Practical Magic (1998) (film review)
Sisters Sally (actress Sarah Bulloch) and Gillian (actress Nicole Kidman) are witches, although the latter doesn’t show any of this talent when young. They are also descended from Maria Owens (actress Caprice Benedetti), who vowed never to fall in love again for herself and future generations with dire consequences after the local villagers tried to hang her. In her late teens, Gillian runs off with a run of lovers as you do. Sally stays at home with her two aunts, Frances (actress Stockard Channing) and Jet (actress Dianne Wiest). She eventually marries and has two children, Kylie (actress Evan Rachel Wood) and Antonia (actress Alexandra Artip). Pretty idyllic, until her husband Michael (actor Mark Feuerstein) is killed by a truck and fulfilled the curse that love in the Owens never lasts. Anyway, Sally and the kids go and live with her aunts and she vows them never to learn magic.
Gillian calls Sally to rescue her from her vicious boyfriend Jimmy Angelov (actor Goran Visnjc), who in turn forces them to take him with them. He also seems to be immune to Sally’s poisonous potion. It does eventually and they get back to the house. The aunts and children are away at the blood solstice. Gillian convince Sally to resurrect him rather than face a murder charge. You do have to wonder why they just don’t dump the body? The resurrected Jimmy is still homicidal and it is Sally who kills him this time. This time, they bury him in the garden as you do.
Later, a big rose tree grows over his body. Detective Gary Hallet (actor Aidan Quinn) arrives, telling Sally he wants to talk to Gillian about her missing boyfriend. It seems Jimmy had a career killing women. Hallet is on intent on finding Jimmy. Gillian also seems to be possessed by Jimmy’s spirit and needs to be excised by a coven. The rest is a predictable spoiler.
This is the first time I’ve seen ‘Practical Magic’. It seems to be pulling in too many directions. Does it want to be about characters or magic or a combination of both? The aunts and children only seem to pop up when needed and much of it is convenience plotting. Don’t forget the elements of killing someone, resurrecting and exorcism are hardly light issues. It is obviously a vehicle for Kidman and Bulloch.
So, let’s look at the audio commentary with director Griffin Dunne, producer Denise Di Novi, actress Sandra Bullock and composer Alan Silvestri. I have to confess getting the audio commentary to function was awkward and not easy to switch on. Instead, I went into the player’s audio connection and its on number 9 if you have to take a similar route. Let’s hit on some of the highlights. Interestingly, Silvestri takes the lead with how he uses the music to capture the fast-moving opening scenes. Bulloch points out she only met Kidman briefly at a party before and only got her a day after she finished her previous film. I don’t know how many of you have sound bars, but the commentary is truly stereophonic with Sandy Bullock coming from the right side of the screen. Dunne points out that he didn’t know what the effects were going to be like until they arrived. He was going to make the script darker but Di Novi aimed for it to be lighter. Something I didn’t connect to the second watch but Old Lady Wilkes is played by actress Herta Ware, who was Bowman’s mother in ‘2010’ and Pickard’s mother in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. Couldn’t mistake that long white hair. Dunn explains the problems of casting and editing which is a good insight. Oh, the Owens house exterior was just that and taken down after the shoot. The interiors were recorded on the Warners studio lot.
Have I changed my mind about the film? I’m not sure. I think I agree with Griffin Dunn that it could have been made a bit darker, purely to balance the resurrection of Jimmy a few times.
There are two other extras. ‘Casting The Spell’ runs at nearly 10 minutes has various cast and production members chatting about the film.
‘Making Magic’ runs at nearly 6 minutes has author Alice Hoffman saying she build the original story on her own life.
With a sequel out this year, shows there is an audience. The film is watchable and funny in the right places. Just don’t upset the witches clan.
GF Willmetts
August 2026
(pub: Warner Bros Home Entertainment, 2026. 1 4K UHD blu-ray disk 104 minute film and extras. Price: £22.99 (UK). ASIN: 5000319380)
cast: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman
check out website: www.warnerbros.co.uk/movies/practical-magic
