We can only attempt to guess the true meaning behind a lot of the occurrences in the film. If you research the meaning behind the film’s title, Magnolia, you while uncover a ton of theories (and lies). One person said the director Paul Thomas Anderson named the movie Magnolia because the characters kept blossoming like the characters… one person said it was because a lot of the movie was filmed on some street called Magnolia.. and the most interesting one I read about said that the title Magnolia came from the title of a ship called Magnolia (or something similar).

What, according to the film, is the nature and role of media?

I think the nature and role of media, based on this movie is to “put on a show” and entertain. However, if you look behind the curtain you see there is a much different story going on. I think the book The Influencing Machine touches upon some of the same lessons that this film teaches about media.

I honestly thought I knew how the movie would resolve itself… but I definitely was not expecting the raining frogs and the absurdity that happened at the end. I think the element of surprise that was presented in this film, after all that suspense, shows what media is really for as well. Surprising the audience and “putting on a show”/