Film:
Magnolia, 1999
Starring Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Felicity Huffman, Philip Baker Hall, and Alfred Molina.
Synopsis (from IMDB):
24 hours in L.A.; it’s raining cats and dogs. Two parallel and intercut stories dramatize men about to die: both are estranged from a grown child, both want to make contact, and neither child wants anything to do with dad. Earl Partridge’s son is a charismatic misogynist; Jimmy Gator’s daughter is a cokehead and waif. A mild and caring nurse intercedes for Earl, reaching the son; a prayerful and upright beat cop meets the daughter, is attracted to her, and leads her toward a new calm. Meanwhile, guilt consumes Earl’s young wife, while two whiz kids, one grown and a loser and the other young and pressured, face their situations. The weather, too, is quirky. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}
My Thoughts:
This film is dark, and sad, and clever. Through out it one of the themes I picked up on was how “sins of the father” affect the children. Various characters suffered abuse, abandonment, and molestation at the hands of their fathers leaving them angry, depressed, and struggling. The film even quoted scripture regarding it.
“And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God” 1 Kings 15:3
I remember watching this film when it first came out and really hating it. I realize now that what I disliked was the tragedy caused by the actions of the fathers in this film. The film reveals how much pain and suffering there is, and how so much of it we put onto each other. Frank T.J. Mackey, abandoned by his father, and left to take care of his dying mother, rewrote his own history. Ironically, he became a misogynist and used women just as badly if not worse than his father did. Jimmy Gator left his daughter a neurotic, self-loathing, drug abuser by the worst sin of a father, sexual molestation.
“If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual; but if enmity and hatred exist within it destruction and dispersal are inevitable” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
We see evidence in this film of family disunity and how destructive it can be. Often the rift starts between the married party and then effect the children. Several characters had committed infidelity. In one scene Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore) broke down in tears lamenting how she did not love her husband when she married him, and just wanted his money, and so she had constantly been unfaithful. Now that they had been together for a while, and he was dying she realized she truly did love him and because of that could not possibly take a cent from the will. The lawyer told her that adultery was not illegal. That did not comfort her because either way it was wrong.
“Every other word of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings is a preachment on moral and ethical conduct; all else is the form, the chalice, into which the pure spirit must be poured; without the spirit and the action which must demonstrate it, it is a lifeless form. When we realize that Bahá’u’lláh says adultery retards the progress of the soul in the after life – so grievous is it – and that drinking destroys the mind, and not to so much as approach it, we see how clear are our teachings on these subjects.” ~ From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi.
I think this scene was an incredibly potent one and points to how often the people who suffer most by committing a wrong against someone is not the victim but the perpetrator. God has given us spiritual guidance, whether it be the 10 commandments, or the Laws of Bahá’u’lláh, or the Middle Path of Buddhism, that is meant to protect us from ourselves. These laws actually free us from the pain we would suffer by not following them. This film shows that pain, whether it is through drug use, sexual impropriety, or not being a good parent.
It also shows how important honesty and truthfulness are. Many characters were both not honest with themselves or with others, but despite trying they could not hide from the truth for long. While most of the film was dark and forlorn, there was a glimmer of hope in two story lines, one of which touched upon the importance of kindness and the other of truth.
Stanley, a quiz kid genius has had a lot of pressure to deal with. While it is not explicitly stated, he lives in a single parent household with his father. His father is often on his case, and picks him up from school late. He brings him to the game show and is more excited about the prospect of Stanley winning a lot of money, than for his actual wellbeing. Stanley is a good kid. He is under a lot of pressure, and because he arrived late to the studio was not able to go to the bathroom before the show started. He is on a role answering every question, until his bladder fails him. Mortified he sits like a statue and no longer participates. He realized that everyone was really just using him. The show for ratings, his father for the potential payout, and he is left forlorn. It is hard to see a child experience disillusionment, but in the end Stanley stands up for himself telling his father that he has to be nicer to him. Stanley has the potential not to fall in the same trap Quiz Kid Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) did, and for this there is hope.
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” ~Mark Twain
The other hopeful story consists of an unlikely match. Officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly) and Claudia Partridge (Melora Walters) met through a disturbance call. He was a cop and she a drug-addled victim of abuse. She spent the beginning trying to hide the fact of her drug use from him. However, the cop liked her anyway and asked her on a date. He was a Christian and prayed to God regarding meeting this woman. In fact, they showed him in prayer more than once, and he was the only character in the film portrayed with any faith.
As they went on their date the woman asked if he ever lied on dates, because he was afraid the other person would not like the truth. Or even if he hadn’t lied, maybe left important things out. He said that was natural, and tried to waylay her fears. She then said they shouldn’t do that. They should be honest and tell their secrets.
“Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all of the worlds of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also become realized.” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
She clearly was trying to get up the courage to admit her addictions and seek help. She told him she thought he would hate her, because he was so together, and such a good person, and she was not. He then comforted her by admitting that he had lost his gun that day and was now the laughing stock of the entire police force. He too made mistakes. She then kissed him and ran off, chickening out. At the end of the film though, there is another scene with them together, and the cop is talking about how people have great capacity to forgive and to help each other through times of trouble, and she smiles.
She was onto something about honesty and he was onto something about help and forgiveness, and trying not to be judgmental. It is through these two characters, and the healing power of faith and listening to divine guidance that this film has a sliver of hope to it.
Moving Pictures 