es PTA. It just took 200 pages and 90 days to get the right amount of small and intimate.A movie of this stature, with its operatic take on love, family, and unhappiness, called for a cast willing to push the envelope. Anderson wrote the script specifically for an ensemble of actors he knows and trusts, with a few new additions thrown into the mix.At the center of the Magnolia tapestry is Earl Partridge, played by Jason Robards. Partridge is a dying man who is coming to grips with the mistakes he has made in his life and what he can do during his last days to right some of those wrongs. This was Robards first time working with PTA and found that playing a dead man was sort of prophetic since he himself had recently recovered from a near fatal illness.One thing that Earl wants before he passes is to make good with his estranged son, Frank T.J. Mackey, the self-proclaimed Master of the Muffin. He is the Tony Robbins of seduction and this is exhibited in his high priced seminars aimed at lonely men looking to gain an advantage when it comes to the ladies. Tom Cruise, who also finds himself working with Anderson for the first time on Magnolia, plays Mackey. Cruise had approached Anderson about a possible partnership after viewing Boogie Nights. The two became fast friends.Acting a liaison between father and son is Earls male nurse Phil Parma, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman offers a very different portrayal of a caretaker as he is very much attached to Earl. He takes pride in his work and harbors a platonic love for his patient. Hoffmans character is the only one in the film who isnt trying to clean up anything. Hes not fighting with his past.Also in love with Earl is his young wife Linda, played by Julianne Moore. She originally married the man for his money but has now fallen in love with him as his life draws to a close. Shes on a quest to make her marriage sincere by renouncing Earls will and all that comes wit...
