If you wish to read how exactly I judge the movies that I review, click on babygumpy

Each week I will post a new movie review for reading. Every Saturday night is when another one will appear. As each new one appears, I will create links at the bottom of the page to my older reviews.

Some of the following language may be deemed unsuitable for young children and accompanying pictures may contain images of nudity and/or sex depending on what movie is being reviewed. Viewer discretion is advised.

Wow! Finally a new review is up... This is starting to become a habit. I do apologize. I promise to try harder, will get Scream 3 up next weekend barring unforseen circumstances.

THE CURRENT REVIEW

Release date: January 7, 2000
Length of feature: 3 hours and 8 minutes
Official website: Magnolia

*** Main Characters ***

MAGNOLIA SOUNDTRACK
One is the lonliest number gets annoying, but there are a few good songs, worth checking out

Initial Impressions/Overview

Well, I hadn't seen any movies for a while, so I wanted to go to one that I had been hearing a lot of oscar buzz about. From the previews I had seen, I really did not know too much of what Magnolia was about... but I am a fan of Tom Cruise so I thought it would be worthy of my viewing.

Acting

The acting was top-notch all around. I really can't compliment it enough. I only gave it eight stars though because this is my first review using my new scale so I didn't want to put the comparison level up too high to begin with. But this movie definitely showcases the abilities of Cruise, Macy, and Hoffman. Even the minor characters really show brilliance.

Plot/Storyline

The plot of each mini-story in the movie is very well done. The main elements of the movie are:

1. Parma trying to get Mackey to see his dad before he dies...

2. Quiz kid Donnie Smith trying to get his life together...

3. Current quiz kid Spector suffering through pressure and father who only uses him for his money

4. Police officer Kurring tries to get with Claudia

All of these elements are seperate, yet the movie never really becomes unclear as to what is going on. The tension builds in each storyline so smoothly... that you're literally sitting on the edge of your seat four times. Earl Partridge, Mackey's dad is on his deathbed, and Parma is feverishly trying to get in touch with Mackey as he is getting grilled in an interiew with Gwenovier about his family life. Smith is fired from his job and desperately searches for a purpose in his life. Spector finally stands up for himself right in the middle of a show that he will not continue to be treated like a freak. Kurring tries to work a relationship out with Claudia who is a drug-addict. All of these things going on at once, yet they effortlessly mold together.

Genre

As far as dramas go, this is a pretty good example. Tense moments, and varied emotions are rampant. But since there are so many elements to this movie, I think the overall effect isn't as strong as a movie like American Beauty that just focuses on one family's conflictions.

Ending

Was there really an ending to this movie? I look back on it a day later, and can't really remember anything other than frogs falling from the sky. Whats up with this? And the fact that no one is really too surprised just makes it that much more disturbing. What seems like a reasonably plausible story up until now, is demolished when the sky starts to rain frogs. Some narration in the end I think wraps things up. A very strong movie, but I think the ending could have been more polished and would have just made the film that much better.

Originality

This movie gets one bonus star for originality. This type of soap-opera style movie is still relatively new and I think although that this is similar to the movie Go, Magnolia is a much more solid, mature, complex film and deserves to be in another class.

Sex/Nudity

Unfortunately, no bonus stars for nudity in this one. Does show a brief scene of sex with nudity in the beginning, but not any in the following three hours.

Final Comments

"Respect the cock, tame the cunt!" One of the many great lines throughout the film. Even after a sub-par ending, I walked out of the theater knowing that I just saw one of the nominees for best picture when the oscars come to town. Great acting, great storyline, if you want to be entertained for three hours, seeing this movie would be a good option.

Gumpy's rating(not an average):

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