Practical Magic

1998 "For two sisters from a family of witches, falling in love is the trickiest spell of all."
6.3| 1h44m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 16 October 1998 Released
Producted By: Di Novi Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian's vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov, dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters give themselves a crash course in hard magic. With policeman Gary Hallet growing suspicious, the girls struggle to resurrect Angelov -- and unwittingly inject his corpse with an evil spirit that threatens to end their family line.

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Director

Griffin Dunne

Production Companies

Di Novi Pictures

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Practical Magic Audience Reviews

Console best movie i've ever seen.
Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
smatysia It's hard to put my finger on exactly what went wrong with this movie. Many critics said things like "it doesn't know what it wants to be" or "it is mixing genres". I don't really see anything wrong with mixing genres. It can make a film more original and less formulaic. It just seemed that most of the cast just lacked chemistry with one another. This is odd because these are very talented actors. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock just didn't ring true in their roles as sisters. Neither did Aiden Quinn or Goran Visnjic. The real chemistry was with the older sisters, the crazy aunts, played very well by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. In spite of some good stuff, it did not coalesce into a good movie.
Jade McPherson This film is completely crap. There is virtually no story and the parts there are a story it is completely unbelievable. For example, why would you cast a spell on a guy you killed because he tried to kill you to bring him back to life?Indeed a lot of the plot revolves around the misuse of magical spells and two dumb sisters who don't know what the hell they are doing. Stockard Channing is actually really funny in this film but she doesn't play a big enough role to raise this film rating. I would urge everyone to not buy this film as it is utter garbage and a complete waste of money to buy it on DVD. Indeed the only satisfaction I got from this film was when it ended and I then resold it for a fiver.
rooprect I hate using labels like "chick flick", but one look at the IMDb voting demographics shows that this is literally a chick flick. As of the time I'm writing this, females rate it nearly 2 points higher than males, and in the under 18 group it's even more exaggerated.Well I'm a guy, and I dug it. If you're flexible enough to appreciate the macho man cheesiness of "Commando" (like Arnold Schwarzenegger riding on the landing gear of a Boeing 747) as well as the chick flick cheesiness of "Pretty Woman" (like Richard Gere riding on the sunroof of a white limo) ...both of which are equal in amounts of cheese but from different perspectives... then I think you can have a fun time watching "Practical Magic". Why? Because it seems to hit us with both extremes.On the surface, the story seems to be brewing a sinister dark comedy: the Owens women just can't seem to keep men long before they kick the bucket. Tons of potential for a slightly demented "Beetlejuice" kinda story, or even "Heathers". But instead of going in that direction (i.e. treating death as crazy joke), "Practical Magic" takes it quite seriously and is not afraid to get pretty sentimental on the subject. In other words, it takes a very morbid "guy flick" story but treats it with "chick flick" sensitivity.And that's just the beginning. We haven't gotten to the other dark themes of wife beating, alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, murder and re-murder. So, you ask, if it has all these disturbing themes and refuses to make light of them, how the heck can this be a comedy? The answer is that the leading ladies, not just Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman but also their crazy aunts played by Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest, act their roles with playful humor and endearing wit. It reminded me a little of "Sex and the City", the way the stories can be downright upsetting, but the humor comes in the way the characters behave despite it all. "Practical Magic" doesn't rely on a silly story for its laughs but instead lets the acting pave the way for levity.Roger Ebert gave this movie a mostly negative review, saying "the movie doesn't seem sure what tone to adopt, veering uncertainly from horror to laughs to romance." But I think Ebert failed to see that the film's charm is the fact that the characters can indulge in laughs and romance *despite* the horror.Ebert also criticized: "'Practical Magic' is too scary for children and too childish for adults. Who was it made for?" The answer is it's made for adults who can indulge in childishness. Basically if you get the gist of my review, it's the idea that this film is an unexpected blend of opposites. I have to admit it caught me off guard for a while, but I eventually figured out the rhythm and had a fun ride.Do NOT expect a sinister, dark comedy. Do NOT expect a totally light-hearted silly romp either. The best way I can describe it would be to compare it to some of the 80s horror-comedies like "Fright Night", "Vamp" or even "Gremlins" but with a dash of "Thelma & Louise". Throw em all together in a giant cauldron and have some fun.
chrisgomez23 Bullock and Kidman are very good as the central characters, very believable as different-but-bonded sisters. Kidman is a little too flaky at times to be a fully credible witch, but this characterization runs well enough in context. Channing (whom I rarely enjoy) and Wiest are excellent in major supporting roles, outdone only by Webb and Wood (Sally's daughters) who show their abilities by *not* overacting their potentially cutesy roles. Instead, they do a great job in stating variations on their mother and Aunt Gilly.Overall, I think most aspects of direction and production could have used one more iteration of quality improvement. Still, the movie is quite enjoyable, and worth watching again some time.