Aside from Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, referred to by many as PTA, is my favorite director.
I mean, the man just does not miss. With nine feature-length films under his belt, and his tenth film, One Battle After Another, coming in September, you’d be hard pressed to find another filmmaker who is as consistently great as PTA. That said, his oeuvre might be a little intimidating for the uninitiated.
That’s why, like my article for the film fan who wants to get into Kubrick, I thought I’d do the same thing for Anderson. So, for the film fan who wants to get into PTA’s body of work, here’s where I think you should start.
You Want Comedy? You Want Drama? Then Let’s Start With Boogie Nights
While Boogie Nights isn’t PTA’s first film, it’s the one that put him on the map. The story of a dishwasher who becomes a porn star, it’s one part comedy, and two parts drama.
Mark Wahlberg stars as Eddie Adams, a.k.a. Dirk Diggler, who has an enormous penis. He gets into the porno industry, and we see his rise in the ‘70s (a decade that PTA would revisit in a film that I initially wrote off, Licorice Pizza), and decline in the ‘80s. While all of this is going on, we see different aspects of that industry, and the dark road some stars had to go down.
This is a great place to start if you want to get into PTA because it’s really accessible. It’s hilarious at times (I especially like John C. Reilly and Burt Reynolds), but it’s also quite tragic at times, too (Julianne Moore and Heather Graham give exceptionally good performances).
It also features Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of my favorite roles of his as Scotty, a boom operator who is in love with Wahlberg’s character. In short, it’s just got it all. I also think it’s a litmus test, because if you don’t like Boogie Nights, then you likely won’t enjoy a large percentage of PTA’s films. I’m just talking facts.
It Might Not Be Easy To Find, But Try To Watch Hard Eight Next
Now, I know a lot of people might direct you to There Will Be Blood next (don’t worry, I’m getting there), but if you can find it, I’d recommend that you move on to PTA’s first film, Hard Eight, next.
Similar to directors like Tarantino, Mel Brooks, and David Lynch, PTA made a really good movie on his first try with Hard Eight.
Starring Philip Baker Hall, John C, Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson (with a great Philip Seymour Hoffman cameo), this is a relatively small film about a gambler (Hall), who teaches a homeless man named John (Reilly) the ropes, and turns him into his protege. However, when John falls in love with a cocktail waitress (Paltrow) and befriends a seedy character (Jackson), things start to go downhill quickly.
It’s just a damn good crime drama that may not be as lavish or epic as Casino, but I think that works in its favor. It’s a great character study, and it actually might be PTA’s most accessible movie he’s ever made. Remember, I’m trying to break you into PTA’s work nice and slow. But now, onto a biggy.
Magnolia Is Long, But It’s A Nice, Easy Next Step
Magnolia, which is PTA’s third film, was actually my introduction to the director. Like Scarface (the coolest gangster film ever) it was on two VHS tapes back in the day because this is one looong movie (it’s actually his longest at 188 minutes).
It’s also a great one. Starring a huge ensemble cast, which includes Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, and Melora Walters, just to name a few, the film feels pretty all over the place since characters have their own little stories, but it also ties together in the end.
The music is really something, and it’s said that Aimee Mann’s music inspired the script, which makes sense, given that a lot of the stories almost feel dreamlike in nature (especially when frogs start raining from the sky). My favorite of the interconnected stories involves Macy, who plays a former game show contestant who’s in love with a man with braces. Macy’s character also wants braces, hoping that it will start a relationship between the two.
Magnolia is a great next film since it’s epic in scope, but has a relatively easy to follow narrative that is another great gateway into the filmmaker’s work. Now, I think it’s finally time for you to watch what is often considered PTA’s magnum opus.
It’s A Big Departure From The Three Previous Films, But You’re Now Ready To Watch There Will Be Blood
Now, There Will Be Blood is not my favorite PTA film (that would be The Master), but I’m well aware that it’s considered his masterpiece.
For good reason, too. Starring Daniel Day Lewis in a towering performance as oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood very much feels like a fever dream in the best sort of way. Plainview, you see, is an uncompromising businessman. He will do anything within his power to become rich, even if it means funding a church that he doesn’t believe in just to appease the local religious folk.
But, Plainview’s greed clashes with the town’s preacher (played by Paul Dano), and the two feud with each other in a passive aggressive sort of way until the explosive ending. The film is a period piece, and it doesn’t feel like anything else in PTA’s entire filmography.
This movie is epic in scope — even more so than Magnolia, if you can believe it — so I definitely didn’t want to start you off with it. It’s also such a magnificent film that some of his earlier work may seem…I guess small in comparison, which is why I waited on this one. However, it now opens you up to any one of his movies. That said…
Since One Battle After Another Is Inspired By A Thomas Pynchon Novel, Let’s Finish With Inherent Vice
I wouldn’t typically end on Inherent Vice because it’s actually my least favorite PTA film. The movies I’ve given you will likely take you some time to get through, though, so I thought I’d end on this one just in case you wanted to make his next movie, One Battle After Another, your sixth film of the famed director’s, since it’s coming out pretty soon.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as a stoner private investigator, the plot starts off as a kidnapping case, but then goes all over the place. It’s a bit hard to follow, but as somebody who has always wanted to get into Pynchon’s often obfuscating books, I actually think Vice is probably the closest I’ll ever get into one of his stories, since PTA makes it accessible.
The story of One Battle After Another is inspired by Pynchon’s novel, Vineland, Vice might be the best lead-in to that film if it has a similar tone or vibe. PTA obviously has a love for Pynchon, so maybe close on this one.
Or not. Because honestly, now that you’ve cracked the PTA code, you can watch anything of his. Phantom Thread is a personal favorite of mine, and I adore Punch-Drunk Love. Wherever you go next, though, you can’t go wrong. PTA is the best!
