MAGNOLIA

My favorite movie.

So my favorite film is MAGNOLIA. (I almost wanted to spell favorite like the Canadians, but I didn’t.) You say a favorite film should be something you can watch as many times as possible and still not get sick of it, or something along those lines.

Now I will admit to not being able to watch a 3-hour long gut wrenching, and some even say depressing film a few times in a week, but every time I do watch it it’s a new film, and I’ve grown since the last time I’ve watched it, see new things, new feelings and perspectives, and since I’ve grown up with it, I mean literally I watched it pretty much right when I started becoming “deeper” emotionally. (That is to say when I started thinking about sadness, why I was sad; it was depression.)

Yes depression. That’s why this hit me. Now I love pretty pictures, I love good words, and music. And I know you told us not to review, which I don’t think I am or will. But, you know, trailer-wise (let’s say that, yeah) it’s why I wanted to go see it. I love that it was anamorphic, the framing I mean, the stretching on the sides.

Enough of “reviewing”, sorry. That’s just I wanted to.

So I was going through some tough times in just the beginning of growing up, still very (very) innocent, raised by my mother, so very (Very) emotional.

I see this movie, and I see why I cry. And, my opinions are easily swayed by others. So the first time I saw it was with a girl I liked, and she cried (and she was older) and so, so did I. Cry, I mean. And I loved it, and felt it touched me in the middle, in my chest.

And I thought this is just a one time thing.

So I went back the next day with my best friend. (And that girl again, actually, but this was more me this time, less her tears.)

I saw it, and it pretty much set who I am today, pretty much made me realize what kind of films I like, what kind of person I want to be, what kind of music I’d end up liking, and the actors, and everything else.

That movie Was Me.

Anyway, like I said, hit at a very impressionable time in my life and I don’t know who I’d be now if not for that. And I love seeing new things, realizing what love is and seeing it in a film I saw years ago, and now it’s different, and yet I remember how I felt about love when I first saw it.

So I rambled here, and yeah, it’s late (sorry about that) but MAGNOLIA is the film that actually made me want to be a filmmaker, as opposed to just having fun with a camera.

Actually, for years afterward I kind of copied P.T.A.’s style with shots and writing and atmosphere, (Paul Thomas Anderson being the writer/director) and I actually just grew into myself this past year, being away from a camera the whole time unfortunately. But, now I have me, now, I guess, not MAGNOLIA, that makes me.

I made some mistakes, and I guess that’s another reason I loved MAGNOLIA, was the story was kind of about redemption, and love, and regrets, and those are all 3 things that really get under my skin, that awake me, inspire, you know.

What’s funny is I never really experienced any until I just grew up.

Thanks. (I apologize if this is unreadable, but it’s just how I feel about it.)

Jon Strong