2. Performance Power
Of the four major releases in Anderson's career (The Master notwithstanding), there have been four Academy Award nominations in the acting categories. There were two for his breakout debut, Boogie Nights (Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore), one for Tom Cruise in Magnolia, and a nomination and win for Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. As The Master nears its release, consensus is that Joaquin Phoenix is a shoe in for Best Actor and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams have legitimate chances at their own nomination. This is an impressive group of nominees, but arguably Anderson's finest work came when Adam Sandler stepped away from his goofball persona to play Barry, the protagonist of his small romantic film Punch Drunk Love. Sandler has never again reached the heights of Punch Drunk Love as an actor, and the inspiring direction and writing of Anderson must be credited for this turn.