![ "Magnolia" is a modern mosaic of American life woven together through a series of comic and poignant interwoven vignettes. Through a collision of coincidence, chance, human action, reaction, shared media, past history and divine intervention nine people will weave through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax.As motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise brings us the dark side of the male psyche and shows him exploiting the weaker side of men, when they feel inadequate and can't relate to women. When we learn of Mackey's own inadequacies we get the other side of the coin when we see an arrogant stronger man reduced to nothing when confronted with death and his past. This is Anderson's forcing his characters to make peace with his past and move on, some thing we never previous got from a male character in any of his films.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/de/8a/de8acb1737a345c27a4ad19a953badb2.jpg?itok=tvtTk8m2 " "Magnolia" is a modern mosaic of American life woven together through a series of comic and poignant interwoven vignettes. Through a collision of coincidence, chance, human action, reaction, shared media, past history and divine intervention nine people will weave through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax.As motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise brings us the dark side of the male psyche and shows him exploiting the weaker side of men, when they feel inadequate and can't relate to women. When we learn of Mackey's own inadequacies we get the other side of the coin when we see an arrogant stronger man reduced to nothing when confronted with death and his past. This is Anderson's forcing his characters to make peace with his past and move on, some thing we never previous got from a male character in any of his films."){kind=small}
![ "Boogie Nights" is story that is epic in scale about the adult film business in the 1970's in the San Fernando Valley. It's a film that breaks convention and delivers sex, drugs and violence on an unexpected bed of tenderness. It is a classic backstage tale told through the rise and fall of one Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and an extended family of filmmakers who try the porn film to all new artistic heights.While the sex is obviously on the surface this is first and foremost a film that is about family. Focusing on a young wayward kid from a broken home, who just needs someone to take him and love him. Enter Jack Horner played brilliantly in the film by Burt Reynolds who is seen above, taking in all wayward souls who are needing a home and buy into his vision of filmmaking. Reynolds and Wahlberg work together so incredibly well and it is a heartbreaking story about the nature of finding family wherever you find it. Both actors did a great job and along with this incredibly talented ensemble the familial nature of the story rose to the top. While clearly a story filled with flaws neither Wahlberg or Reynolds and actually none of the male leads in any PT Anderson film are all that likable, yetyou still can't help but finding yourself rooting for them, even when doing something fairly socially unacceptable during their rise and fall.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/49/75/4975609ba1fa9be6b159c9bc4d63a02a.jpg?itok=6p2dd3KI " "Boogie Nights" is story that is epic in scale about the adult film business in the 1970's in the San Fernando Valley. It's a film that breaks convention and delivers sex, drugs and violence on an unexpected bed of tenderness. It is a classic backstage tale told through the rise and fall of one Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and an extended family of filmmakers who try the porn film to all new artistic heights.While the sex is obviously on the surface this is first and foremost a film that is about family. Focusing on a young wayward kid from a broken home, who just needs someone to take him and love him. Enter Jack Horner played brilliantly in the film by Burt Reynolds who is seen above, taking in all wayward souls who are needing a home and buy into his vision of filmmaking. Reynolds and Wahlberg work together so incredibly well and it is a heartbreaking story about the nature of finding family wherever you find it. Both actors did a great job and along with this incredibly talented ensemble the familial nature of the story rose to the top. While clearly a story filled with flaws neither Wahlberg or Reynolds and actually none of the male leads in any PT Anderson film are all that likable, yetyou still can't help but finding yourself rooting for them, even when doing something fairly socially unacceptable during their rise and fall."){kind=small}
![ In "Hard Eight" we meet Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) a poker-faced professional gambler with a soft heart for a hard luck case. He plays guardian angel to John and Clementine (John C Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow) and even when their honeymoon night leads to a disastrous hostage situation he takes care of everything, as he always does. However when slick casino pro Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson) threatens to reveal a secret from the past that could destroy his relationships with the newlyweds, he decides to hedge his bets and not leave anything to chance.With this; P.T. Anderson's first film we get introduced to many motifs that carry through all of his films as the unconventional male hero and father figure issues get explored from early on. We see the male father/son relationship begin to get explored as Sydney takes John under his wing and teaches him how to make a sustainable living as a professional gambler. He paints his leading men in a variety of different ways, here we get the sage elder looking to make amends for a broken past by any means necessary taking care of those under his wing. Veteran character actor Philip Baker Hall brings the role to life with real grace and dignity as we see this once bad man try to right the sins of his past by taking care of a few lost souls. The father role and archetype is one that's very strong throughout all his films.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/dc/50/dc5020c5afe79d65e8c8c01f8daa12ab.jpg?itok=ruYK8vbn " In "Hard Eight" we meet Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) a poker-faced professional gambler with a soft heart for a hard luck case. He plays guardian angel to John and Clementine (John C Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow) and even when their honeymoon night leads to a disastrous hostage situation he takes care of everything, as he always does. However when slick casino pro Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson) threatens to reveal a secret from the past that could destroy his relationships with the newlyweds, he decides to hedge his bets and not leave anything to chance.With this; P.T. Anderson's first film we get introduced to many motifs that carry through all of his films as the unconventional male hero and father figure issues get explored from early on. We see the male father/son relationship begin to get explored as Sydney takes John under his wing and teaches him how to make a sustainable living as a professional gambler. He paints his leading men in a variety of different ways, here we get the sage elder looking to make amends for a broken past by any means necessary taking care of those under his wing. Veteran character actor Philip Baker Hall brings the role to life with real grace and dignity as we see this once bad man try to right the sins of his past by taking care of a few lost souls. The father role and archetype is one that's very strong throughout all his films."){kind=small}
There are some filmmakers and storytellers who craft characters that simply rise from the screen and beginning a life all of their own. With the release of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's sixth film "The Master" tomorrow on DVD & Blu-Ray, I thought it might be time to take a look at some of the mysterious and unique male characters that inhabit all of his films going all the way back to his very first film "Hard Eight" with all his anti-hero type male leads along with the several father figure images and characters that make his films journeys inside the male psyche so very interesting.
Before you rent "The Master" on DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow at video stores or via on demand from all major providers or even if you purchase it from a major retailer like HMV, amazon.ca or iTunes, take this walk with us and look at the male psyche and how it plays out in some of these iconic films.
![ In "Hard Eight" we meet Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) a poker-faced professional gambler with a soft heart for a hard luck case. He plays guardian angel to John and Clementine (John C Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow) and even when their honeymoon night leads to a disastrous hostage situation he takes care of everything, as he always does. However when slick casino pro Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson) threatens to reveal a secret from the past that could destroy his relationships with the newlyweds, he decides to hedge his bets and not leave anything to chance.With this; P.T. Anderson's first film we get introduced to many motifs that carry through all of his films as the unconventional male hero and father figure issues get explored from early on. We see the male father/son relationship begin to get explored as Sydney takes John under his wing and teaches him how to make a sustainable living as a professional gambler. He paints his leading men in a variety of different ways, here we get the sage elder looking to make amends for a broken past by any means necessary taking care of those under his wing. Veteran character actor Philip Baker Hall brings the role to life with real grace and dignity as we see this once bad man try to right the sins of his past by taking care of a few lost souls. The father role and archetype is one that's very strong throughout all his films.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/91/81/918160ff4f83a43ae376e201335bfc23.jpg?itok=BaoAxIHQ " In "Hard Eight" we meet Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) a poker-faced professional gambler with a soft heart for a hard luck case. He plays guardian angel to John and Clementine (John C Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow) and even when their honeymoon night leads to a disastrous hostage situation he takes care of everything, as he always does. However when slick casino pro Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson) threatens to reveal a secret from the past that could destroy his relationships with the newlyweds, he decides to hedge his bets and not leave anything to chance.With this; P.T. Anderson's first film we get introduced to many motifs that carry through all of his films as the unconventional male hero and father figure issues get explored from early on. We see the male father/son relationship begin to get explored as Sydney takes John under his wing and teaches him how to make a sustainable living as a professional gambler. He paints his leading men in a variety of different ways, here we get the sage elder looking to make amends for a broken past by any means necessary taking care of those under his wing. Veteran character actor Philip Baker Hall brings the role to life with real grace and dignity as we see this once bad man try to right the sins of his past by taking care of a few lost souls. The father role and archetype is one that's very strong throughout all his films.")
![ "Boogie Nights" is story that is epic in scale about the adult film business in the 1970's in the San Fernando Valley. It's a film that breaks convention and delivers sex, drugs and violence on an unexpected bed of tenderness. It is a classic backstage tale told through the rise and fall of one Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and an extended family of filmmakers who try the porn film to all new artistic heights.While the sex is obviously on the surface this is first and foremost a film that is about family. Focusing on a young wayward kid from a broken home, who just needs someone to take him and love him. Enter Jack Horner played brilliantly in the film by Burt Reynolds who is seen above, taking in all wayward souls who are needing a home and buy into his vision of filmmaking. Reynolds and Wahlberg work together so incredibly well and it is a heartbreaking story about the nature of finding family wherever you find it. Both actors did a great job and along with this incredibly talented ensemble the familial nature of the story rose to the top. While clearly a story filled with flaws neither Wahlberg or Reynolds and actually none of the male leads in any PT Anderson film are all that likable, yetyou still can't help but finding yourself rooting for them, even when doing something fairly socially unacceptable during their rise and fall.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/8c/c8/8cc85fb89f9bcea464a7f7859252078f.jpg?itok=9M1nbJj1 " "Boogie Nights" is story that is epic in scale about the adult film business in the 1970's in the San Fernando Valley. It's a film that breaks convention and delivers sex, drugs and violence on an unexpected bed of tenderness. It is a classic backstage tale told through the rise and fall of one Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and an extended family of filmmakers who try the porn film to all new artistic heights.While the sex is obviously on the surface this is first and foremost a film that is about family. Focusing on a young wayward kid from a broken home, who just needs someone to take him and love him. Enter Jack Horner played brilliantly in the film by Burt Reynolds who is seen above, taking in all wayward souls who are needing a home and buy into his vision of filmmaking. Reynolds and Wahlberg work together so incredibly well and it is a heartbreaking story about the nature of finding family wherever you find it. Both actors did a great job and along with this incredibly talented ensemble the familial nature of the story rose to the top. While clearly a story filled with flaws neither Wahlberg or Reynolds and actually none of the male leads in any PT Anderson film are all that likable, yetyou still can't help but finding yourself rooting for them, even when doing something fairly socially unacceptable during their rise and fall.")
![ "Magnolia" is a modern mosaic of American life woven together through a series of comic and poignant interwoven vignettes. Through a collision of coincidence, chance, human action, reaction, shared media, past history and divine intervention nine people will weave through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax.As motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise brings us the dark side of the male psyche and shows him exploiting the weaker side of men, when they feel inadequate and can't relate to women. When we learn of Mackey's own inadequacies we get the other side of the coin when we see an arrogant stronger man reduced to nothing when confronted with death and his past. This is Anderson's forcing his characters to make peace with his past and move on, some thing we never previous got from a male character in any of his films.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/9b/45/9b45443f66cdf4e4243cdafc669abcf0.jpg?itok=rpzmxE-9 " "Magnolia" is a modern mosaic of American life woven together through a series of comic and poignant interwoven vignettes. Through a collision of coincidence, chance, human action, reaction, shared media, past history and divine intervention nine people will weave through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax.As motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise brings us the dark side of the male psyche and shows him exploiting the weaker side of men, when they feel inadequate and can't relate to women. When we learn of Mackey's own inadequacies we get the other side of the coin when we see an arrogant stronger man reduced to nothing when confronted with death and his past. This is Anderson's forcing his characters to make peace with his past and move on, some thing we never previous got from a male character in any of his films.")
![ "Punch Drunk Love" introduces us to Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) who is a socially awkward owner of a small novelty business who is dominated by the seven sisters and is unlikely to find love unless it finds him that is until a mysterious woman comes into his life and his emotions go on a haywire ride that fluctuates that he can't even be prepared for.As an emotional disturbed man who is being extorted by phone sex line kingpin who is also a crooked mattress salesman, Adam Sandler embodies the fractured male psyche to a tee. His fragile journey of man who has been down to the point that he doesn't know how to accept or receive love is fascinating to watch. Anderson does break his leading man in this film, he's already broken and the journey is watching him move on from that.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/3c/81/3c81d1d5ceb297eaade59cc1f8dc74ed.jpg?itok=V5wh9Kfi " "Punch Drunk Love" introduces us to Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) who is a socially awkward owner of a small novelty business who is dominated by the seven sisters and is unlikely to find love unless it finds him that is until a mysterious woman comes into his life and his emotions go on a haywire ride that fluctuates that he can't even be prepared for.As an emotional disturbed man who is being extorted by phone sex line kingpin who is also a crooked mattress salesman, Adam Sandler embodies the fractured male psyche to a tee. His fragile journey of man who has been down to the point that he doesn't know how to accept or receive love is fascinating to watch. Anderson does break his leading man in this film, he's already broken and the journey is watching him move on from that.")
![ "There Will Be Blood" is a story of greed, family , religion and the power that comes with the black gold otherwise known as oil centered around a ruthless business man (Daniel Day Lewis) at the turn of the century when the oil business was starting to boom.Never has there been a male character that has commanded the screen in a PT Anderson film then Daniel Day Lewis did in his turn as Daniel Plainview. In this role he really embodied the driven and dark side of man and was downright menacing as his lust for power grew even as he stood in conflict with local preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) who craved a different kind of power.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/0c/80/0c80e2d83b2263fd75d18304cf390f1c.jpg?itok=sNBlawXm " "There Will Be Blood" is a story of greed, family , religion and the power that comes with the black gold otherwise known as oil centered around a ruthless business man (Daniel Day Lewis) at the turn of the century when the oil business was starting to boom.Never has there been a male character that has commanded the screen in a PT Anderson film then Daniel Day Lewis did in his turn as Daniel Plainview. In this role he really embodied the driven and dark side of man and was downright menacing as his lust for power grew even as he stood in conflict with local preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) who craved a different kind of power.")
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