Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson followed his critical and commercial
breakthrough Boogie Nights with this wildly ambitious story of lives
intertwining on a single day in California's San Fernando Valley. Earl
Partridge (Jason Robards), a successful producer of television game shows,
left his wife when she contracted cancer to marry the younger and more
beautiful Linda (Julianne Moore). Now, Earl has cancer himself, and Linda
spends her day fetching medicines and trying to deal with the imminent
death of her husband, whom she has only now come to love. Earl asks his
nurse Phil (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to arrange a meeting with his estranged
son, Frank Mackey (Tom Cruise), known for his self-help program "Seduce
and Destroy," in which he preaches the importance of male sexual prowess;
he cared for his mother after Earl left her, and he has no desire to see his
father again. Earl's best-known show is hosted by Jimmy Gator (Philip
Baker Hall), who also learns that he is dying. Jimmy's show pits bright
adults against unusually smart kids; one of Jimmy's child contestants,
Stanley (Jeremy Blackman), arrives late for a taping after being left stranded
by his father Rick (Michael Bowen), who is supported by his more
successful son. Meanwhile, Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), who was a
champ on Jimmy's show as a child, is not having as much luck as an adult;
he's just lost his job and needs to pay for some expensive dental work.
Jimmy wants to reconcile with his estranged and emotionally fragile
daughter Claudia (Melora Walters), who despises him and who will become
involved with well-meaning police officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly), who
has been desperately lonely since his divorce three years ago. Magnolia
reunites much of the cast and crew of Boogie Nights and features eight
original songs by singer/songwriter Aimee Mann and a musical score by
Jon Brion.