Magnolia

In Magnolia, many of Anderson's frequent collaborators are part of the ensemble cast. These actors often play important roles in many of his films. Consequently, one of the ways Anderson's films have been made distinctive are by the actors that he frequently casts. In particular, Philip Seymour Hoffman has played significant roles in every one of his films since Boogie Nights. These recurring collaborators have come to characterize Anderson's films years after the release of Magnolia through their many different and distinct attributes.
 * 1. Recurring collaborators**

The theme of daddy issues and father figures comes up in Magnolia. Pretty much every single character of the ensemble cast has some issue that might have been caused by an absent or abusive father. For example, Claudia was sexually abused by her father in her youth, and became a cocaine addict. Frank was abandoned by his father at a young age and became a misogynist. Donnie grew up under intense pressure from his father to live up to his reputation as the "quiz kid" and became extremely insecure about himself as an adult.
 * 2. Daddy issues**

Long steadicam shots are used in Magnolia to follow characters around as they move from place to place. They are also often shown talking as they walk, whether on the phone, or with other people that they meet along the way. This technique allows the viewer to gain new information in a relatively short amount of time, which is important in a film like Magnolia, being three hours long.
 * 3. Long tracking shots**

In the screenshot above, Linda Partridge is having an emotional meltdown and is yelling at her husband's doctor. Hard lighting not only accentuates Julianne Moore's cheekbones, but emphasize her emotional instability and make her harsh words even harsher as she is lit in this harsh lighting.
 * 4. Low key & hard lighting**

Here, hard light is used in a similar way on Frank TJ Mackey. Following his live interview, he returns to his audience and dismisses everything that he had previously taught in all his previous seminars. Once again, hard light is used to emphasize a character's emotional breakdown and effectively portrays them in a harsh light. Like, literally.

In many scenes where characters are standing opposite each other having a conversation, the camera will push in and move closer to the characters. This could be an outward representation of how the characters are gaining deeper understandings of each other, just as the movie's audience get to know them simultaneously.
 * 5. Camera movement**

These shots enclose the character within the frame with different devices such as the opening of a safe or a mirror. This could be used to demonstrate how characters are literally "closed in" or imprisoned within their own lives. The shot above of Donnie being enclosed within a mirror could be taken very literally as a statement on how he is trapped in his own identity, and the reflections of the old photographs behind him show that he is a character haunted by the past.
 * 6. Shots where characters are enclosed within something else within the frame**

Whip pans are used several times throughout Magnolia, as well as some of Anderson's other films (like There Will Be Blood). When the camera is focused on one character talking, it will transition to show another character talking through the use of a whip pan. There is a dissolve in between these two shots to show the continuity. This is a little bit disorienting and could be used to increase the tension of the scene and allowing the viewer to pick up on this signals can increase the audience's understanding of the implications of such a conversation.
 * 7. Whip pans**

Diegetic music is shown most prominently in the iconic scene where the entire cast of Magnolia takes turns to sing Aimee Mann's "Wise Up". This scene is one of the most emotional points of the movie for all the characters involved, despite them being in different situations. Because every character is singing the same song simultaneously, this emphasizes the interconnectivity of all their lives and the roles that they knowingly or unknowingly have in each other's lives. This scene is also crucial to serving as a build up before it starts raining frogs and everyone kind of starts going crazy.
 * 8. Diegetic music**

Whether recreational or prescribed, drugs are used prominently as a plot device in Magnolia, as well as Anderson's other films (e.g: cocaine in Boogie Nights). In fact, some form of substance abuse is likely to be featured in any Paul Thomas Anderson film (e.g: Freddie Quell's alcoholism in The Master). In addition to being a plot device, drugs are also important as integral parts of the backstories of many characters, and are essential in defining these characters. Both Earl Partridge's medication and Claudia's cocaine addiction serve to exemplify some form of dependency. This highlights the instability (both physical and emotional) of the characters in Magnolia.
 * 9. Drugs**

Many of Anderson's films take place in very specific time periods. Boogie Nights begins in 1977, and There Will Be Blood in 1902. In Magnolia, Donnie's flashbacks take place in 1968. This specificity of time periods allows Anderson to place emphasis on historical implications and the effects that they have on his characters. (The 1970s was supposedly known as the "golden age" of the pornography industry, and the early 1900s were characterized by the beginnings of the oil industry.) Anderson must have chosen the '60s because of the rising popularity of game shows at the time.
 * 10. Specific time periods**