I watch a lot of movies. I am very opinionated when it comes to movies too. It is very rare for me to find a movie that moves me as much as Magnolia did. I thought is was brilliant. Right from the beginning I was enthralled. I became attached to each characters personal story and how they were all intertwined together. Each story brought out an emotion whether it was funny, sad, pathetic, morbid, or happy. Magnolia is now one of my top 3 movies of all time. I don't know if it was the mood I was in or the setting that I watched the movie but I loved it. If it wasn't so late, I could have watched it over again. It is long so if you rent it, just be prepared for a long movie. It is time well spent though.