Practical Magic (1998)

reviewed by
Michael Redman

Witchy women have their enchanting charms

Practical Magic
A Film Review By Michael Redman
Copyright 1998 By Michael Redman

*** (Out of ****)

Witches? For many people, this word still conjures up images of either weird hats and ugly, warted, old-woman masks for Halloween or devil-worshipers sacrificing babies. I'm here to tell you that it ain't true.

How many Wiccans (modern witchcraft) or other practitioners of magick do you think live within 10 miles of your house? Probably you've estimated in the single digits; likely close to zero. Take your number and double it or quadruple it or increase it tenfold. You're possibly still low. In a city like Bloomington, multiplying your guess by 100 is more accurate.

Wicca is estimated by some to be the fastest growing religion in the country. Although witches are slowly coming out of the broom closet, no one really knows how many there are. According to the "Utne Reader", there may be as many as 400,000 adherents in the United States alone and the practice is poised to enter the mainstream. Witches are your doctors, nurses, bakers, bartenders, business people, musicians and just about anyone else you could think of.

None are devil-worshippers: Wiccans don't believe in Satan. Although there are dozens of denominations, mostly they honor in the sanctity and power of nature. They're not out there summoning demons, but they are casting spells and performing rituals. The tradition dates back at least to the occult revival early in this century and some claim a lineage from the pre-patriarchy Goddess religions.

Sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens can date their charming heritage back at least 200 years. Since the 1700s the family women have all been witches. They've also all suffered the same curse: any man who gets involved with an Owens woman is doomed to an early death.

When the orphaned young girls come to live with their maiden aunts Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Frances (Stockard Channing), they are informed of their birthright and schooled in the craft. Sally vows never to fall in love unless she meets the impossible man of her spell. He must have one blue eye, one green eye, ride a pony backwards and other odd attributes so designed that he will never exist. Gillian on the other hand "can't wait to fall in love."

The girls grow in opposite directions. Although she is the more powerful, brunette Sally isn't much interested in sorcery. Red-headed Gillian embraces her skills and quickly leaves the Owens-hating small New England town to discover the world.

Sally eventually mysteriously falls in love and settles into the quiet life of wife and mother. Gillian dances poolside with a bottle in one hand, a vial of belladonna in the other and following in love -- often and enthusiastically.

The death of Sally's husband and the cruelty of Gillian's current lover bring the witchy siblings back together. After tearfully pledging their undying fealty to each other, they must deal with Jimmy (Goran Visnjic), Gillian's abusive "Dracula-cowboy" boyfriend, when he shows up on their doorstep.

Arizona policeman Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn) also appears, investigating Jimmy. It doesn't take a magic moment looking in his eyes to know that they don't match.

The film has several delightful scenes. When the sisters and aunts dance around the kitchen table after doing tequila shots singing "You put the lime in the coconut", it's a joy. They actually look like they're having a good time and it translates to the audience.

The story is fairly successful in combining the esoteric life of witches and the everyday. Like any mother warning her older relatives not to be too permissive with her kids, Sally tells Jet and Frances not to let her daughters dance naked at a Solstice celebration. When the little girls come back exclaiming "Mommy, Mommy, we danced naked!" she cringes. Some of the Hollywoodish effects are goofy though. Sally's coffee stirs itself though and it's silly.

The comedic touches are hilarious at times. Looking for something white to draw a pentagram, the witches reach for a can of whipped cream. As Gillian brings her former lover back to life, she explains "but after this we're breaking up."

There are several other notable aspects -- the set design is fascinating with cryptic objects barely glimpsed -- but the film has a few problems. Director Griffin Dunne ("Addicted To Love") gets off to a very slow start, includes too many VH-1 moments and, worst of all, tries to be everything to all people. The film shifts gears from romance novel to offbeat comedy to supernatural thriller to family drama to horror faster than the viewer can keep up.

The "sisterhood is powerful" ending is touching and feel-good but comes out of left field and doesn't make sense considering previous events. You'll somehow feel energized and incredulous at the same time.

The strength of the movie lies in its casting. Bullock has never previously impressed me with her acting talents, but she fills this role perfectly. Kidman's Gillian jumps off the screen and, if I can slip into the "Yeah, I'm a guy and that's the way it is" mode, she's an absolute pleasure to watch as she dances, prances and struts her wild woman stuff. Despite the vast differences between the two, their chemistry makes it easy to believe their relationship.

Wiest and Channing are also looking good. The eccentric aunts feeding kids chocolate cake for breakfast radiate power. Unfortunately they disappear for half the film just when we want more.

The men don't fare so well. Quinn and Visnjic both are saddled with one-dimensional characters and don't put much into their performances. Although pivotal to the plot, they get in the way of the better stuff.

There's currently a media fascination with witches. "Sabrina" (from Archie Comics of all places) and Charmed are both weekly television series. 1996's "The Craft" was a ground-breaker in presenting witches as everyday people. "Practical Magic" for all its faults is entertaining in a lightweight manner. I'm curious to see if we ever get a realistic look at Wicca on the screen.