As a huge P.T. Anderson fan, I was grossly dissapointed with Magnolia. The characters are shallow, the plot is weak if at all present, but most of all it is clichee at its worse. The dialogue is sappy, vacuous, and frequently leaves me embarrassed for the writer and actors who are connected to it. But what makes this movie truly painful to watch is the rediculous events that take place in the movie. Most of all, the awful Amy Mann song that the cast sings in unison. Up there with "Our Town" and "Oklahoma" as some of the most boring pieces of writing of all time. If you are an average middle American brainless automaton who likes movies like Playing by Heart, you will love this tired reworked narrative and unoriginal theme.