Paul Thomas Anderson’s directorial style isn’t as obvious as that of Tarantino or Scorsese. Instead of portraying pop culture references and blood-drenched violence, Anderson tends to tell human stories with a naturalistic tone, like Robert Altman or Hal Ashby. But there are still plenty of recurring motifs and hallmarks that define Anderson’s filmmaking.

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From needle-drops on the soundtrack to Steadicam long takes in the cinematography, a lot of those stylistic trademarks can be seen in all their glory in Anderson’s latest masterpiece, the coming-of-age romance Licorice Pizza.

Soundtrack Needle-Drops

Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman as Gary and Alana lying on a waterbed together in Licorice Pizza

Anderson sometimes utilizes original scores from composers like Jon Brion or Jonny Greenwood, but he’s more renowned for his Scorsese-esque needle-drops. His films’ soundtracks include such hits as Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” in Boogie Nights and Supertramp’s “Goodbye Stranger” in Magnolia.

Greenwood contributed to the Licorice Pizza soundtrack, but Anderson primarily uses licensed hits from the era in which the film takes place, like “Life on Mars?” by David Bowie, “Let Me Roll It” by Paul McCartney, and “Peace Frog” by the Doors.

Steadicam Long Takes

Alana and Gary running in Licorice Pizza

Whether he’s tracking around a nightclub in Boogie Nights or following Barry around his workplace in Punch-Drunk Love, Anderson is known for capturing elegant, sweeping long takes with a Steadicam. Unsurprisingly, considering Anderson is credited as his own cinematographer, Licorice Pizza contains plenty of signature Andersonian long takes.

There’s a recurring motif of Gary and Alana running through the streets of L.A. and one iconic (and probably very expensive) shot following Bradley Cooper to a crowded gas station where he uses a lighter to steal a guy’s pump.

Based On Real People

Jon Peters yelling at Gary in Licorice Pizza

Anderson’s characters famously take inspiration from real people. Boogie Nights’ tragic hero, Dirk Diggler, was inspired by adult film star John Holmes. The Master’s charming cult leader, Lancaster Dodd, is a satire of Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

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According to Variety, Gary Valentine, the teenage actor-turned-entrepreneur at the heart of Licorice Pizza, was based on film producer and former child actor Gary Goetzman. Some supporting characters are directly lifted from real-life figures – some with their real names left intact, like Jon Peters, and others with their names tweaked like “Jack Holden” (based on William Holden).

Human Connection

Alana and Gary sitting on a plane in Licorice Pizza

Human connection is a common theme across Anderson’s filmography. All of his movies explore the joys and pitfalls of relationships between human beings. In Licorice Pizza, a 25-year-old photographer’s assistant finds a kindred spirit with a 15-year-old waterbed entrepreneur.

Anderson’s tales of human connection tend to revolve around a romance, like Licorice Pizza or Punch-Drunk Love, or a deeply dysfunctional father-son dynamic: a veteran gambler and the drifter he picks up (Hard Eight), a young pornstar and the adult film mogul who launches his career (Boogie Nights), an oil baron and the adopted son he abandons (There Will Be Blood), a disturbed war veteran and the charismatic cult leader who takes him under his wing (The Master), etc.

San Fernando Valley

Alana and Jack sit on a motorcycle in Licorice Pizza

From Boogie Nights to Magnolia to Punch-Drunk Love, most of Anderson’s movies take place in his hometown, L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. After a handful of large-scale historical dramas, Anderson has returned to the Valley for his latest film.

Licorice Pizza features such Valley hotspots as The Baked Potato jazz club (previously mentioned in La La Land) and Van Nuys Golf Course, where Sean Penn impresses a crowd with a motorcycle stunt.

Loose, Episodic Story Structure

Alana speaks down to Gary in Licorice Pizza

Anderson’s screenplays are more focused on character than plot. He tends to write loose, episodic narratives that reflect life more accurately than traditional three-act storytelling.

Licorice Pizza’s script is made up of vignettes like being wrongfully arrested for murder, provoking the ire of a Lucille Ball parody on-stage, and getting stranded in the hills in a truck with no gas after delivering a waterbed to Jon Peters’ house.

Dysfunctional Families

Gary Valentine doing the quiet sign in Licorice Pizza

Anderson’s characters rarely have a healthy family life. In Punch-Drunk Love, Barry Egan is mercilessly bullied by his sisters. In There Will Be Blood, Daniel Plainview adopts H.W., then abandons him on a train when he gets sick of fatherhood. In The Master, Freddie Quell is traumatized by the abuse he received from his aunt.

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In Licorice Pizza, Gary and Alana both get along with their parents and siblings, but their family life is still unconventional: Alana feels trapped by her conservative father and Gary and his mother are business partners.

The 1970s

Alana drives a car with Gary beside her in Licorice Pizza

Anderson has explored a bunch of historical eras: the dawn of America in There Will Be Blood, post-war society in The Master, 1950s London in Phantom Thread. He’s also told a few contemporary stories, like Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. But the time period he keeps coming back to is the 1970s.

Boogie Nights took place during the “Golden Age of Porn,” Inherent Vice transplanted the “stoner noir” vibes of The Big Lebowski in the early ‘70s, and movie theater marquees indicate that Licorice Pizza takes place in 1973.

Ensemble Cast

Joel Wachs running for office in Licorice Pizza

From Boogie Nights to Magnolia, Anderson’s films frequently include a sprawling ensemble cast. This Robert Altman-inspired “hyperlink cinema” style has allowed recurring players like John C. Reilly and Philip Seymour Hoffman to pop up in supporting roles.

While Licorice Pizza is undeniably anchored by Gary and Alana, the cast is filled with scene-stealing supporting players. A-listers like Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper make extended cameos in small roles that leave a big impression.

Outsiders

Alana Kane smiling gently in Licorice Pizza

Many of Anderson’s protagonists are quintessential outsiders: Dirk Diggler is a fish out of water in the porn industry; Barry Egan is an emotionally disturbed loner; Freddie Quell is a soldier struggling to return to civilian life.

Licorice Pizza’s lead duo of Gary and Alana are a pair of outsiders who discover an unlikely kinship with one another. Gary is a teenager in showbusiness, surrounded by uncontrollable divas and toxic personalities, and Alana is an aimless twentysomething trying to figure out what to do with her life.

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