History Trivia / Magnolia

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/PaulThomasAnderson wrote the script with Creator/PhilipBakerHall and Creator/WilliamHMacy in mind.

* NamesTheSame: The gay barfly (played by [[Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn Henry Gibson]]) is named "[[Characters/GilligansIsland Thurston Howell]]".

* QuoteSource:
** DarkAndTroubledPast

* BillingDisplacement: Where's Creator/AlfredMolina? Oh, there he is. In one scene early on in the film. Despite of this, he is even credited above Melora Walters.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/PaulThomasAnderson wrote the script with Creator/PhillipBakerHall and Creator/WilliamHMacy in mind.

* ProductionPosse: Many of the film's major and minor actors return from Creator/PaulThomasAnderson's previous film, ''Film/BoogieNights''; the only exceptions among the former are Creator/TomCruise, Jason Robards, and Jeremy Blackman.

* TheDanza: Luis Guzman has a role as a contestant on "What Do Kids Know?" named Luis Guzman.
* DeletedRole: Orlando Jones' role, as "The Worm"--the father of the rapping boy and also the murderer of the man in the closet--was left on the cutting room floor. This makes Dead Guy in Closet's Murder an Unreveal and makes the boy's presence in the film more or less random. In the final cut Jones appears only as the [[InTheHood mysterious hooded]] pedestrian that Officer Jim chases before losing his gun.

* BigNameFan: Creator/IngmarBergman was a fan of the film.

* RealLifeRelative: The WWDK Show Director's Assistant is played by William Mapother, Creator/TomCruise's real-life cousin.

* Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman, who had mostly played creeps, jerks and losers up until then, plays NiceGuy Phil Parma.

* DeletedRole: Orlando Jones's role, as "The Worm"--the father of the rapping boy and also the murderer of the man in the closet--was left on the cutting room floor. This makes Dead Guy in Closet's Murder an Unreveal and makes the boy's presence in the film more or less random. In the final cut Jones appears only as the [[InTheHood mysterious hooded]] pedestrian that Officer Jim chases before losing his gun.

* RetroactiveRecognition: That's Creator/PattonOswalt as the croupier in the second story of the prologue.

** Debra Winger was considered for Linda Partridge.

* NamesTheSame: The gay barfly (played by [[Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn Henry Gibson]]) is named [[Characters/GilligansIsland "Thurston Howell."]]
* ProductionPosse: Creator/TomCruise and Jason Robards are the only principal players who did not also appear in Creator/PaulThomasAnderson's previous film, ''Film/BoogieNights''.
* RealLifeRelative: The Wwdk show directors assistant im this movie is played by William Mapother who is Creator/TomCruise's cousin in real life.
* ThrowItIn: According to Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman, during the deathbed scene, everything after Frank's 'I'm not going to cry for you' was improvised by Creator/TomCruise. Cruise didn't feel the scripted lines worked and Creator/PaulThomasAnderson told Cruise to think of when his own father died and to let it move him. During the next take Cruise broke down sobbing, resulting in the scene seen in the film. Hoffman stated Phil's reaction to Frank sobbing was his own, since he didn't know Cruise would enter such a zone and he felt the purity of Cruise's emotion.

** Creator/PaulThomasAnderson wanted to cast Creator/BurtReynolds for an unspecified role. But Reynolds became angry with Anderson during the promotional tour for ''Film/BoogieNights'' and turned the role down.
** Creator/DebraWinger was considered for Linda Partridge.
** Along with the scenes further explaining The Worm, there were many other scenes and dialogue exchanges included in the script but not used for the final film, including:
*** A scene in which Jimmy talks with Paula, the dancer he is sleeping with in the opening credits.
*** Extended dialogue between Gwenovier and Frank, about "Subjective human experience and terrible things", which was referenced in the final cut but not shown.

*** Further explanation during Earl's monologue concerning the reasons why he mistreated his first wife.
*** The tone of Frank's confrontation with his father is considerably different, with him showing less hostility, more genuine sympathy and concern, and attempting to wake him up.
*** It is made clear in the script that Jimmy doesn't survive the fire in his house caused by the destroyed television.

* DeletedScene: [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse We never really find out]] what was going on with the dead guy in the closet, or what the boy's confusing rap monologue ("I just told you who did it!") is about, or who "The Worm" is. In fact The Worm, played by Orlando Jones, is the boy's father, and the murderer. All his scenes were cut from the film, and he appears only as the mysterious hooded pedestrian Officer Jim chases before Jim loses his gun. Especially notable in that this is a rare deleted scene that's not available on any DVD release.

* WhatMightHaveBeen:

* ProductionPosse: Cruise and Robards are the only principal players who did not also appear in Anderson's previous film, ''Film/BoogieNights''.
* WhatMightHaveBeen: Creator/GeorgeCScott was offered the role of Earl Partridge, but turned it down because the script was, in his words, "..the worst fucking thing I've ever read. [[HypocriticalHumor The language is terrible]]."

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Creator/PattonOswalt is the Vegas croupier in the prologue.
** Rick Spector is [[Film/KillBill Buck, and he likes to fuck.]]
** [[Film/AChristmasStory Mother Parker]] is Rose Gator.
** [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD Agent Coulson]] is one of the "What Do Kids Know?" floor directors.
** [[Series/BreakingBad ASAC George Mekert]] plays one of Frank T.J. Mackey's assistants.
** The Janitor from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo during the film's prologue.

** Rick Spector is [[KillBill Buck, and he likes to fuck.]]

** PattonOswalt is the Vegas croupier in the prologue.

** [[TheAvengers Agent Coulson]] is one of the "What Do Kids Know?" floor directors.

** [[BreakingBad ASAC George Mekert]] plays one of Frank T.J. Mackey's assistants.