I really enjoyed this movie… up until the end (when I felt somewhat cheated). What is with the frogs? I just don’t “get it.” What is the significance, meaning, or purpose of those scenes? Are the frogs supposed to represent something?
I’m not sure if the frogs ‘represent’ anything specific besides a freak occurance. Supposedly there are cases where frogs (or fish) have fallen from the sky. snopes.com might have something on this; I haven’t searched.
My take was that freak random events can dramatically alter your life; a chance occurance can set you down a whole other path in life. Turn your head at the wrong time and you might miss the opportunity of a lifetime or get run over by a car. And, you don’t even realize it when it happens (well, maybe you realize it’s raining frogs), but coincidences can dramatically determine our fate. My take on it, at least.
There are two threads which discussed this in more detail: here and here
In addition to what 647 said, I think the frogs can also represent the emotional turbulence of the characters, all of whom are going through a moment of epiphany and/or acceptance at their lot in life–one father’s death and a son’s reconciliation, another father’s confession and a mother/daugther reunion, an amateur crook’s redemption (at a price) and a cop’s lesson in forgiveness and humility, a trophy wife’s near fatal act of selflessness and regret, a son’s first act of defiance and independence. Maybe it’s the hand of God manifesting itself in both subtle (everyday) and overt ways (rain of frogs is foreshadowed by the repeated references to weather forecasts and Exodus 8:2). Maybe smaller miracles happen all the time and we don’t realize it. Maybe it takes something really unusual to force us to step back and gain some perspective.
All I do know is that it (along with the “Wise Up” song) was a jaw-droppingly gutsy and original cinematic gesture that we don’t see enough of these days in big American movies. Loved the film, warts :rolleyes: and all.
“Spoiler”? IMO, the film was spoiled by the filmmaker. “Magnolia”? They should have called it Rotting Corpse Flower after the flower that takes seven years to bloom, and when it does it stinks.
I really hated this movie. It’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen.
Every step was utterly predictable (except for the frogs, which I liked). I was offended that the director thought he was throwing in a “twist” when the “twist” could be predicted a mile away. I was angry that I had lost three hours of my life, which I will never get back, as I was driving home from the movie. To be fair, the acting was very good; but I thought the rest of the movie sucked. Fourty-five minutes to set up the characters, and two and a quarter hours to see thing play out predictably. Fortunately, I have been able to blot most of the movie from my memory. I hope to expunge the rest eventually.
Sorry to say all that about a movie you really enjoyed, wfq1513, but I hated it.
ack! Close the code! :o
I second the nomination as worst movie.
To me the frogs summed up the whole movie up
And it is possible for it to rain frogs or fish, but not the size of them mothers
[heading towards the pit]
At the risk of sounding, I don’t know, elitist(?), calling Magnolia the worst movie ever is undefendable. If you were expecting a setup and then maybe a bank heist and a car chase that’s not the movie’s fault. For what it was, a character driver story, Magnolia is an example of great film making.
[/heading towards the pit]
I’m not going to move this thread, only to make TVeblen and that other guy, what’s his name, move it again to the Pit.