The characters of Magnolia are, at least through degrees of separation, connected to the television industry. culture, which is largely based on the entertainment world. The action takes place in Los Angeles, and the first theme I want to discuss is their connectedness through L.A. “One is the loneliest number…” the song says, and although all of the main characters are surrounded by people, they are all experiencing their own disconnection in what is revealed to be an extremely connected world, much like what is described initially with urban legends. The film begins with three stories, or possibly urban legends, that show the possibility and importance of synchronicity in the world, with the narration, “It’s in the humble opinion of this narrator that this is not just ‘something that happened.’ This cannot be ‘one of those things.’ This, please, cannot be that.” From that tone-setting introduction, it moves to the main action of the story with a montage of all of the major characters to the tune of Aimee Mann’s (the songwriter for most of the film’s music) version of Harry Nilsson’s “ One”, which highlights the isolation and loneliness the characters are experiencing. Through the unlikely circumstances of infidelity, incest, theft, betrayal, and abandonment that make so many feel worthless, unlovable, or bitter, we receive a kind story of salvation and redemption.
The film explores the connection with our past that leads to the mistakes or sins of the future, and the forgiveness we might need to exhibit to others or ourselves, and ultimately, the act of letting go. It contains both great performances-I’m not sure Tom Cruise has been better before or since-and real emotional depth, brought from the all-too-common situation of children being damaged from their parents and upbringing, and the far-too-unnoticed, synchronistic connection between lives. I believed so in 2000, when it became the first movie I ever purchased on the then-new medium of DVD.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia is one of those films that demands repeated viewings.
Philip Larkin, from “This Be the Verse”
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