To Garbo and Lenin

Magnolia is a 1999 American drama film written, directed and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars an ensemble cast, including Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards (in his final film role), and Melora Walters. The film is an epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. The script was inspired by the music of Aimee Mann, who contributed several songs to its soundtrack. The film had a limited theatrical release by New Line Cinema on December 17, 1999, before expanding wide on January 7, 2000. Magnolia received acclaim from critics. It grossed $48.4 million against a $37 million budget. Among its accolades, the film earned three nominations at the 72nd Academy Awards, where Cruise was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and two at the 57th Golden Globes, where Cruise won Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. It was ranked third in the National Board of Review's top ten films of the year, and won three National Board of Review Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Hoffman and Best Supporting Actress for Moore, while its soundtrack and score earned a cumulative three nominations at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.