Practical Magic Explained

Practical Magic
Director:Griffin Dunne
Producer:Denise Di Novi
Music:Alan Silvestri
Cinematography:Andrew Dunn
Editing:Elizabeth Kling
Distributor:Warner Bros.
Runtime:104 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$75 million[1]
Gross:$68.3 million

Practical Magic is a 1998 American romantic fantasy film based on the 1995 novel Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. The film was directed by Griffin Dunne and stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Aidan Quinn, and Goran Višnjić.

Bullock and Kidman play sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, descended from a long line of witches. Raised by their aunts after their parents' death from a family curse, the sisters were taught the uses of practical magic as they grew up. As adults, Sally and Gillian must use their magic to destroy the evil spirit of Gillian's abusive boyfriend before it kills them.

The film was released on October 16, 1998. Upon initial release, the film received mixed reviews from critics and the film grossed $68.3 million worldwide against a $75 million budget, but has since gained a cult following. A sequel is in development. [2] [3]

Plot

In a small Massachusetts town, the Owens family have been regarded with suspicion for over three centuries due to their ancestor Maria Owens, who survived an attempted execution for witchcraft. Heartbroken when the father of her unborn child never returned to her, Maria cast a spell to prevent herself from ever falling in love again. The spell developed into a curse upon Maria's descendants, dooming any man an Owens woman loves.

In the present, Sally and Gillian Owens are taken in by their aunts Frances and Jet after both their parents succumb to the Owens curse. As children, Sally and Gillian are frequently ridiculed by the town's schoolchildren.

After witnessing their aunts cast a love spell for a woman obsessed with her beloved, Sally casts a spell on herself to ensure she will only fall in love with a man who possesses certain impossible traits, with the goal that she will never fall in love.

Meanwhile Gillian, witnessing the same incident, cannot wait to fall in love. When the girls are teens, Gillian elopes with her boyfriend and leaves for Los Angeles. Before she departs, she and Sally make a blood spell to always be faithful to one another.

Gillian spends the next decade moving from relationship to relationship across the country, while back in Massachusetts, Sally meets and marries a man named Michael. They have two daughters, Kylie and Antonia.

After Michael is fatally hit by a truck, Sally and her girls go to live with the aunts. Learning that they secretly cast a love spell on her so that she could marry and be happy, Sally says the aunts will never teach her daughters magic.

Gillian unexpectedly tells Sally she has become involved with a dangerously abusive man named Jimmy Angelov. When Sally arrives to rescue her sister, he holds them both hostage in his car. Sally puts belladonna into Jimmy's tequila to sedate him, but inadvertently kills him instead.

The sisters take Jimmy's body back to the aunts' house, where they attempt to resurrect him using a forbidden spell, which causes him to return and attack Gillian. Sally kills him again, and the sisters bury his remains in the garden.

Sally, Gillian and the aunts have a midnight drinking session in which Jimmy's tequila seems to be influencing them to turn against each other; the aunts leave home the following morning, leaving a message to the sisters to "clean up their own mess".

State investigator Gary Hallett arrives from Tucson, Arizona in search of Jimmy, who is also a serial killer. Gillian tries to make him drink a potion that will make him leave them alone, but Sally's daughters realize he is the man of Sally's childhood spell and they throw the potion away.

After Gillian and Sally fight, Sally breaks down and confesses to Gary, only to realize he is the impossible man from her childhood love spell. Unable to deny their attraction, they kiss.

Returning home, Sally discovers Jimmy's spirit has possessed Gillian's body. Gary sees the spirit emerge. Jimmy tries possessing Gary, but is turned aside by his silver badge. Sally tells Gary he is there because of her spell, the feelings they have for each other are not real, and the family curse will kill him if they pursue a relationship. Gary replies that curses only work if one believes in them, before returning to Tucson.

Jimmy possesses Gillian again and tries killing Sally before Frances and Jet return. Realizing she must embrace magic to save her sister, Sally asks the aid of the townswomen and they form a coven to exorcise Jimmy's spirit. They break the Owens curse, exorcising Jimmy's spirit and allowing the coven to exile him permanently.

In Tucson, Gary clears the sisters of any suspicion in Jimmy's case and returns to Massachusetts to be with Sally. The Owens women are finally welcomed into the community by the townsfolk, who now accept them as witches.

Cast

Production

Practical Magic was filmed in part on an artificial set in California. Because the film's producers decided the house was a big part of the depiction of the Owens culture, a house to accurately represent that vision was built on San Juan Island in the state of Washington.[4] While much of the set from California was brought to that location and placed inside the house, it took nearly a year to perfect the image of the house and the interior.[5] The house, actually only a shell with nothing inside, was built only for this filming and was torn down after filming was completed. The small town scenes were filmed in downtown Coupeville, Washington, a Victorian-era seaside port town located on the south side of Penn Cove on Whidbey Island.[6]

According to Sandra Bullock in the DVD commentary, while filming the scene where the Owens women are drunk and slinging insults, the actresses actually got drunk on very bad tequila brought by Kidman. The cast further stated in the film's commentary that they felt supernatural elements of the house started to affect them. Both the cast and crew claimed they heard supernatural noises while filming the coven scene at the end of the film. For the final scene with all of the townspeople at the Owens home, the entire population of the town where filming took place was invited to show up in costume and appear as townsfolk.[7]

Music

Practical Magic
Type:soundtrack
Artist:Various artists
Cover:Practicalmagicalbum.jpg
Caption:Photo by Suzanne Tenner
Released:October 6, 1998 (original pressing)
Recorded:August 15–16, 1998,
Abbey Road Studios (Michael Nyman tracks)
Genre:Soundtrack, pop, minimalism, orchestral
Length:56:58 (Nyman pressing); 51:46 (Silvestri pressing)
Language:English
Label:Reprise/WEA
Producer:Danny Bramson, Sandra Bullock
Chronology:Michael Nyman
Prev Title:Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Ravenous
Next Year:1999

Composer Michael Nyman's score to the movie was abruptly replaced with music by Alan Silvestri for the theatrical release. This last-minute change resulted in the release of two soundtracks, although as primarily a compilation album only the two tracks of newly created material were changed. A 50-track demo (the last two tracks being "Convening the Coven" and "Maria Owens") of Nyman's score has been circulating among fans as a bootleg. The complete Nyman score runs 62:30 and contains music that would later appear, in altered form, in Ravenous and The Actors, as well as a bit of his stepwise chord progression theme from Out of the Ruins/String Quartet No. 3/Carrington/The End of the Affair/The Claim. "Convening the Coven", though not "Maria Owens," was subsequently reissued on , and music that uses material related to this piece has not been used elsewhere. "Convening the Coven" became "City of Turin" on The Glare.

Singer Stevie Nicks headlined the soundtrack's published advertisements, promoting her song "If You Ever Did Believe" and a new recording of her song "Crystal," both featuring Sheryl Crow on back-up vocals.

Track listing
  1. "If You Ever Did Believe" – Stevie Nicks
  2. "This Kiss" – Faith Hill
  3. "Got to Give It Up (Pt.1)" – Marvin Gaye
  4. "Is This Real?" – Lisa Hall
  5. "Black Eyed Dog" – Nick Drake
  6. "A Case of You" – Joni Mitchell
  7. "Nowhere and Everywhere" – Michelle Lewis
  8. "Always on My Mind" – Elvis Presley
  9. "Everywhere" – Bran Van 3000
  10. "Coconut" – Harry Nilsson
  11. "Crystal" – Stevie Nicks
  12. "Practical Magic" – Alan Silvestri / "Convening the Coven" – The Michael Nyman Orchestra
  13. "Amas Veritas" – Alan Silvestri / "Maria Owens" – The Michael Nyman Orchestra

Certifications

Reception

Box office

Practical Magic opened at #1 with $13.1 million in ticket sales.[8] The film went on to gross $68.3 million worldwide, less than its $75 million production budget.[9]

Critical reception

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 24%, with an average score of 4.8/10, based on 98 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Practical Magics jarring tonal shifts sink what little potential its offbeat story may have -- though Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock's chemistry makes a strong argument for future collaborations."[10] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average, gives a score of 46 out of 100 reviews based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of 'B-' on an A+ to F scale.[12]

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave Practical Magic a negative review, calling it "a witch comedy so slapdash, plodding, and muddled it seems to have had a hex put on it."[13] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said that the film "doesn't seem sure what tone to adopt, veering uncertainly from horror to laughs to romance."[14]

Accolades

YearNominated workAwardResult
1999Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Dianne Wiest
American Comedy Awards
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
Favorite Song from a Movie
Faith Hill
For the song "This Kiss".
Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy/Romance
Dianne Wiest
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress
Camilla Belle
Young Artist Awards
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress
Evan Rachel Wood

Sequel

In June 2024, it was announced that a sequel was in development. Bullock and Kidman will return to produce the film with Di Novi and also being in talks to star in it.[15] Later that same month, Nicole Kidman confirmed that she and Sandra Bullock would reprise their roles in the sequel.[16] Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the screenplay for the original 1998 romantic fantasy film, would return to write the script.[17] [18]

In July 2024, Akiva Goldsman later confirmed that he would be returning to write the sequel.[19] While specific plot details remain under wraps, the sequel will be based on Alice Hoffman’s 2021 novel The Book of Magic, the fourth installment in her Practical Magic series.[20] [21] Although the timeline is still uncertain, in August 2024, producer Denise Di Novi is optimistic about beginning production next year.[22]

In other media

In 2004, Warner Bros. and CBS produced Sudbury, a television pilot written by Becky Hartman Edwards and directed by Bryan Spicer starring Kim Delaney in the role played by Bullock in the film and Jeri Ryan in the role played by Kidman. The series, named for the Sudbury, Massachusetts location of the novel and film, was not picked up.

In 2010, Warner Bros. and ABC Family attempted to develop a prequel television series.[23]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sims . David . 2018-10-16 . Thank the '90s for Practical Magic . The Atlantic . 2019-10-16 . 2019-01-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190110133657/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/10/practical-magic-revisited-20-years-later/573097/ . live .
  2. Web site: Renae. Kirstie. 10 surprising things you didn't know about 'Practical Magic'. 2020-08-16. Insider. 2024-06-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20240607163458/https://www.businessinsider.com/cool-facts-you-never-knew-about-practical-magic. live.
  3. Web site: Eksouzian-Cavadas. Ana. 2019-08-21. Cult '90s film Practical Magic is getting a TV reboot. 2020-08-16. Vogue Australia. en. 2020-06-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20200618021838/https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/cult-90s-film-practical-magic-is-getting-a-tv-reboot/news-story/552948255daf47fa96403292be27dc32. live.
  4. Web site: Practical Magic: A Victorian House Fit for a Witch. Hooked. 31 October 2012. 25 October 2009. It looks like a real house that was built in the 1850s, but it’s really just an “architectural shell” that took 8 months to build and was (sadly) destroyed after filming was over.. 13 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181013221808/https://hookedonhouses.net/2009/10/25/practical-magic-a-victorian-house-fit-for-a-witch/. live.
  5. Web site: Design. Practical Magic. Amas Veritas. 31 October 2012. Though this Victorian house looks as if it's been in place for a century, it's actually an architectural shell.. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120506093608/http://www.amasveritas.com/film/setting/design.html. 6 May 2012.
  6. Web site: Coupeville- The Home to "Practical Magic". 4 October 2018. 10 October 2020. 2 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201202035805/https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/coupeville-the-home-to-practical-magic/. live.
  7. Web site: Coupeville Celebrates 'Practical Magic'. 15 October 2018. 10 October 2020. 29 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929051050/https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/coupeville-celebrates-practical-magic/281-604592879. live.
  8. News: Fleeman . Michael . Witches, Chucky scare up big audiences. https://web.archive.org/web/20230930183612/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record-witches-chucky-scare-up-bi/132684201/ . October 20, 1998 . September 30, 2023 . September 30, 2023 . 31 . Associated Press . . . live.
  9. Web site: Practical Magic . The Numbers . 2016-05-22 . 2023-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230523025857/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Practical-Magic#tab=summary . live .
  10. Web site: Practical Magic . . 16 October 1998 . . October 10, 2023 . 11 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231011205927/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/practical_magic . live .
  11. Web site: Practical Magic . . . December 4, 2012 . May 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230529054623/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/practical-magic . live .
  12. Web site: Practical Magic . 2022-09-20 . CinemaScore . en-US . 1999-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/19991127210934/https://www.cinemascore.com/ . live .
  13. Practical Magic Review. Gleiberman. Owen. Entertainment Weekly. October 16, 1998. December 4, 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120112150837/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,63751,00.html. January 12, 2012.
  14. Web site: Practical Magic. Ebert. Roger. rogerebert.com. Sun-Times Media Group. October 16, 1998. December 4, 2012. October 26, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121026124115/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19981016%2FREVIEWS%2F810160303. dead.
  15. Web site: 'Practical Magic 2': Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Talks to Return for Sequel. Woerner. Meredith. June 10, 2024. Variety. June 10, 2024. June 10, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240610193927/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman-1236030299/. live.
  16. Web site: Nicole Kidman Confirms Return For ‘Practical Magic 2’ With Sandra Bullock. Haring. Bruce. June 13, 2024. Deadline Hollywood. June 14, 2024. June 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240613193927/https://deadline.com/2024/06/nicole-kidman-confirms-practical-magic-sequel-sandra-bullock-1235973111/. live.
  17. Web site: Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to reunite for Practical Magic 2. Justin. Harp. June 11, 2024. DigitalSpy. June 11, 2024. June 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240611193927/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61060569/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/. live.
  18. Web site: ‘Practical Magic 2’ in the Works With Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Talks to Return. Umberto. Gonzalez. June 10, 2024. TheWrap. June 10, 2024. June 10, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240610193927/https://www.thewrap.com/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/. live.
  19. Web site: We Just Learned Who Is Writing the 'Practical Magic' Sequel [Exclusive]]. Ryan. O'Rourke. July 26, 2024. Collider. July 26, 2024. July 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240726193927/https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-akiva-goldsman-writing/. live.
  20. Web site: ‘Practical Magic’ Producer Says Sequel Will “Honor” Original Film. Jen. Juneau. August 5, 2024. People. August 9, 2024. August 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240805193927/https://people.com/practical-magic-producer-says-sequel-honor-original-not-reinvent-wheel-exclusive-8690314?taid=66b106f74fbbf10001ea6f81&utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=new&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com. live.
  21. Web site: ‘Practical Magic’ Producer Says Sequel Will “Honor” Original Film. Lexy. Perez. August 5, 2024. The Hollywood Reporter. August 9, 2024. August 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240805193927/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/practical-magic-producer-sequel-honor-original-1235966272/. live.
  22. Web site: 'Practical Magic 2' Gets a Spellbinding Update From Producer. Lade. Omotade. August 6, 2024. Collider. August 9, 2024. August 6, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240806193927/https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-filming-window-update/. live.
  23. News: ABC Family brewing 'Practical Magic' reboot. Hibberd. James. October 29, 2010. The Hollywood Reporter. December 18, 2011. March 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150326022344/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/abc-family-brewing-practical-magic-33718. live.