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From: mysteriegirl
Date: 22 Feb 2000
Time: 15:10:59
Remote Name: 205.188.199.174
Let me preface this by saying that I've never been so intrigued by a movie that I researched different aspects of it to learn more about its depth. But I did. I haven't yet finished reading all the posted messages here, but I've had a personal break-through. I'm not sure how to put it into words, but I'll try. The money man in the bar mentions we're all like spokes in a wheel. Quiz Kid Donnie, though book smart, alerts the audience that this comment is more emotional than intellectual. Like most of the characters his E.Q. (emotional intelligence) is pretty low. He calls attention to the comment and questions its meaning. The movie ads show the characters' faces in the magnolia flower's beautiful pale petals. Spokes and petals. The Magnolia Blvd. intersection which unites an entire town. Etc. references to the interconnectedness of existence. This all goes hand-in-hand with the Hindu idea of Nirvana. Every living thing is like a raindrop. That water exists even after falling into an ocean, but it becomes a part of something more. Do you see? Lonely individuals ("one is the loneliest number") stumble through life making mistakes. Individual rain drops fall but no one takes the time to question the underlying meaning. Utter despair prevails. And a child sings "so just give up." Everyone wants to change and desperately is waiting for a sign. We all want to hope. It's human nature to wish for things to be okay again. It's what keeps us going. And then it happens. Something extraordinary makes people stop and question reality. Shit happens. Frogs fall. We sometimes have to be shocked into awareness. We need people. If we don't want to live/die with regret, we must take action. We're like spokes, petals. We are an integral part of a larger whole - not even in the center. We are important, but not all important. Life can go on without us. But it wouldn't be as good. PTA forgives Earl but not Jimmy. If we do horrible things, we should regret them and their effects on others. But more than that, we should do something to right the wrongs. Admit the truth. We should continuously improve ourselves and others. We "should know better." And we should do better.