'Magnolia' script blooms in rich details

By Matthew Barrett

Daily Film Editor

"Magnolia" is a movie that leaves you with questions. Lots of them. And after seeing it, you want answers. Lots of them. Well, want no more, because the film's screenplay, which was just nominated for an Academy Award, is now available for purchase. "Magnolia The Shooting Script" is a dream come true with fans of the film, as it will answer many of your questions and give you a better idea of just what Paul Thomas Anderson had in mind when he set out to write the script.

The book kicks off with an introduction by Anderson where he thanks many and explains that after writing and directing the massive "Boogie Nights," he had set out to write "something small and intimate and cheap." However, Anderson wrote from "gut" and ended up with a three-hour epic that he hopes will be the "Mother Of All Movies About The San Fernando Valley."

After the introduction, comes a complete copy of the shooting script, packed with information and scenes not included in the final version of the film. For starters, there's quite a bit more of relationship-guru Frank T.J. Mackey's (Tom Cruise) ramblings including the realization of his "creating a crisis" scheme. The character of Dixon (the young rapper - "Check that ego, come off it, I'm the profit") is fleshed out, as we learn about his connections to other characters in the story. Reading the script sheds some light on Worm, a character that is mentioned throughout the movie but is seen only in glimpses.

"Magnolia The Shooting Script" also features an interview with Anderson, done shortly before the release of the film. Anderson discusses, among other things, the construction of various characters, why he chose the actors that he did and the role that the music of Aimee Mann plays in the film. Anderson said the decision to include Mann's music was made "because she's so fucking cool and I wanted to be able to tell everybody that I think so." Two of the more controversial and debated moments in "Magnolia" are also covered - the sing-along sequence and the unusual meteorological event at the end of the film.

And as if this weren't enough for enthusiasts of "Magnolia," the book includes over 40 beautiful photographs taken on the set during the film's production.

If you liked "Magnolia," you will love this book, as it is one of the rare productions that captures the essence of the movie and its maker. A word to the wise though - see the movie before you read the script, as it will increase your enjoyment tenfold. And you'll find out once and for all, that "when the sunshine don't work, the Good Lord bring the rain in."

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson works with Jason Robards on the set of "Magnolia.".