Practical Magic (1998)

Just perfect...

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I can watch this movie several times a year and it never gets old. This past year, I have read the book and the Prequel book, The Rules fo Magic. It's my family's annual tradition to watch this movie around Halloween. Love love love his movie!!

I hate using labels like "chick flick", but one look at the IMDb voting demographics shows that this is literally a chick flick. As of the time I'm writing this, females rate it nearly 2 points higher than males, and in the under 18 group it's even more exaggerated.Well I'm a guy, and I dug it. If you're flexible enough to appreciate the macho man cheesiness of "Commando" (like Arnold Schwarzenegger riding on the landing gear of a Boeing 747) as well as the chick flick cheesiness of "Pretty Woman" (like Richard Gere riding on the sunroof of a white limo) ...both of which are equal in amounts of cheese but from different perspectives... then I think you can have a fun time watching "Practical Magic". Why? Because it seems to hit us with both extremes.On the surface, the story seems to be brewing a sinister dark comedy: the Owens women just can't seem to keep men long before they kick the bucket. Tons of potential for a slightly demented "Beetlejuice" kinda story, or even "Heathers". But instead of going in that direction (i.e. treating death as crazy joke), "Practical Magic" takes it quite seriously and is not afraid to get pretty sentimental on the subject. In other words, it takes a very morbid "guy flick" story but treats it with "chick flick" sensitivity.And that's just the beginning. We haven't gotten to the other dark themes of wife beating, alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, murder and re-murder. So, you ask, if it has all these disturbing themes and refuses to make light of them, how the heck can this be a comedy? The answer is that the leading ladies, not just Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman but also their crazy aunts played by Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest, act their roles with playful humor and endearing wit. It reminded me a little of "Sex and the City", the way the stories can be downright upsetting, but the humor comes in the way the characters behave despite it all. "Practical Magic" doesn't rely on a silly story for its laughs but instead lets the acting pave the way for levity.Roger Ebert gave this movie a mostly negative review, saying "the movie doesn't seem sure what tone to adopt, veering uncertainly from horror to laughs to romance." But I think Ebert failed to see that the film's charm is the fact that the characters can indulge in laughs and romance *despite* the horror.Ebert also criticized: "'Practical Magic' is too scary for children and too childish for adults. Who was it made for?" The answer is it's made for adults who can indulge in childishness. Basically if you get the gist of my review, it's the idea that this film is an unexpected blend of opposites. I have to admit it caught me off guard for a while, but I eventually figured out the rhythm and had a fun ride.Do NOT expect a sinister, dark comedy. Do NOT expect a totally light-hearted silly romp either. The best way I can describe it would be to compare it to some of the 80s horror-comedies like "Fright Night", "Vamp" or even "Gremlins" but with a dash of "Thelma & Louise". Throw em all together in a giant cauldron and have some fun.

As much as I hate to admit it, I really liked this film. A little on the subject matter, first. It was all pure hooey. That said, there were a few accuracies woven in their somewhere on the subject of Wicca, but alas, Hollywood seems stuck in the dark ages concerning the ancient philosophy. So it didn't dispel any of the time honored myths, it just riffed on them, but to often hilarious and often entertaining ways. Best of all, it made fun of witchcraft, rather than burned women at the stake for it, which it worked particularly well— not demonizing something is always a good thing. But especially surprising was the passionate tryst between Bullock and Quinn, which was so hot that it practically peeled the paint off my walls. Who knew that Plain Jane Bullock could actually conjure up some sexual magic of her own on screen? All in all, great fun and well told, all done tongue in cheek. Just go for the pure, dumb fun of it and you may just fall under its spell.

Practical Magic is very much a woman's movie which is very different from a chick flick that essentially tries to capture the attention of female viewers by playing on their desires. This picture is about women for women and mostly made by women.Everything has a soft feminine touch to it, even the violence and the action. In this piece, witchcraft simply represent women power. The scenario is built around what it means to be a strong woman, how it can set you apart, and the danger associated with this strength.It has sweet moments, some tearful moments, some funny moments, and a certain dose of intrigue to pique our interest. Now, you can't jump into this movie and expect a big bang, like what you usually get out of most Hollywood movies. No, you'll get entertained, but delicately.It has a few flaws, but small ones, and the acting is not stellar, but very good, and sometimes just average. So, it's not perfect, but if you want something more gentle, it's excellent.You don't want fireworks, and still want to spend a good evening, this is for you.