From his first scene, Earl’s son, Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise), shows us what an ironic case study he is. As a sleazy but charismatic motivational speaker who “educates” his male clients on how to “seduce and conquer” women, he proudly embodies every toxic male influence from his father even though he still hates his father. We are simultaneously fascinated and repelled by every misogynistic aspect of his.
For that kid star of the TV quiz show, Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman), parental abuse is a serious matter to him right now. Constantly pushed by not only his greedy father but several others around him, he is expected to give the right answer every time on the TV quiz show. But he is now more tired and confused than ever, feeling more misery and loneliness. Stanley’s situation comes to function as a mirror image of Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), who still clings to his glory days on the TV quiz show in the past, although that does not mean anything now. Donnie has a painfully sad scene when he clumsily confesses his longtime crush on the bartender of his frequent bar, and the recurring quote of the movie follows that: “We might be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.”
It is utterly spellbinding how the movie gradually builds up the emotional intensity around these and other main characters during the middle of the story. While the fluidly dynamic camera work by cinematographer Robert Elswit immerses us more into the ongoing individual dramas, the efficient editing by Dylan Tichenor never gets us lost despite its busy shuffling of characters. The movie eventually culminates at the powerful dramatic point where many of its main characters go through an excruciating emotional meltdown.
Not long after, "Magnolia" throws a relatively subdued sequence where its main characters sing Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” individually. This initially looks like theatrical overkill, but it is another sublime moment, revealing how Anderson skillfully and confidently conducts every main character. We come to feel for them more than before.
Furthermore, a diverse array of performers in the film effectively gel together as Anderson’s dependable orchestra members. While Tom Cruise, deservedly Oscar-nominated for his fearless performance in this film, is surely the most prominent cast member in the bunch, he is also smoothly mixed into the ensemble. So are other notable cast members like Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, and John C. Reilly, whose cop character and Hoffman’s nurse character slowly emerge as the voice of kindness and compassion along the story.
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