MAGNOLIA Explained | Frogs, Songs, And What It All Means
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- I've been trying to get this uploaded for about a week now. There's a good chance it won't be up for long because the copyright owners will take it down, despite the fact that it's clearly fair use.
If you like this video and want to see more like it, then please share it. Spending 60 hours editing just to get 60 views is quite disheartening. It seems the UA-cam algorithm just doesn't want me to grow. Don't let it win. Share the video.
I have to disagree with your analysis of Stanley's fate. I think he successfully rebukes his fate and dives into his reading material as the frogs fall around him not because he is preparing for another episode of the quiz show (it seems obvious to me he wouldn't be invited back anyways), but because of his real love of learning. The performance was shed and all that remains is his true passion for knowledge. He is one of the lucky leaves of the Magnolia flower which successfully escape their fate, in my opinion.
Same
It's important to note that he's also the only character who is unfazed by the frogs
I think Stanley’s fate is very much left in question. We can also assume he’s going to carry that trauma with him because that shit doesn’t go away.
Possibly the greatest movie ever made!
Loved every minute of this analysis.
Thank you for this. After 23 years I finally found someone who 100% gets this masterpiece.
thank you
Couldn't have said it better ❤
Magnolia was one of those movies that took me by surprise. Loved every moment of it.
It's like the book of Job.
I despised Frank T.J. Mackey at first. I'd always considered Tom Cruise as a Boy Scout.
So very thought provoking ! As a person who practices Nichiren Buddhism, Cause and Effect is the essence of our Practice. I applaud you for your thoughtful summary. Skip Stanyan, La Paz, BCS. Mexico
This is one of the very few films that made me cry. It really resonated with me. I had a very profound experience watching it for the first time and every time I watch it I fall more and more in love with the masterpiece it is. I showed it to a friend who just didn’t get it and it broke my heart. It’s one of PTA’s best. I could go on for hours about it, but those who get it are my kind of people.
Same effect on me and I’m not a movie cryer, I think the previous time I bawled in a movie was Born Free when I was 9. I too had friends who didn’t get it. I think it’s a masterpiece.
This movie makes me cry harder than ever. Favorite movie for sure.
Still a fan, saw in the theater. The intro into the credits was Amazing. Rewatch every five years or so.
Lucky to share an interest, so Glad for folks like you who are great at storytelling, This was an insightful and enjoyable presentation. The Aimee Mann soundtrack deserves a mention.
ive seen this movie 40 times easy and it still gets me when they start singing. And when Claudia ends it with the direct look at the camera...This movie taught me what a director actually does or can do.
it"s been a year since this was posted, but I have to tell you, it made me so happy to find it. I've never heard of another person who analyzed this film as much as I have. I applaud you. Thnaks for opening my eyes to even more character insight than I thought possible. THANK YOU!!
This was such a treat! I’ve always considered Magnolia a top-tier film in a general sense because of the general quality, but I can’t say I ever understood the “point”.
The past few months I’ve been struggling with personal issues and thinking deeply about life, and certain scenes and characters from this film kept bubbling into my awareness. So I decided to finally watch an “explainer” about what the hell it was all about.
Man, you really knocked it out of the park! A lot of what you say was already on the tip of my tongue as I wrestled with these themes of fate/free will/determinism, etc.
Your video here is as much a masterpiece as the film itself!
Thank you for beautifully articulating why I love this movie.
Thank you for this comment
I've understood this movie since it came out and I'm so happy that someone else gets it. Incredible analysis. It even points out a few things I missed. Yes, this film is genius but it's even more than that. It has a purpose. It's a shame we're still stuck where we were as a people back when it was made.
I’m glad it all came to you in a single viewing!!
Took me a second viewing to “get it” and although for me it’s not as good as Boogie Nights, it is a very ambitious film that would have failed in someone else’s hands.
Hi from Canada I am so depressed
Can you explain? I don’t know whether it was a happy ending or sad ending. Most of the characters didn’t even spark growth or ended up in a worse situation than they were before. I feel like It’s supposed to be sentimental at parts yet it gets messy towards the end, but then you have Jim and Claudia get their happy endings and I don’t know what to take from it
It’s a film of hope in the end, the hope that Donnie finds respect and wises up, the hope that Stanley’s dad has more respect for him, the hope that Linda can overcome her guilt and grief, the hope that Frank found clarity and catharsis after reuniting with earl, hope that Jimmy finds a special place in hell for abusing his daughter and in the end hope that Jim can find his love and hope that Claudia can overcome her past abuse, drug use and trauma and have a future with Jim.
The smile end the end is symbolic of hope for the future.
At least that’s how I saw it.
The movie isn't pretentious, but this comment sure is. This is one of those great movies where you go from not getting it at all to understanding it a little better every watch no matter how smart you are.
I have literally never posted a response to anything on social media. I’m a 52 yr old male who has been obsessed with movies since the early 80s. I saw Magnolia in the theater back in ‘99, and remember hearing the confusion being expressed by other viewers that night. For me, after LOVING Boogie Nights, the film at first felt like a slight disappointment. Over the years, I watched it a few more times and felt more drawn in than I had initially. Now, after seeing this video, I am convinced that this is my favorite PTA offering behind Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood.
Thank you so much for providing this analysis - it opened my eyes to so much more than I had ever considered. It cements my more recent opinion that this film is a masterpiece, and deserves a place in the collection of all-time best PTA productions.
I'm honored to be reason you broke your silence
He certainly brought out the very best from his actors.
Very impressive.
Many scenes brought tears to my eyes.
It's rare to find a movie in which the acting and soundtrack in perfect. This is one of them.I remember showing this to my gf and her mom for the first time and they didn't get it. lol they just thought it was weird. Glad someone else understands and feels the same way as me. Totally enjoyed this video !! Great insight from this amazing movie. It will always be in my top 5 movies of all time ! I just subscribed !
Your channel is so underrated, you’ve made some of my favorite film analysis on the platform
I love your analysis. Very much because it aligns with my perspective on the whole shebang. I'd just add that life isn't predetermined but determined. And that it is not that "I," or " you,"or "we" that do not have free will but that there is no free will because there is no "I" to have it. Everything is just happening. To no one. And if there is any experience of an "I," which seems to be the case for the vast majority of us, that's just what is happening. To no one.
This is the first DVD I bought after I saw it at the cinema when it first came out. I thought it was about trying to forget your past but on reflection, the past never forgets you. When I think about things I said or did, I shake and make a fist. If someone doesn't like me I think it's because of my personality that I try so hard to hide and change. I've lost weight, wear makeup all the time, pretty clothes all the time, read, watch old films and read books and watch documentaries and I've travelled all over the place to sound smart, always laugh and try to be fun, try to look happy and I've never been in a relationship of all my 64 years that has lasted more than 2 months. This movie showed me I can never escape the past but I can try to be happy. That has to be enough.
I never thought any of the stories would connect. Who cares with material and performances this great?
What a beautiful analysis on the best film ever made. Thank you!
Magnolia is one of my top 10 faves but the frogs always confused me, but I accepted it anyway. Thank you so much for finally kinda explaining it (especially the 8 2 connection). And Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” is such an amazing song as is Jon Brion’s soundtrack. I happily subscribed to your channel.
One of my favorite movies of all time. It IS a true masterpiece.
This deserves more views... It made me truly appreciate Magnolia, great analysis. Thanks & shoutout from Istanbul, Turkey! :)
Your channel is amazing. Thank you for your insights and hard work. Please, keep up!
I was obsessed with this movie when I watched it after my parents rented it. They didn't want me to watch but I did. Then we drive down magnolia and I pissed my pants. Completely changed the way I interpret movies
46:06 and onwards to the end is absolute beauty. The coarseness in his voice and the ethereal voice of Aimee Mann in the background, too many v's. Congratulations for making a masterpiece of a review. 🎉
This was a really amazing breakdown of a movie I adore! I just was looking for a breakdown of the rap, but I’m glad I decided to watch the whole video. So worth it!
Man! This movie is a masterpiece for sure! Thank you for your brilliant analysis. The best that I´ve found on UA-cam! Great job!
Warms my heart to hear
Excellent Work! You MUST become a top-ranked tuber! Thank You.
This video essay is itself a masterwork. It’s as good and deep and moving as pretty much any film or novel I’ve read. I love it each time I watch it.
Much appreciated. I didn't think people were going to like my soapboxy "it's all just frogs" speech. But I guess it's managed to stick the landing.
Very well done, I love it!
BTW, have you ever recognized that in the end with the frog rain scene, there is no one but the protagonists. No one is walking or running away from the frogs. Not a single car is driving.Not a single person at the gas station, not even a cashier. It's completely empty but the protagonists. At the time in about 2000 when I watched it, I found it very spooky
Good observation! I assume this is because the “meaning” of the frogs is something that only occurs to them
Yeah, that is because the resolution of their character arcs and theirs only starts with the frogs. For that reason the viewer should not be concerned about how the residents of Los Angeles were affected by this. It was only within the reality of Claudia, Jim, Jimmy, Rose, Frank TJ, Big Earl, Phil and Quiz Kid Donnie.
Great job, I adore this film, and btw, the Supertramp song playing was , the logical song, not, goodbye stranger. "There are times when all the world's asleep , the questions run so deep for such a simple man..."
There are two supertramp songs in the film
Wow. This has to be the best analysis of a film I've ever seen. So well written and worded. Typically I tend to stay away from other people's thoughts on movies and come to conclusions myself, and I only intended to watch a few minutes of this, but before I knew it I was through the whole thing. I'm going to send this to some friends as soon as they watch the actual movie haha.
Thank you much. I try to really think about all the films I analyze, and of course to write something different than the others do. Check out my other essays!!
I come back to this video almost every month. Sometimes I rewatch the entire thing, but most times it is for the beautiful philosophical summary at the end. It grounds me to the universe. It's always raining frogs. 🐸 🙂
Well I'm glad I left it in then. I was afraid people would hate it
Magnolia makes me think of those weird moments in life, like say you have a song that for some reason is stuck in your head, a song you havent heard in years, then you jump in the car and turn the radio on and the song literally comes on as soon as you get in and drive. Its moments like that, that makes me wonder about fate and how we are all universally connected.
Yeah. This and Truman show were the movies that made me realize other people must feel something similar
My confusion with the movie came from the fact that we had a 10 minute preamble about coincidence that brings the fate of a few people to a common knot. But the movie is more about, as you mentioned in the video, trauma and trying to escape your fate.
And I think that that's why critics did not like the ending when it came out. If the beginning stories were set up a little bit different or left out entirely no one would have issues with the unfolding of everything.
Great video and I'm glad you didn't quit.
The critics disliked the movie because they were following this crazy flow of the show and then it reset with the singing in a movie that wasn't a musical. And then the frogs. They couldn't understand the "absurdity" of the frogs. The singing was the pivot point for all characters to move to their end. And the frogs were the "divine intervention" that then moved this show and these characters to conclusion and in some cases "Saved" them. Some had good conclusions. Others didn't.
Theres a shot...when Stanley gets to the studio with his dad and they walk with the production woman. That shot rivals Goodfellas Copa entrance. I'm still not sure how PTA did it. I think he used old Orson Welles stage techniques with sliding walls. They enter the elevator which is seemingly impossible logistically. Fake Elevator...adjustable set. Most of the shots of Stanley or pretty long. (this movie still baffles me in the best ways.
Thank you soon much for this. Cam to me like a rain of frogs
Best thing on UA-cam. Magnolia is my favorite movie, now I finally know why
Fucking love the way you put the ending - its all out of our control - i think people dont get this too much... people WANT control. I use this movie to remind me that i cannot control anything in my life and that I should just try and enjoy the ride.
That was such a nice wrap up to a wonderful movie video
essay
A little hint: "Phil" comes from old greek "Philos", what means "friend" but also "be dear/pleasent".
I think, this name is deliberately chosen.
Good analysis. It's nice to see, that Magnolia is still appreciated. Thank you!😊
This analysis was as amazing as the movie itself! Thank you so much for making this!
Really well done! 👏 👏 👏 this movie is an absolute masterpiece!
When I first saw the movie - night before Thanksgiving, I seem to remember - I felt like I was watching a movie directed at me. Oh, a lot of it I didn't connect with, but I loved the dialogue, the acting and just the scope of it. By the time the frogs came, it was somehow like it had to end that way. It didn't immediately make narrative sense to me, but it felt right. Something apocalyptic was washing away their sins.
It connects on a deeply personal level while also being big and grandiose to the point of myth
I just rewatched this yesterday after not seeing it since it came out. Back then I was like 19 and didn’t understand one minute of it 😂 rewatching now was a profound experience!! I came to UA-cam seeking a good video essay and you didn’t disappoint!!! What an amazing way to discuss these topics, the nuance, and the detail you showed me was just phenomenal!! Thank you!!
Great insights, Mr. Fallopium (can't seem to find your name, sir, but we're all partial to opium). Well researched, professionally edited and lovingly polished. I suppose I initially kicked against your primary opinion, that Magnolia is about accepting lives where we have absolutely no control because it seems too obvious and too vanilla: zillions of absurdist stories exist, yet Magnolia is patently original. Yet anyone who loves this film on first viewing can't deny that it captures the absurdities of life, even if we didn't analyze it as such. So your point is spot-on. I don't agree completely, though. A life with zero control? That takes things too far and makes PTA a hypocrite. After all, most artists see their art as a way to play Creator of a tiny universe, with lots of, or total, control (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man?), and Magnolia proves PTA succeeds in controlling all the elements to (near) perfection. So some things are within our control. At least if you're a genius artist like PTA.
I know, im just insane and think the universes is deterministic. My name is Eric Nye
I totally agree about the symbolism with the dogs and watching this made me expand on what you said. It was shown that the particular dog died because of the morphine Phil dropped, and when I saw them both be covered with the blanket at the end, I thought that they were connected somehow, like somethint was dying with Earl. Now I realize that as you said the dog dying was the death of Franks old traits, it can also symbolize the traits that his father had when he was younger that made him the way he was, and with his father dying, the dog died the same way, ingesting morphine, killing the physical embodiment of the trait Frank had that his father gave him.
Putting it to words far better than I can
I think it’s interesting how the “angel” character seems completely unfazed by the frog rain. Stanley just says “it happens” and Phil states a fact, he’s a bit surprised but overall he just says “it’s raining frogs”. It’s also those characters that seem to be aware they have control over their lives. It’s a nice detail. Great video!
Both kids are angels
@@gabrielethier2046 have I not say that
@@kelianec.arsenault9185 I was referring to Dixon, I guess that makes three
@@gabrielethier2046 oh yes absolutely
One of the greatest achievements in the history of Art...
Seriously happy I stumbled across your channel, once again, brother. Such insight and thoughtful pontification. Shit made my evening. Ima rewatch Magnolia. Thank you for sharing
Its not just a series of events...it has deeper meaning.
Much like this comment lol
The performances in this movie are so real, so unbelievably incredible. You’re seeing people who reach the end of their rope and at their most unhinged. Just every single actor is at their best, but I really, really took notice of Julianne Moore here. Amazing.
Thank you for all your effort. It's one of my favorite movies. The Ringer did this in their "Rewatchable" series and suggested that this movie was PTA's "most flawed" movie...they suggested that it's too long and that some character stories could be lost and it wouldn't affect the overall story. I think they're nuts. This is a masterpiece and I wouldn't lose a second of it.
“In the original script, Worm and Dixon reveal themselves to be a father-and-son con artist duo when they try to bilk Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman) out of money. Things go south, but the falling frogs seem to trigger something in Worm, who tells Dixon that “the idea is over now.” Marcie then admits to the detectives that she killed the man in the closet, who she calls her husband, because he hit Worm and Dixon, her son and grandson, respectively”.
Keep making videos, you deserve more views!
The show needs a re-release. And Melora Walters deserves a belated Best Supporting Actress award. Way overlooked. In fact in the official trailer all the stars are listed in a five across and three down table and in the lower right it's "with Melora Walters".
This is such an an amazing analysis it made me appreciate so many parts of the film I didn’t before
I believe the creation of UA-cam was worth because of this video
This movie is absolutely crazy with how meticulously constructed it is and how everything fits together perfectly.
I cannot thank you 🙏 enough for creating this for the world to see & maybe finally understand a little bit better one of the greatest films of all time
I can't like this video enough.
This is such a deep analysis deeply appreciative and I loved every minute of it I said most of this stuff never took it too deep this is my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film my third favorite films of all time and no matter what they say it is his best and I think he agrees that it is his best as well not only that one of the best films ever made
Which are your other two favourite films then?
Bro no way that you JUST posted this video after I saw this on tik tok. And decided to look it up
This inspired me to rewatch magnolia and I saw it from a different POV. It has a similar "exuberance" to Boogy Nights, but it's like ... Exuberant tragedy lol
wow you hit the nail with this
Boogie Nights is easier to watch and understand because the characters generally know each other and interact directly with each other.
Magnolia is challenging in a way that a lot of people including myself aren’t comfortable with. I think I understood it the first time I saw it in 1999, but it was not something I found memorable.
Like some other films in the era, I did not go back to revisit them for some reason. It’s like I wanted to leave that part of my history behind me by not going back to it. I think I’m ready to watch these films again now that I’m much older and can maybe relate to them better.
Good review! Did you notice the foreshadowing of the raining of frogs? In one of the scenes the ad on a bus stop changes to say: Exodus 8 2, which is from the old testament when it rained frogs in Egypt
Theres also an 82 in the scene where the boy jumps off of the roof at the start
Very good. Well done mate.
Things happen, they do. Everything is raining frogs. How can random and coincidence. Brilliant!
Great video! I love Paul Thomas Anderson’s work but Magnolia was never at the top for me. I’ve always had a huge amount of respect for it, but mostly on a technical level. You’ve made me want to revisit it and see it in a different light. Thank you for making this
Thank you for saying this
I have loved this movie sense it came out and maybe didn’t fully understand it all but thought mostly the same about it as you did this was helpful with some things so thank you and I REALLY LOVE THIS MOVIE and I really like you!!!! PLEASE KEEP MAKING THESE
Thank you so much for this! It’s amazing! I didn’t go through all the comments, but if it’s not mentioned- I’ve come to understand that the ‘raining frogs’ thing is something that happened. A tornado go sweeping along, and over a pond full of frogs. Carries them along in the sky until… and down they come, wherever. Has anyone else heard this?
Yeah it’s a moment that’s based on a kernel of truth, which I think adds to all of what’s discussed here
Just watched it for the first time. Great analysis. Appreciate the effort you made to make this video very much. Thank you.
"Play us a Chopin diddy"
Amazing video man good job
It's not his masterpiece. It's one of his masterpieces. This and there will be blood
Beautiful, my favorite movie Ever. Always cry to it, and this great analysis was no exception.
my top 3 of all time
I knew I was missing some huge aspect of this movie and you just explained it so beautifully. Now I'm off to binge the rest of your videos, in hopes that it will appease The Algorithm.
I appreciate your prayers to it. may it smile kindly upon me
Great work! This is one of the classics I never got around to watching, but you've inspired me to give it a shot this weekend.
Well…?
I love this movie and all it's randomness and possibly of explanations. It's like life. Mystic.
Now this is film analysis. Excellent film and analysis video. So much to think about, really impressive work, thanks for creating
EXCELLENT analysis
Wow. Magnolia is one of my all time favourite movies. It stayed with me for weeks afterwards. I haven’t watched it for years and watching this has made want to seek it out and watch it again. I just wish I could watch it for the 1st time again! I was riveted by your take on it. Subscribed.
I don't think Stanley going back to the library means he doesn't grow or change. We're shown that he reads about other child prodigies and wunderkinds. I interpreted that as him learning about himself and how he's seen by the world, and perhaps after learning the not-so-great adulthoods children like himself have (see Danny) he decides to try to fight against that by standing up to his father. To me the final scene with his dad was showing his dad's lack of care rather than Stanley not growing.
Even in my interpretation, I see it as Stanley growing. He grows by realizing he can’t really change as much as he wishes. There’s growth in acceptance, even if it’s the acceptance of how little we can grow. If that makes sense. It seems every angle of this movie can be seen differently
I`ve already subscribed, thanks to your video on, Children of men. Magnolia, is my favourite film.
A brilliant video essay about a brilliant film, thank you! I really enjoyed watching this and will be watching more of your content
First this movie made my day and now your explaination made it even better, Thanks!!
This is one of my favorite films and you did it justice. Thank you.
It took years to work up to it, but this was the entire goal behind learning how to make video analyses and consistently uploading. I wanted to tackle magnolia since before I started my channel. No one else had done a proper job and it deserved to be treated right.
@FallopiumFilms no one else came even close, but you pointed out some things that I've missed...gave me an excuse to watch it again lol
Donny was already returning the money when the frogs fell. Even worse “cosmic irony”. He was punished for doing the right thing.
Great video! Thanks
The shooting script with the cut Worm storyline is online if you haven't seen it yet. Dixon and Worm see Stanley in a diner after the library scene and decide to con/rob him. Worm approaches Stanley with a sob story and convinces him to give him some money (his game show winnings I presume). Dixon eventually pulls the gun on Stanley after the rain of frogs, but Worm decides against it and they leave. Dixon dumps the pistol as the drive away.
Worm's sob-story of his (step)father beating him is probably based in truth, and that's why he committed the murder. That's the oppressor Dixon is referring to in his rap, metaphors aside.
amazing video about an amazing film
Just lovee it. Thanks.
My favourite movie of all.
Learned about myself so much.
❤
So many layers...thank you... so much to unpack jesus
Tom Cruise should have won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 1999 for "Magnolia" instead of Michael Caine in "The Cider House Rules".
Thank you so much for this analysis. I saw it when it came out and watched it again yesterday. So much has changed in the media landscape but the profound message and storytelling still cuts through. The layers and interwoven subtleties you explore prove what a masterpiece this is
Fantastic analysis. Just shared with my film group after watching this film. Please keep it up! It was so thorough and right on target in my opinion!
Thank you much!
I've seen this movie so many times I couldn't even count and it's one of my favorites, but I did learn a few things by watching your videos so I thank you for that. I love all the Aimee Mann songs , but wise up makes me cry so bad I just can't even listen to it as much as I love it. I have to say my favorite line in the whole movie which cracked me up is when the cop is looking through the lady's house and he finds the body
and she goes that ain't mine.
"I have to tell you something ; I have something to tell you."
Literal masterpiece
I watched with a friend .he cried when the boy genius wet himself.told me in the early 70s his mother distracted by shopping he had to pee.could not find the restroom.So ask all the store clerks all said a different directions long story short he peed his pants in front of everyone.could not understand the inhumanity of humanity.he was 12 at the time.after which he was a bed wetter for a few weeks.but then we all find something to laugh at....total true story.
Very good video and review. Thank you.
This channel is a hidden gem
Well now that you’ve dug it up, maybe display it in a popular museum so more eyes can appreciate???