Paul Thomas Anderson named his 1999 drama Magnolia as “for better or worse” the best film he would ever make. The remark highlights the unusually personal importance of the ambitious ensemble film within his career, even though he later became more critical of its length.

Magnolia follows interconnected lives in California’s San Fernando Valley, exploring family trauma, illness, regret and the desire for connection over a single day. Running for just over three hours, it starred Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Cruise.