When I watch a film, I tend to look for the underlying or overall message in the film. I was immediately taken in by Magnolia, the minute I began watching it. This film was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who is also known for the successful hit Boogie Nights.

Many things occur in this film. It is clearly a multi-dimensional film with stories and characters that connect to one another and are related to one another in some way. Whether or not it is all a matter of pure coincidence and chance, the underlying message of this film seems to be about connection and the way lives intersect with one another.

There is a common theme of secrets and lies and infidelities among many of the characters and all of these things are the very things that are killing them inside, in one way or another, whether it be cancer, drugs, depression, anger, or pressure, eating away...All of the characters are searching for something, whether it be forgiveness, recognition or love. There is an underlying sense of loneliness within each of the character's lives.

Weather and the impending and falling rain is often used to suggest the overall sadness in the film. Music is also used to accentuate the loneliness often felt in the film by the characters and the events that are taking place. This is a film where tears are shed by each and every character because each one is faced with some sort of pain in their lives.

Magnolia is a powerfully moving emotional drama, which keeps you on the edge by drawing you into the complicated lives of several different characters. The characters themselves are intriguing and captivating. And, the complex storylines and characters are made to weave in and out of the film with ease.

At the center of it all is Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) who is on his death bed and would like to see his son Frank Mackey, before he dies.  Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman) , the nurse who is taking care of Earl is somehow very taken with this man and makes all efforts to seek out Frank and bring him to his father's bed.

Earl has many regrets, the main one being the way that he treated his first wife, Lily, and the way he walked away from her, from his son, leaving Frank to take care of his dying mother until the very end of her life. Earl is aware of all the wrong he has done and has faced up to these realizations as he retells his story to Phil...

Earl's son Frank (Tom Cruise), on the otherhand, has become a man much like his father, womanizing and domineering, as seen by the book he has written and is trying to sell to men through his seminars, which is basically about how to use and control women.

Frank denies his past, as he states to a reporter in an interview, "the most useless thing is that what is behind me." He fights to deny the past but the fact is, it is the denial of the past that is killing him. His anger and hatred is very reflective of his past, of his upbringing, and it is apparent that this is the outcome of it.

Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore), the second and most recent wife of Earl is on the edge of hysteria and full of regret, as well. She knows she hasn't lived her life to the fullest nor in the most honest way. She realizes her shortcomings and is tormented by her past mistakes and by her husband's soon to be death.

Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), is the host of a game show "What do kids know?"  which is produced by Earl Partridge. The game show involves kids and adults competing with one another in a quiz type show. Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman) is the young boy who appears on this show and is a genius.

Rick (Michael Bowen), Stanley's father is very critical and demanding in regard to his son and seems to only care about winning and making money through his son. The pressure of having to always have all the answers and being constantly on the go, is taking its toll on Stanley. He is treated by his father, by the show, like an object and not like a human being, a child.  The sadness is evident in his face throughout the film.

Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) is the parallel to Stanley. Donnie was the famous quiz kid of the 60's and was also known as a genius. Now as an adult, he has trouble keeping a job and suffers from depression. All he wants is for someone to love him.  He states quite a few times in the film, "I have so much love to give, I just don't know where to put it."  It is heartbreaking.

On the outside, through television and media, Jimmy Gator is known as a respectable family man.  But the fact is that Jimmy has made several mistakes in his life and is now dying of cancer.  He doesn't have long to live and his daughter Claudia refuses to speak to him or acknowledge his existence because of what has occurred in the past, which he is not willing to face up to.

Claudia Wilson Gator (Melora Walters) is Jimmy Gator's daughter, a young woman who is confused and has escaped into the world of drugs, coke.  All she really wants is for someone to listen to her and believe in her.

Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly) is an officer of the law who loves his job and loves helping people and believes in doing good, and doing the right thing.  He is alone and is just looking for someone special to be a part of his life.  He finds her when he meets Claudia.  There is a sort of irony in the attraction between them.

In the beginning, Jim states in a singles ad that he just wants someone who is calm without complication but Claudia is neither of those things. Claudia seems to be looking for someone whom she can be honest with, as she says to Jim on their first date, "People are afraid to say things...Let's make a deal to not do that, to not do what we've done before...I'll tell you everything...and you tell me everything..Let's just get through the piss and shit and lies that kills everyone."  Jim reassures Claudia that he is not going to judge her and that he will listen, really listen.

Jim, the cop, and Phil, the nurse, are two of the most compassionate characters in Magnolia. They are significant characters whose biggest aim in life is to help others and to provide support...both are interestingly enough in people helping oriented careers. They lead us to the core of the film, because what it all comes down to is that this is a film about coming to terms with things--with the past, as much as it is a film about healing and the importance of forgiveness.

The lessons in this film are hugely significant. It is about facing up to the past, coming to realizations and accepting what has occurred, because the past is just as important as the present and is what leads us to today. And, as the narrator states at the end,  "Strange things happen all the time, and so it goes, and so it goes, and the book says, we may be through with the past but the past ain't through with us." So true. So true.