'Boogie Nights': 10 reasons it's one of the best films of 1990s

Last night I did a revisit with P.T. Anderson's breakout film Boogie Nights because my girlfriend had never seen it.

I've always admired the movie for its ambition, brilliant performances and flawless editing but after viewing it with fresh eyes I'm convinced it's one of the best films of the 1990s.

Shockingly it wasn't even nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards in 1997, the year it came out. The safe (and I think forgettable) blockbuster Titanic triumphed that year instead.

Boogie Nights -- with complex and immaculately detailed plotting and character dynamics -- went 0 for 3. A travesty in my opinion.

Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore definitely should have won for their powerful portrayals of the patriarch and matriarch, respectively, of a kind of ersatz porn industry "family" -- but the movie is stacked with phenomenal acting from one of the most top-notch casts ever assembled. Here are 10 reasons why it's a masterpiece:

1) The soundtrack: Instead of just playing the perfunctory, obvious '70s songs that every period movie uses, Anderson digs deep with his selections and comes up with an incredible tapestry of moods and sounds that always accent the emotions or scenario, instead of distracting from it. The same thing goes for the costumes, they are appropriate but never silly.

2) The editing: Anderson's camera is so fluid here and there are some truly sublime single-take tracking shots that have to be seen to be believed. I never felt like he was showing off though; his flashy editing and dynamic staging always serves the story. That said, there are some of the most breathtaking cuts and pans in this movie that I've ever seen. It's a fast paced 2 and 1/2 hour film and the amount of information and emotion it's able to convey with a simple shot is awe inspiring.

3) The structure: The film is essentially two halves -- three years on either side of 1980 (the midpoint is marked with one of the most devastating moments of the movie). The years 1977 to 1980 are full of excitement as Mark Wahlberg's Dirk Diggler makes his ascent in the adult film industry. The second half of this film is his character's (and most of the others') long slow descent into tragedy. There are occasionally titles which effectively put you in a place and time without manipulating how you feel.

Hoffman and Wahlberg in Boogie Nights

4) The cast: Speaking of Wahlberg. I can't say enough good things about his performance or the rest of the cast's contributions. With the exception of Reynolds, this was my first time getting real exposure to actors like John C. Reilly, Heather Graham (who is quite excellent here), Don Cheadle, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Wahlberg gives a very smart performance as a pretty dumb, callow character. Moore is heartbreaking as a woman estranged for her child who's trying to be a mother to everyone to make up for it. Meanwhile, Reynolds shows great depth and pathos as a porn director who wants to be taken seriously. And I haven't even mentioned William H. Macy yet...

Anderson is a great admirer of Robert Altman, and that really comes across here. It's a real ensemble film, where everyone has true character development and a chance to shine.

5) The story: Anderson had the guts to make a serious and yet unpretentious movie about the porn industry. He neither glorifies it nor vilifies it, which may be why more uptight critics 17 years ago didn't know how to feel about the film. And the porn stuff is just a part of the story. These are earnest working people trying to make a name for themselves, trying to feel wanted and special.

The film's wide array of characters and plots make the film feel like an all-encompassing statement of a time period that was both glamorous and incredibly naive -- the late '70s and early '80s. In doing so, it feels like one of those great epic films like The Godfather or Citizen Kane, which seem to be not just about their time but all times.

6) The films within the film: One of the great pleasures of Boogie Nights is the perfectly staged fake films within the film, such as the stilted porn movies with their inane names or the self-serving documentary starring Diggler which Moore's character puts together as a tribute to him. It's a master class in intentionally bad acting (John C. Reilly in particular is a genius at this) and also a great way to convey the sincerity, albeit misplaced, of the characters.

Moore and Wahlberg in Boogie Nights

These characters think they're making art, which makes their failures more pathetic, and more engaging.

7) The humor: The film has some terribly dark scenes and themes -- but the more troubling aspects of the film never prevent it from being wildly funny. Characters often say and do idiotic things but are totally oblivious to their absurdity, which is almost always ideal in comedy.

This is never more true than in the scenes featuring Reilly and Wahlberg trying to get their nascent music careers off the ground. Both actors bravely allow themselves to look ridiculous so that we can all enjoy "Feel My Heat" all the more.

8) The sex: There are horribly disturbing and uncomfortable sex scenes in Boogie Nights and there also genuinely erotic moments as well -- as there should be in a movie with this film's breadth and depth. This is one of the many wonders of the Moore performance. In one scene she's making love to Wahlberg's character in a porn film and yet treating him with the tenderness that a mother would her child. It's a surreal scene and yet she imbues it with so much realism.

9) The pure crazy: Even after all these years, Boogie Nights has not lost its ability to shock me. It's not just its matter-of-fact portrayal of porn films though, it's the sudden bursts of violence, plus the very plausible use of coked up characters. Take the much-talked about denouement that features Alfred Molina as a drug-addled dealer in a bathrobe singing along with his "awesome mix tape" as a young Asian boy randomly sets off fire crackers. In another film this scene would seem perfunctory and indulgent, but here it feels like a plot point too specific not to be true.

10) The ending: Despite plunging headlong into darkness -- Boogie Nights ends on a truly moving glimmer of hope. As Reynolds character glides throughout his inviting California home and touches base with all of the personalities we've come to know and love, there's a sense of familial bonds that can't and won't be broken. I am still on the fence about the very last shot. SPOILER ALERT: I have never felt like you needed to see Diggler's member, but there's a way to interpret it that serves the story, too. At the end of the day, that's all he is and that's all he has to offer to the world.

Ok, maybe the ending isn't so happy.