History Creator / PaulThomasAnderson

* BeingEvilSucks: His characters tend to be their own worst enemies and victims of their worst flaws as much as everyone around them.

* BlackAndGreyMorality / GreyAndGrayMorality

* EpicTrackingShot

** On a podcast promoting ''Film/TheBigShort'', Adam McKay recounts how Anderson read a script he and Creator/WillFerrell wrote (consisting of a musical number with sharks among other things) and when it couldn't get produced, he told them to write a script and whatever they made, he'd produce. And that script became ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy''. Had Paul not gone on to make ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' at that time, it would've been the only film he'd produce without directing.

* ''Soggy Bottom'' (2021)

** There were also rumors about him writing Creator/RobertDowneyJr's adaptation of ''Pinocchio'', with directing rumors not far behind. That fell through a few weeks later and Downey is looking for another writer.

** Robert Elswit has been the cinematographer for all of them except ''Film/TheMaster''.

Anderson has been said to belong to the "VCR Generation" of filmmakers, grouped with directors such as Creator/QuentinTarantino, Creator/RichardLinklater and Creator/KevinSmith, and described as filmmakers whose careers were founded not upon film school training, but from an enthusiastic love of movies.

* CopiouslyCreditedCreator: While his previous films are all written, directed and produced by him, ''Phantom Thread'' also had him credited as a cinematographer.[[note]]Anderson later stated that the cinematography was a collective effort, and thus there would be no credit.[[/note]]

** Not only that, but he's also done occasional work with many [[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]] alums. Aside from ''Punch-Drunk Love'' and [[Creator/MayaRudolph being married to an alum]], he’s worked on [[http://m.moviepilot.de/people/ben-affleck/videos/69217 an SNL short parodying MTV's Fanatic with Ben Affleck]], a sketch for David Spade's former show, a series of staged vignettes with Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, a cameo in ''Series/DocumentaryNow'', [[http://www.slashfilm.com/adam-sandler-netflix-special-paul-thomas-anderson/ and a Netflix special for Adam Sandler]]. ''Anchorman'' was almost an example, as seen below.

** Robert Elswit whas been the cinematographer for all of them except ''Film/TheMaster''.

* ReclusiveArtist: Of a sort. Many specifics about his films are shrouded in secrecy until release, he doesn't do many interviews, and refuses to be much of a participant on special features, believing his films should speak for themselves. However, starting with ''Film/InherentVice'', he started averting this, with the release of ''Phantom Thread'' getting him an appearance on ''Series/JimmyKimmelLive'', and well-received Q&As on Twitter and Reddit.

** He even tackles deep human connections whether its through romance in ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' or its a surrogate family like ''Film/BoogieNights''.

* TrollingCreator: While at the Cannes press conference for ''Film/{{Magnolia}}'', he announced that his next film would be [[Film/PunchDrunkLove an hour-and-a-half long rom com starring Adam Sandler]] to a room full of people who just watched a three-hour long, emotionally draining epic.

** On a podcast promoting ''Film/TheBigShort'', Adam McKay recounts how Anderson read a script he and Creator/WillFerrell wrote (consisting of a musical number with sharks among other things) and when it couldn't get produced, he told them to write a script and whatever they made, he'd produce. And that script became ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy''. Had Paul not gone onto make ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' at that time, it would've been the only film he'd produce without directing.

Awful mental pictures aside, Anderson was Hollywood royalty well before he became a director, being the son of the late actor and announcer Creator/ErnieAnderson, whose most famous character Ghoulardi inspired the name of his production company. His life partner is Creator/MayaRudolph, and they have four children together.

* ''Junun'' (2015) (documentary short) [[note]] Anderson's first documentary, about his composer from ''There Will Be Blood'' onwards, [[Music/{{Radiohead}} Jonny Greenwood]] recording his new album in UsefulNotes/{{India}} with Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur and local musicians at the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehrangarh_Fort Mehrangarh Fort]] in Rajasthan. [[/note]]
[[index]]
* ''Film/PhantomThread'' (2017)
[[/index]]

+ RobertDowneySr ]

+ Creator/RobertDowneySr ]

** He also seems to really dislike film snobbery as he dropped out of film school shortly after his first lecturer said that anyone who wants to make a film like ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' should leave, even despite never making such kind of films himself. He's also defended comic book films as being artistic.

* CreatorThumbprint: Tends to reference the Literature/BookOfExodus [[spoiler: with the Plague of Frogs]] in ''Film/{{Magnolia}}'' and the origin of ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood''.

** Not only that, but he's also done occasional work with many [[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]] alums. Aside from ‘’Punch-Drunk Love’’ and [[Creator/MayaRudolph being married to an alum]], he’s worked on [[http://m.moviepilot.de/people/ben-affleck/videos/69217 an SNL short parodying MTV's Fanatic with Ben Affleck]], a sketch for David Spade's former show, a series of staged vignettes with Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, a cameo in ''Series/DocumentaryNow'', [[http://www.slashfilm.com/adam-sandler-netflix-special-paul-thomas-anderson/ and a Netflix special for Adam Sandler]]. ''Anchorman'' was almost an example, as seen below.

* ReclusiveArtist: Of a sort. Many specifics about his films are shrouded in secrecy until release, he doesn't do many interviews, and refuses to be much of a participant on special features, believing his films should speak for themselves. However, starting with Film/InherentVice, he started averting this, with the release of Phantom Thread getting him an appearance on ''Series/JimmyKimmelLive'', and well-received Q&As on Twitter and Reddit.

** He even tackles deep human connections whether its through romance in Film/PunchDrunkLove or its a surrogate family like Film/BoogieNights.

** There were also rumors about him writing Creator/RobertDowneyJr's adaptation of Pinocchio, with directing rumors not far behind. That fell through a few weeks later and Downey is looking for another writer.

Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), more commonly known as P.T. Anderson, is an American filmmaker best known for writing and directing several films, including ''Film/BoogieNights'', ''Film/{{Magnolia}}'', ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' and ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood''. He is regarded as one of America's greatest film-makers and one of the most influential.

** Includes the late Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman, who appeared in five of Anderson's first six films, Creator/JulianneMoore, Creator/JohnCReilly, Luis Guzman, and Creator/PhilipBakerHall. Hoffman has been in every P.T.A. movie except ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood''.

* AcclaimedFlop: Every film he directed was a critical success and a box office bomb except ''Boogie Nights'' and ''There Will Be Blood'', which were successful at the box office too; and Film/PhantomThread at least broke even.

** He also seems to really dislike film snobbery as he dropped out of film school shortly after his first lecturer said that anyone who wants to make a film like ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' should leave and he's defend comic book films as being artistic.

** He also seems to really dislike film snobbery as he dropped out of film school shortly after his first lecturer said that anyone who wants to make a film like ''Film/Terminator2JudgementDay'' should leave and he's defend comic book films as being artistic.

Not to be confused with Creator/PaulWSAnderson, although both have gone by merely Paul Anderson before, or with science fiction author P'''o'''ul Anderson.

* AcclaimedFlop: Every film he directed was a critical success and a box office bomb except ''Boogie Nights'' and ''There Will Be Blood'', which were successful at the box office too.

* ReclusiveArtist: Of a sort. Many specifics about his films are shrouded in secrecy until release, he doesn't do many interviews, and refuses to be much of a participant on special features, believing his films should speak for themselves. However, the promotion for ''Phantom Thread'' has him averting this, with an appearance on ''Series/JimmyKimmelLive'', and well-received Q&As on Twitter and Reddit.

+ Creator/JonathanDemme, Creator/RobertAltman, Creator/MartinScorsese, Creator/StanleyKubrick, Creator/OrsonWelles, Creator/MaxOphuls ]

Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), more commonly known as P.T. Anderson, is an American filmmaker best known for writing and directing several films, including ''Film/BoogieNights'', ''Film/{{Magnolia}}'', ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' and ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood''.

Awful mental pictures aside, Anderson was Hollywood royalty well before he became a director, being the son of the late actor and announcer Creator/ErnieAnderson. His life partner is Creator/MayaRudolph, and they have four children together.

* SignatureStyle: His movies are filmed using a dynamic camera and are usually sneaky period film about a character who seems alienated from the rest of the world and has to learn about accepting themselves as they are. His films often show characters going through growing pains to reveal deeper insights about how culture has been formed.

Awful mental pictures aside, Anderson was Hollywood royalty well before he became a director, being the son of the late actor Ernie Anderson, aka Creator/{{Ghoulardi}}. His life partner is Creator/MayaRudolph, and they have four children together.

** Not only that, but he's also done occasional work with many [[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]] alums. Aside from ‘’Punch-Drunk Love’’ and [[Creator/MayaRudolph being married to an alum]], he’s worked on [[http://m.moviepilot.de/people/ben-affleck/videos/69217 an SNL short parodying MTV's Fanatic with Ben Affleck]], a sketch for David Spade's former show, a series of staged vignettes with Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, a cameo in ''Series/DocumentaryNow.'', [[http://www.slashfilm.com/adam-sandler-netflix-special-paul-thomas-anderson/ and a Netflix special for Adam Sandler]]. ''Anchorman'' was almost an example, as seen below.

** Not only that, but he's also done occasional work with many [[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]] alums. Aside from ‘’Punch-Drunk Love’’ and [[Creator/MayaRudolph being married to an alum]], he’s worked on [[http://m.moviepilot.de/people/ben-affleck/videos/69217 an SNL short parodying MTV's Fanatic with Ben Affleck]], a sketch for David Spade's former show, a series of staged vignettes with Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, and a cameo in ''Series/DocumentaryNow.'' ''Anchorman'' was almost an example, as seen below.