After the success of '' Boogie Nights '' , New Line told Anderson that he could do whatever he wanted for his next film and granted him creative control . Though Anderson initially wanted to make a film that was " intimate and small-scale " , the script " kept blossoming " . The resulting film was the ensemble piece '' Magnolia '' ( 1999 ) , which tells the story of the peculiar interaction of several individuals in the San Fernando Valley . Anderson used the music of Aimee Mann as a basis and inspiration for the film , commissioning her to write eight new songs . At the 72nd Academy Awards , the film was nominated for three Academy Awards , including for Best Supporting Actor ( Tom Cruise ) , Best Original Song for " Save Me " by Aimee Mann and Best Original Screenplay . Anderson stated after the film 's release that " what I really feel is that '' Magnolia '' is , for better or worse , the best movie I 'll ever make . " After the release of '' Magnolia '' , Anderson stated that he would like to work with Adam Sandler in the future and that he was determined to make his next film a comparatively shorter length of just 90 minutes . The resulting feature was the romantic comedy-drama film '' Punch-Drunk Love '' ( 2002 ) , starring Sandler , with Emily Watson portraying his love interest . The story centers on a beleaguered small-business owner with anger issues and seven emasculating sisters . A subplot in the film was partly based on David Phillips ( also called The Pudding Guy ) . Sandler received critical praise for his role in his first major departure from the mainstream comedies that had made him a star . At the 2002 Cannes Film Festival , Anderson won the Best Director Award and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
Paul Thomas Anderson