Practical Magic (1998) (film review).
Sisters Sally (actress Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (actress Nicole Kidman) are witches, although the latter doesn’t show much of this talent when she is young. They are also descended from Maria Owens (actress Caprice Benedetti), who vowed never to fall in love again, placing a curse on herself and future generations with dire consequences after the local villagers tried to hang her.
In her late teens, Gillian runs off through a succession 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 Artrip).
Everything is pretty idyllic until Sally’s husband, Michael (actor Mark Feuerstein), is killed by a truck, fulfilling the curse that love never lasts for the Owens women. Sally and the children then go to live with her aunts, and she vows that her daughters will never learn magic.
Gillian calls Sally to rescue her from her vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov (actor Goran Višnjić), who then forces the sisters to take him with them. He also appears to be immune to the poisonous potion Sally gives him, although it eventually takes effect and they manage to return to the house.
The aunts and children are away at the solstice celebrations. Gillian convinces Sally to resurrect Jimmy rather than face a murder charge. You do have to wonder why they don’t simply dispose of the body. The resurrected Jimmy is still homicidal, and this time Sally kills him. They bury him in the garden, as you do.
Later, a large rose bush grows over his body. Detective Gary Hallet (actor Aidan Quinn) arrives and tells Sally that he wants to talk to Gillian about her missing boyfriend. It seems Jimmy had a history of killing women, and Hallet is intent on finding him.
Gillian also appears to have become possessed by Jimmy’s spirit and needs to be exorcised by a coven. The rest is predictable spoiler territory.
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 the characters, the magic or a combination of both? The aunts and children seem to pop up only when required, and much of the film relies on convenient plotting.
Don’t forget that killing someone, resurrecting him and performing an exorcism are hardly lightweight subjects. It is obviously a vehicle for Kidman and Bullock.
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 that getting the audio commentary to work was awkward. It wasn’t easy to switch on through the disc menu, so instead I went into the player’s audio settings, where it appeared as track number nine. If you have similar trouble, you may have to take the same route.
Let’s pick out some of the highlights. Interestingly, Silvestri takes the lead early on, explaining how he uses the music to capture the fast-moving opening scenes. Bullock points out that she had only met Kidman briefly at a party before filming and that Kidman joined the production only a day after finishing her previous film.
I don’t know how many of you have soundbars, but the commentary is genuinely stereophonic, with Sandy Bullock coming from the right-hand side of the screen.
Dunne points out that he didn’t know exactly what the visual effects were going to look like until they arrived. He had wanted to make the script darker, while Di Novi pushed for a lighter tone.
Something I didn’t connect even on the second viewing is that Old Lady Wilkes is played by actress Herta Ware, who was Bowman’s mother in 2010: The Year We Make Contact and Picard’s mother in Star Trek: The Next Generation. That long white hair should have given her away.
Dunne also explains some of the problems involved in casting and editing, which provides useful insight into the production.
Oh, and the exterior of the Owens house was exactly that: an exterior set. It was taken down after filming. The interiors were shot on the Warner Bros. studio lot.
Have I changed my mind about the film? I’m not sure. I think I agree with Griffin Dunne that it could have been made somewhat darker, if only to balance the rather serious matter of repeatedly resurrecting Jimmy.
There are two other extras. Casting The Spell runs for nearly ten minutes and features various cast and production members talking about the film.
Making Magic runs for nearly six minutes and has author Alice Hoffman explaining that she based aspects of the original story on her own life.
With a sequel arriving this year, there is clearly still an audience for Practical Magic. The film is watchable and funny in the right places. Just don’t upset the witch clan.
GF Willmetts
August 2026
(pub: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, 2026. 1 4K UHD Blu-ray disc. 104-minute film with extras. Price: £22.99 (UK). ASIN: 5000319380)
Cast: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman
Check out website: www.warnerbros.co.uk/movies/practical-magic
