MovieChat Forums > Short Cuts (1993) Discussion > Similarity to Magnolia

Similarity to Magnolia


I watched Short Cuts last night and was struck by how similar Magnolia is to this film; I'm surprised I haven't seen many comparisons of the two on this board. One can really see the massive influence Altman had on PTA.

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These references have been talked extensively about when it comes to Magnolia. I just finished Short Cuts now but I haven't watched Magnolia in a long time...

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Well, PTA made Magnolia as a tribute to Short Cuts. If you watch PTA's films, you will notice similarities to some of his favorite directors. Boogie Nights is basically Goodfellas with porn stars.

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Leave it to someone named superdawgfan to totally oversimplify two great American films.

Yes, this movie has surface, cosmetic similarities to Magnolia. Beyond that they're totally different.

Anton Chigurh is dead and Spider-Man 3 is superior in every way to Funny Games.

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Senator_Corleone "Yes, this movie has surface, cosmetic similarities to Magnolia. Beyond that they're totally different."

There's way more than just a few similarities. Too may to just be a coincidence.

1) Both are multi-layered films about Los Angeles featuring 20-25 intertwining character arcs.
2) Both films feature a "stupid cop" character ("Short Cuts" has Tim Robbins, "Magnolia" has John C. Reilly).
3) Both films end in a climax revolving around a natural disaster. (this one really takes the biscuit)
4) Both films have a character that attempts suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning achieved by a running car parked in their garage.
5) Both films have Julianne Moore in them, recounting sexual regrets.
6) Both have soundtracks that predominantly feature the same female singer
7) Both include a Scene where a body is found in a humorous way
8) Both have estranged fathers regretting things
9) Length. Both are almost exactly the same length to the minute.

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