Absolutely desperate characters. Mommy issues. Loneliness. Regret. Surrogate families that are as dysfunctional as any family. The San Fernando Valley, ladies and gentlemen! Such an ambitious and complex director as Paul Thomas Anderson might seem too cerebral and unpleasant to watch, but his filmography is entertaining and even endearing. You’ll never please everyone, but his place on the Mount Rushmore of 90s filmmakers is forever cemented. Never making the same movie twice is how Steven Spielberg once described Stanley Kubrick; the same could be said for Anderson. How much of a massive change in tone from Boogie Nights to Magnolia is indicative of this, despite both being ensemble pieces dealing with the heavy subject matter. For as dark as the second half of Boogie gets, those disco tunes get your feet moving. Magnolia dips into Aimee Mann’s discography to evoke a devastating feeling. We look at the soundtracks of his motion pictures to highlight how he picks a specific tune to break or mend our hearts.
Hard Eight
This debut feature of an ambitious 26-year-old was not handled with care. After retitling and re-editing the picture, PTA managed to raise the $200,000 necessary to launch it. In addition to starring in the film, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow chipped in to help fund it. Samuel L. Jackson and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star in supporting roles. Sydney, a senior gambler, takes John, a homeless man, under his wing and helps him win back the money he owes in Las Vegas. Complications ensue when John falls in love with Clementine, a prostitute.
Philip Baker Hall
John C. Reilly
Gwyneth Paltrow
Samuel L. Jackson
F. William Parker
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Nathanael Cooper
Wynn White
Robert Ridgely
Kathleen Campbell
Michael J. Rowe
Peter D'Allesandro
Jon Brion and Michael Penn provide the score for the picture, with “Clementine’s Loop,” a haunting score, making its way onto PTA’s following two features as well. “Craps Table” accompanies Hoffman’s one and only scene, a bouncy little tune that illustrates the delightful eccentricity of the character. He lights up a cigarette while getting competitive with Hall’s Sydney, preparing to shoot craps with who he perceives as a threat, repeatedly referring to him as an old timer. This intimate indie feature, accompanied by its lowkey score, would position PTA for the soundtrack-heavy epics he would soon endeavor.
Boogie Nights
Mark Wahlberg
Burt Reynolds
Julianne Moore
John C. Reilly
Heather Graham
Don Cheadle
Philip Seymour Hoffman
William H. Macy
Thomas Jane
Luis Guzmán
Melora Walters
Robert Ridgely
Licorice Pizza may have usurped the throne now, but this, for many, has been regarded as the most accessible and exciting film in the PTA canon. Hilarious to make this case, knowing that it involves the 70s porn industry in the San Fernando Valley, but those of age repeatedly point to it as a rollickingly good time at the movies. The role that made Mark Wahlberg a movie star is an icon for the ages- Dirk Diggler, a runaway teen who joins a porn movie company in hopes of making it as a “big, bright shining star.” Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds (in one of the finest comeback performances in cinema), Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, Luis Guzmán, Nicole Parker, Alfred Molina, Ricky Jay, and Philip Seymour Hoffman are all on fire, an ensemble of working actors whose careers would take off after this.
An embarrassment of riches best describes the film’s soundtrack, rivaling Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction for best soundtrack of the 90s. It opens with The Emotions’ popping “Best of My Love,” stacks up the middle section with Chakachas’ sensual “Jungle Fever” and War’s party playlist go-to “Spill the Wine,” climaxes with Rick Springfield’s electric “Jessie’s Girl,” and closes with The Beach Boys’ emotional love ballad “God Only Knows.” Disco, the late 70s into the early 80s, PTA knows how to be period accurate while making it all look sexy as hell.
Check out the full Boogie Nights soundtrack here.
Magnolia
The cycle of familial abuse is what Anderson decides to tackle following the death of his father. Magnolia is a three-hour epic mosaic with intertwining storylines, messy characters, and a whole lot of tears. It also takes place in the San Fernando Valley (not as many pornographic images this time around). Starring Tom Cruise (in an Oscar-nominated performance), Jeremy Blackman, Melinda Dillon, and Jason Robards (in his final film role), in addition to returning PTA movie cast members- Moore, Baker Hall, Seymour Hoffman, C. Reilly, Macy, Molina, and Ricky Jay all dive deeper into their dramatic chops. Our characters search for happiness, forgiveness, and the meaning of this dilemma called life.
Tom Cruise
Philip Baker Hall
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Julianne Moore
William H. Macy
John C. Reilly
Melora Walters
Jeremy Blackman
Jason Robards
Melinda Dillon
Alfred Molina
Ricky Jay
Aimee Mann is the star of the film’s soundtrack. Her prior music served as an inspiration to PTA while writing the film. Mann wrote two songs for the movie: “You Do” and the closer “Save Me,” which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. “One,” the film’s opener,” is a cover of a 1968 Harry Nilsson song (its most famous cover belonging to Three Dog Night). “Wise Up,” featured during a sequence where the characters sing along, was initially written for Cameron Crowe’s 1996 classic Jerry Maguire (Cruise owned the 90s, didn’t he?) until Crowe decided it was too heartbreaking. It fits well with the sheer heartache our characters face in Magnolia. It’s not a film for all, but for those who need it.
Check out the full Magnolia soundtrack here.
Punch-Drunk Love
Adam Sandler
Emily Watson
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Luis Guzmán
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Robert Smigel
Jason Andrews
Don McManus
David Schrempf
Seann Conway
Rico Bueno
Hazel Mailloux
Adam Sandler was a massive star in the late 90s and early 2000s and continues to be a Hollywood icon. One could say PTA was “selling out” with his 2002 collaboration with the comedy legend, but its box office bomb suggests otherwise. Anderson was such a fan of Sandler’s championing Big Daddy, one of his favorite films, that he wanted to utilize his talents through his intense microscope as a filmmaker. Sandler plays an entrepreneur with seven sisters (who all emotionally abuse him) coupled with severe social anxiety, often leading to serious violent outbursts. He falls in love with his sister’s co-worker, played by Emily Watson, and the two discover each other’s quirks and make one another stronger in the process. While coping with his loneliness prior to him dating her, he calls a phone sex line, which turns out to be a scam to extort money, run by a mattress store owner played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was put on Earth to make any movie a thousand times better.
Acclaimed composer and record producer Jon Brion takes center stage for the soundtrack. He offers lead vocals on “Here We Go,” a melancholy tune with lyrics that capture the protagonist’s plight. “He Needs Me” stands out most from Robert Altman’s 1980 film Popeye. Shelley Duvall’s lovely vocals complement the whimsy romance our characters immerse themselves into amongst the anxiety-ridden, cold-hearted world they belong in. There’s no country for old dreamers, but in a PTA production, they get to star in it.
Check out the full Punch-Drunk Love soundtrack here.
There Will Be Blood
We’ve made it. The Big Kahuna. The one in the history books they call magnum opus. The crowning achievement in cinema that turned America into the capitalistic greedfest that it now is. That last part is untrue, but the power of the movie remains. There Will Be Blood was tailor-made to be an epic, from its title to Daniel Day-Lewis (who makes like one movie every 30 years) to the olden-time period piece prestige it takes pride in depicting. A silver miner turned oilman spirals down a relentless pursuit of wealth during the Southern California oil boom of the late 19th century. It also stars Paul Dano, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ciarán Hinds, and Dillon Freasier.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Paul Dano
Kevin J. O'Connor
Ciarán Hinds
Dillon Freasier
Hope Elizabeth Reeves
Colleen Foy
Barry Del Sherman
David Willis
Hans Howes
Sydney McCallister
Paul F. Tompkins
Indeed, an ambitious piece like There Will Be Blood would require a musical artist with experience to assemble a piece of art that can be considered epic. Who better than Radiohead’s guitarist Jonny Greenwood, who played a massive part in the success of acclaimed albums such as OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows? The drilling rig trouble turned into full-blown fire is one of the most remarkable set pieces in modern cinema, with Greenwood’s song “Convergence” being a crucial reason why the scene is so effective. The frantic pacing, the ferocity of the fire, oil everywhere, and a father’s duty to save his son are all captivating; however, the offbeat, experimental feel of the score carefully elevates this from a gripping period drama to innovative, masterful filmmaking. The scene would’ve been amazing without it, and the movie would’ve been too, but PTA knows how important music and sound are to a movie. With the score incorporated in, it is unforgettable.
Check out the full There Will Be Blood soundtrack here.
The Master
Oh great, the Scientology movie. The movie that caused Tom Cruise to walk out of an early screening, who was utterly pissed off. Those who aren’t devotees of L. Ron Hubbard but instead fans of PTA will recognize The Master as a fascinating character study. It follows a troubled World War II veteran who finds a home with a cult leader and his family. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in his first leading role in a PTA movie, along with Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek, and Laura Dern. The Church of Scientology was one of several inspirations, including the works of Thomas Pynchon and John Steinbeck and drunken Navy stories from the late Jason Robards.
Joaquin Phoenix
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Amy Adams
Rami Malek
Laura Dern
Jesse Plemons
Ambyr Childers
Madisen Beaty
Kevin J. O'Connor
Patty McCormack
Lena Endre
Barbara Brownell
This isn’t the last you’ll hear of Jonny Greenwood. He would go on to compose the score for the three films that would follow. The bold and harsh tones of his work are at his most extreme here in this soundtrack, “Able-Bodied Seamen,” encapsulating Phoenix’s character and the disturbed state of mind he finds himself wrestling with. “No Other Love (feat. Jo Stafford)” is a lonesome tune that soothes when our two characters split apart.
Check out the full The Master soundtrack here.
Inherent Vice
A chain smoker’s movie. It may not be his most accessible work, but it is every bit as fascinating. We’re back with a large ensemble cast- Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterson, Eric Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Martin Short, and Joanna Newsom. Doc, a stoner, hippie, and private investigator, twists into the 1970s Los Angeles criminal underworld.
Joaquin Phoenix
Josh Brolin
Owen Wilson
Katherine Waterston
Reese Witherspoon
Benicio del Toro
Jena Malone
Joanna Newsom
Jordan Christian Hearn
Hong Chau
Jeannie Berlin
Maya Rudolph
Greenwood’s back in action on the soundtrack, capturing the groovy LA scene. Psychedelia is a wavelength you’re either on or off. It’s incoherent yet witty, with several 70s artists thrown in. The most sentimental moment the movie allows itself to reach is when Neil Young’s “Journey Through the Past” plays a nostalgic, rainy-day romance that may never be attainable again.
Check out the full Inherent Vice soundtrack here.
Phantom Thread
91%
90
7.4Daniel Day-Lewis
Vicky Krieps
Lesley Manville
Camilla Rutherford
Gina McKee
Brian Gleeson
Harriet Sansom Harris
Lujza Richter
Julia Davis
Julie Vollono
Sue Clark
Joan Brown
We’re back on the Daniel Day-Lewis period piece train. This time, it’s 1950s upper-class London, and it is unlike The Last of the Mohicans, Gangs of New York, or even There Will Be Blood in terms of how subdued and emotionally complex it is. Reynolds Woodcock is not among the natives, the baddest gangster, or an opportunistic oil tycoon; he’s a high-end dressmaker living in a nice, proper home with his sister and wife (also his artistic muse). You could say he’s as talented and passionate as those characters, but he isn’t physically harming anyone. Instead, it’s toxic emotional abuse. Lesley Manville and Vicky Kreips also star.
Greenwood researched the 1950s London music scene and conjured up a classical music composition for the soundtrack that is so charming to the ear that Johann Sebastian Bach would gush. The opener, “House of Woodcock,” and closer, “For the Hungry Boy,” depict the daily routine of a stubborn man and his need for a motherly figure in his spouse, respectively.
Check out the full Phantom Thread soundtrack here.
Licorice Pizza
Alana Haim
Cooper Hoffman
Sean Penn
Tom Waits
Bradley Cooper
Skyler Gisondo
Mary Elizabeth Ellis
John Michael Higgins
Christine Ebersole
Harriet Sansom Harris
Joseph Cross
The film’s core romance was bound to stir up some controversy, with a 25-year-old woman who begins flirting with a 15-year-old boy. The kid is a bit of a cocky prick, while the girl is struggling to build her career (what person in their 20s can’t relate to). The dynamic works since much of the story relies on their friendship above all else. Some casual racism was bound to piss people off too, but the same could be said for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. People didn’t give a damn back then, and you could be confident that they still don’t care now; they just hide it better. Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, John Michael Higgins, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Benny Safdie are giving it their all. It’s hard to beat coked-out Bradley Cooper, though.
In terms of having the best soundtrack, I believe we’ve saved the best for last. The list went chronologically, of course, but his recent effort has the most fun collection since Boogie Nights. Some of the most prominent ‘70s hits get shine; the film’s called Licorice Pizza, for Pete’s sake, so you’d better have needle drops that deserve an extra spin. Opening with Nina Simone’s “July Tree,” our young protagonist falls for his older crush during Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro’s “Stumblin’ In,” a ride or die moment which is met with “But You’re Mine” by Sonny & Cher, The Doors’ “Peace Frog” blasting while our young hustlers collect cash, Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Let Me Roll It” intensifying while lust almost takes over, and David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” which steals hearts while the summer of youth remains victorious.
Check out the full Licorice Pizza soundtrack here.