Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia has been an object of my adoration, fascination, and perhaps obsession since I first saw it in 2000.

Its primary appeal was (and remains) its collection of contradictions. Magnolia is simple in story and message, while its method is almost overwhelmingly complex. It feels messy but is obviously tightly controlled and purposeful. Once you understand the mechanics and see the meaning in even small details, some bits remain maddeningly hard to resolve. It is banal in its pronouncements and profound in their forceful sincerity.

I began this undertaking in earnest on February 27, 2019, with the goal of finishing it by December 17, 2019 — marking two decades since Magnolia’s theatrical release. I worked steadily, but that deadline came and went. I figured that nearly all of 2020 still counted as the movie’s 20th anniversary. And then the world shut down, and this project sat largely untouched for four years.

So it remains a work in progress. The goal is still a “book” of 82 essays. Pieces will be added and revised. The structure will develop slowly.

Whatever organizational scheme I ultimately choose, this project has always been planned as a compendium rather than a single work. Each essay is intended to stand alone as an exploration of one facet of the movie — a character, moment, theme, mystery, pattern, image, problem, or idea.