 Hoffman took an unflattering role in Todd Solondz 's Happiness ( 1998 ) , a misanthropic comedy about the lives of three sisters and those around them . He played Allen , a strange loner who makes crude phone calls to women ; the character furiously masturbates during one conversation , producing what film scholar Jerry Mosher calls an " embarrassingly raw performance " . Jake Coyle of the Associated Press rated Allen as one of the creepiest characters in American cinema , but critic Xan Brooks highlighted the pathos that Hoffman brought to the role . Happiness was controversial but widely praised , and Hoffman 's role has been cited by critics as one of his best . His final 1998 release was more mainstream , as he appeared as a medical graduate in the Robin Williams comedy Patch Adams . The film was critically panned but one of the highest @-@ grossing of Hoffman 's career . In 1999 , Hoffman starred opposite Robert De Niro as drag queen Rusty Zimmerman in Joel Schumacher 's drama Flawless . Hoffman considered De Niro the most imposing actor that he had appeared with , and felt that working with the veteran performer profoundly improved his own acting . Hoffman 's ability to avoid clichés in playing such a delicate role was noted by critics , and Roger Ebert said it confirmed him as " one of the best new character actors " . He was rewarded with his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination . Hoffman then reunited with Paul Thomas Anderson , where he was given an atypically virtuous role in the ensemble drama Magnolia . The film , set over one day in Los Angeles , features Hoffman as a nurse who cares for Jason Robards ' character . The performance was approved of by the medical industry , and Jessica Winter of the Village Voice considered it Hoffman 's most indelible work , likening him to a guardian angel in his caring for the dying father . Magnolia has been included in lists of the greatest films of all time , and it was a personal favorite of Hoffman 's . 
