Magnolia

It is impossible not to compare Magnolia to another fascinating and intelligent ensemble drama, namely "Short Cuts". In both films a dozen characters' lives intertwine, by chance or perhaps some kind of mysterious fate.

Frank Mackey is a macho guru whose past catches up with him, first in the shape of a curious journalist and later as his dying father, Earl Partridge, whom he has renounced long ago. Partridge is the producer of a quiz show whose host Jimmy Gator suffers from the same disease as Partridge and similarly has a grown-up child who abhors him.

This is just one of the many parallels in the film. In fact there were a few too many, or maybe the pace was just too leisurely for my taste.