Review of Magnolia (1999) by Deany Hendrick C — 03 May 2012
"The book says, 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'" That line essentially sums up the entirety of this three-hour movie. The ten characters that make up the main cast all have past demons to fight: demons that others have fought before them.
A former child prodigy struggles with the scars of his parents' abuse, while a present-day boy genius is experiencing it first hand. The host of the game show where the two show their skills tries to reconcile with his daughter, who claims that he sexually abused her.
His boss, a dying TV magnate, searches for his long-lost son, whom he abandoned and who is now a motivational speaker on seducing women. The boss's wife is conflicted between her feelings for her husband and her past infidelities, while his lawyer and caregiver both offer a shoulder to cry on.
A caring cop is the heart of all this chaos, as he fills the role of a man who just cares too much. Magnolia is one of the most well-made dramas of the 90's, and an emotional rollercoaster all the way.
It has a way of forcing us to ask ourselves the simple question of right or wrong. It forces us to decide, and then it takes us through the consequences of our choices on ourselves and, more importantly, on the other people that we know or don't know.
Finally, why is it called Magnolia? Personally, I like this interpretation: a magnolia's petals sprout out in different directions, but they're all connected at the back.
This review of Magnolia (1999) was written by Deany Hendrick C on 03 May 2012.
Magnolia has generally received positive reviews.
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