PRACTICAL MAGIC
Review by Simon Calloway
Practical Magic is no masterpiece, but it was one of the more enjoyable movies of 1998. I liked the way the story had characters worth caring for, and the film is essentially a comedy, yet, had touching, dramatic moments.
Based on the Alice Hoffman novel, the story revolves around the Owen sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman). The are witches in a long line of Owens, and, like the rest, are cursed. If they shall find happiness and love, the curse will strike, as it did for Sally, ending in a fatality.
For Gillian, the rebel, she is in trouble from her scuze boyfriend. When she is kidnapped, along with Sally, and almost maimed, Sally dumps a bunch of Bella Donna into his drink, and ends up killing him.
They try to bring him back from the dead using spells, but bring back something even more sinister. They bury him in the backyard, and tell no one. But, the guy just won't stay down. He keeps haunting them.
There is more to Practical Magic, but, it simply wouldn't be such fun if I told you everything in this funny, magical movie from director Griffin Dunne, whose credits include the hilarious Addicted to Love (1997). Bullock and Kidman have great chemistry, while Dianne Weist and Stockerd Channing both offer wonderful performances as Sally and Gillian's aunts.
Practical Magic won't amount to a lot to the 'serious' film viewer. Such as, if you thought the wonderful Ever After or, even, Addicted to Love, were beans, then Magic is your antimovie. I loved both of those films, and Magic. It casts a spell, so to speak. Plus, Sandra Bullock could make eating beans interesting.
***** ~TeenViews (c) 1999~
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