Principal cast
Tom Cruise as Frank T.J. Mackey, Philip Baker Hall as Jimmy Gator, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Phil Parma, Julianne Moore as Linda Partridge, and William H. Macy as Quiz Kid Donnie Smith
Film 218 of 244 on the Screen Path
Magnolia
Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours.
About the film
Magnolia at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1999 film at stop 218 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
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.
Key craft credits
Robert Elswit (director of photography), Dylan Tichenor (editor), Jon Brion (original music composer), Mark Bridges (production design), and William Arnold (production design)
- Director
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Release
- 1999-12-17
- Runtime
- 189 minutes
- Genres
- Drama
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
Try Citizen Kane →Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.