

Punchy, confrontational monologues, especially Tom Cruise's seminar and 'respect the cock' tirades

Plot and storyDivisive65

Interlocking stories drift toward cosmic convergence; detractors call it disjointed and plotless

PacingDivisive45

Nearly three hours, with slow stretches and a divisive rhythm; some find it earns its length, others call it bloated

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 15 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Magnolia like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholicCathartic
Heaviest: late
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Warm
Told as
Hyperlink · 1% of films: Separate storylines that intersect by coincidence.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneMagnolia plays its material with complete earnestness, embracing heightened emotion without irony.
The rideThe film builds sustained emotional pressure through interwoven crises, peaking in the devastating frog-fall sequence and its aftermath of reckoning.
StructureThe film interweaves multiple storylines, cutting between characters whose paths cross.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you contemplating fate, forgiveness, and the possibility of change, with a mix of sadness and hope.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeAn ensemble drama about interconnected characters seeking connection and forgiveness; no single plot archetype applies due to its mosaic structure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% (this title) · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness · 1% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film's tangled stories revolve around estranged parents and children seeking connection and forgiveness across generations of pain and abandonment.
StanceThe film mourns broken family bonds while holding out fragile hope for repair, treating each character's pain with profound seriousness.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanSuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernPopAmbientForeground music · hybrid · Jon Brion
SettingSan Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, over 24 hours
MusicAimee Mann's songs are woven into the score and climax in the all-cast singalong to 'Wise Up'.

Content guide

Is Magnolia okay for kids?

R

Magnolia is rated R: “Rated R for strong language, drug use, sexuality and some violence” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (62/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at severe (95/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (89/100) and frightening material at intense (70/100). Overall it is heavier than 92% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK18
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland18
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15+
  • FinlandK-12
  • Greece13
  • Hungary18
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands12
  • PortugalM/16
  • Russia18+
  • Spain18
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 95% of all filmsHeavier than 92% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 39%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 78%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 97%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 97%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 66%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: language, drug and alcohol content, frightening material, sexual content, and violence.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Magnolia have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Magnolia?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Tom Cruise won the Globe for this film.

Tom Cruise
as Frank T.J. Mackey
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Philip Baker Hall
as Jimmy Gator
Philip Seymour Hoffman
as Phil Parma
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Julianne Moore
as Linda Partridge
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
William H. Macy
as Quiz Kid Donnie Smith
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture
John C. Reilly
as Officer Jim Kurring
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture
Melora Walters
as Claudia Wilson Gator
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture
Jeremy Blackman
as Stanley Spector
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jason Robards
as Earl Partridge
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Melinda Dillon
as Rose Gator

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Magnolia?

The closest match to Magnolia is Crash (2004); both are films of interlocking stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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