Paul Thomas Anderson is a bright new
writer and
director whose track record is very good at this point. In
1996 he released his debut, originally titled
Sydney. The title was changed to
Hard Eight. It was released to
glowing reviews but received little
commercial succes. It was an
emotional, self-contained
chamber piece starring
Philip Baker Hall,
John C. Reilly,
Gwyneth Paltrow and
Samuel L. Jackson.
The next year he released his
follow-up and
breathrough work, the expansive
Boogie Nights. The film chronicles the life and times of
porn star Dirk Diggler, who is a fictional character loosely based on
John Holmes (whose work is even referenced in the movie; Dirk says his movies are not as
misogynistic as Holmes'). It also features
Burt Reynolds,
Julianne Moore,
William H. Macy,
Heather Graham,
Philip Seymour Hoffman, and many others. The movie received excellent reviews from
critics and considerable mainstream success. It was nominated for several
oscars, including
Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds),
Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore), and
Best Original Screenplay (by PT Anderson). Unfortunately, it didn't win any of these.
In
1999, P.T. Anderson released his most recent movie, the
epic and majestic Magnolia. It featured a large ensemble cast including
Tom Cruise,
Jason Robards,
Melinda Dillon,
April Grace, and
Jeremy Blackman, as well as Anderson favorites like
John C. Reilly,
William H. Macy,
Philip Baker Hall,
Philip Seymour Hoffman, and
Julianna Moore. The story was an expansive series of events recounted from varying points of view in a style reminiscent of
Robert Altman. Clocking in at
188 minutes, the movie was a true epic. However, the
pacing was excellent, and the film moved very quickly. The film received two
Oscar nominations, Tom Cruise for Best Supporting Actor, and P.T. Anderson again for Best Original Screenplay. Again, neither award was won, with
Michael Caine taking Best Supporting Actor for
The Cider House Rules and the
Academy opting for
Alan Ball's script for the popular
American Beauty over Anderson's expansive and witty masterpiece.
P.T. Anderson is one of the most exciting
new directors of this
generation, and I'm looking forward to whatever he
comes up with next.