Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Aidan Quinn, Goran
Visnjic
Director: Griffin Dunne
Producer: Denise Di Novi
Screenplay: Robin Swicord and Akiva Goldsman and Adam Brooks based on the novel by Alice
Hoffman
Cinematography: Andrew Dunn
Music: Michael Nyman
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
Consider Practical Magic, an adaptation of Alice Hoffman's book of the same name, to be counterprogramming for the Halloween season. While other distributors are dumping the more traditional October fare of The Bride of Chucky, Apt Pupil, and John Carpenter's Vampires into theaters, Warner Brothers is trying for a somewhat different approach - blending classic horror elements (witches, potions, curses, and zombies) into a female bonding story with a touch of supernatural romance. Unfortunately, like far too many films, this one gives up the ghost during the last fifteen minutes, saddling an otherwise-enjoyable film with a dumb ending.
Sally and Gillian Owens (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman) are sisters. They're also witches. Their family has a long and uncertain history in the small New England town where they make their home. In fact, according to the introduction, "For more than 200 years, [the] Owens women have been blamed for everything that went wrong in this village." And, as if being witches isn't bad enough, Sally and Gillian are afflicted with a curse - "Any man who gets involved with an Owens woman is bound to end up six feet under." This warning is given to the girls by their spinster aunts, Jet and Frances (Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing), who raised Sally and Gillian. Now, both sisters are about to find out a few things about the meaning of the curse.
For the most part, Practical Magic is a lighthearted diversion that mixes elements of comedy, drama, and romance into a highly-consumable brew. The plot is quirky enough to give an aura of originality, even if many of the underlying themes are familiar. The film's obvious strength is the relationship between the sisters - it's enduring, indestructible, and built on a solid foundation of mutual trust, love, and respect. Like many close siblings, Sally and Gillian are very different - the latter is a red-haired vixen who flaunts her sexuality while the former is a shy brunette who dreams of romance with the perfect man.
This is step two in Sandra Bullock's attempt to repair a public image that was devastated by Speed 2. As in Hope Floats, she's playing it safe by not trying anything too daring. Bullock makes Sally appealing, but not much else. Far more lively is Nicole Kidman's Gillian, whose frank sensuality makes her the more interesting character. The two actresses exhibit an unforced chemistry that allows us to buy the fiction that they're sisters. Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing are agreeable in secondary roles, although they don't have a great deal to do. And Aidan Quinn plays Gary Hallet, a strong, silent cop whose lone purpose is to fall in love with Sally.
Actor-turned-director Griffin Dunne appears to appreciate offbeat romances. His last film, Addicted to Love, featured Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan as a couple who discover each other while performing sadistic tricks on their former lovers. Here, the love affair between the mystical Sally and the righteous Gary is endangered by curses, undead spirits, and other bizarre dangers. It's easy to pinpoint where Practical Magic goes wrong. The nonsensical ending has been crudely calculated to gain audience approval. Worse, to achieve that end, the film employs one of the cheapest tricks available to the screenwriter: the dreaded deus ex machina. So, although I enjoyed portions of the movie, I can't wholeheartedly recommend something with such an unfortunate and dissatisfying conclusion. Practical Magic falls short of being enchanting.
© 1998 James Berardinelli