andrewducker | Magnolia Review

Albert Einstein once said that "not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think."

Small World theory says that every person on the planet is linked to every other one by six people or less (the famed "Six degrees of seperation")

Narrator: There are stories of coincidence and chance, of intersections and strange things told, and which is which and nobody knows; and we generally say, "Well, if that was in a movie, I wouldn't believe it."

Waterspouts can suck stuff out of a body of water and carry it for miles. There have been dozens of reports of falling fish, usually small ones, although a few years back some startled folks in India beheld a rain of eight-pounders. There are also reports of raining frogs, birds, grasshoppers, hay, grain, and so on.

A brief synopsis: Earl Patridge created a Quiz show in the 1960s. He left his wife and married Linda. Now he is dying of cancer and wants to see his estranged son one last time, but his wife is against it. Phil Parma is his nurse, torn between their needs. Jimmy Gator used to be the host of the tv show and is now estranged from his daughter. His daughter is a complete mess and a drug addict. Jim Kurring is the police officer called to her home when she turns the music up loud enough to annoy her neighbours. Frank T.J. Mackey runs seminars explaining how to get women to sleep with you. He is estranged from his father. Stanley Spector is a child contestant on the tv show, Rick Spector is Stanley's father, pushing him so hard to win that he runs the risk of estranging him forever. Donnie Smith was a child genius on the quiz show and has spent his life trying to regain the moments of glory he had then. Later he and Officer Kurring will face each other in the strangest rain.

Exodus 8:2 "And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs."

Narrator: These strange things happen all the time.

Aimee Mann performs nearly all the music. Sometimes they sing along to her achingly beautiful songs. It's one of those albums you have to own.

"The book says, we might be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us."

Live criss-cross, the past returns to haunt everyone and it's patently obvious that sometimes you hold on too long and sometimes you need someone to hold onto.

"Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing me again?"

For some events in the film there are explanations and for others there are no explanations at all. In that way, it's a lot like life.

Score: 10/10

The obligatory quotes are sprinkled throughout the review.