Magnolia DVD chock full of extras, music, goodies and frogs

"Magnolia" is a beast of a movie, clocking in at a little more than three hours and it is as bold and daring as it is long. The film was recently released on DVD in a glorious double-disc set that does justice to a movie championed by some and stomped on by many - with one of the primary complaints being the length of the film. Some have shied away from the movie based on its sheer length and that's fine - this movie was not made for the timid and scared.

A long running time is nothing to be afraid of, in fact it is to be celebrated that such a young and talented filmmaker as Paul Thomas Anderson was given all the authority in the world to make and release his movie the way that he wanted to, critics and naysayers be damned. So what if watching the movie takes an extra hour out of your life? It only makes the payoff that much sweeter and powerful when it comes. "Magnolia" is not a film to be consumed in bits and pieces (notice only 12 chapters spread out over the course of the DVD), but rather a film to be swallowed whole in a fearless flurry and then processed and digested for days to come.

"Magnolia" is a wide and roaming story with an ensemble of actors who each seem tailor made for their particular parts. The film is set in the greater Los Angeles area over the course of a strange and unusual day. Other than this, the less you know going in, the better off you are.

Tom Cruise received the majority of the ink for his against-the-grain and Oscar-nominated turn as motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey. Cruise deserves all the credit in the world (and that Oscar that Michael Caine won) for laying himself on the line by taking the part and then turning in a performance that is nothing short of stunning.

Cruise is so effortless and convincing in the part that it's hard to imagine any other actor playing the character who is out to "enlighten" single men on the process of roping in females. Criticism that has been leveled at Mackey for his techniques and language is unfair and wrong as it misses the fact that all of his mannerisms and behaviors are part of a larger façade, built up to protect him from a rejecting world.

Another performance in the film that is just as praiseworthy is Philip Seymour Hoffman's turn as Phil Parma, an angelic nurse to a dying old man. Hoffman is so smooth in his portrayal of the character that it's easy to look past him and the skill of his performance, especially when he's placed alongside a chanting and ranting Tom Cruise (which explains why Cruise got the Oscar-nomination although both performers were worthy).

Other standouts in the supporting cast include Julianne Moore as a guilt-ridden trophy wife, John C. Reilly as a straight-shooting cop, and Philip Baker Hall as an aging gameshow host, all of whom have appeared in previous Anderson movies.

The film also benefits from the constant presence of Aimee Mann songs, which pop up throughout the story, ala Simon and Garfunkel in "The Graduate." Fans of Mann will be pleased to know that the video for her Oscar-nominated tune "Save Me" is also included on the disc.

Along with the aforementioned video and a beautiful transfer of the film, the DVD version of "Magnolia" comes with a few extra features. The disc includes deleted footage from the Frank T.J. Mackey seminar, where we get to see Frank act out a few of his lady-catching schemes. These moments are priceless as Mackey is a character who will weave his way into pop-culture for years to come, and the more we have of him, the better.

Also included is "Magnolia Diary," a documentary by Mark Rance on the process of making the film. Rance's work is the real treat on the disc for fans of the film, as it takes us behind the scenes from initial meetings about "Magnolia" to film's completion and premiere.

The glaring omission on the disc is a commentary track by Anderson, which the director chose not to record. Anderson was very vocal in his support of the film when it was released and he may have felt that there was no reason to shine his own shoes for another three hours.

Well Paul, if you won't do it, I will. This is a great movie and one which deserves to be seen by more people than the scattered few who caught its run in theaters. It may have gotten dissed by Oscar, but 10 years from now people will look back and recognize it for the masterpiece that it is, while more-nominated fare like "The Cider House Rules" and "The Green Mile" will slowly slip away from our movieviewing minds.

Classes have just started, you can't be that busy yet and you don't need to buy your books for a few weeks - do yourself a favor and see this movie. You won't regret it.