Maybe there's a curse on movies about witches.
Warner Bros.' "Practical Magic" may conjure up potent boxoffice and join in a post-theatrical coven with mainstream audiences, but it's a disappointing brew of slick commercial moviemaking and old-fashioned romantic fantasy.
Not as enchanting and mysterious as it could be, despite strong performances by leads Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, actor-producer Griffin Dunne's second film as director features multiple generations of peaceful New England witches -- several pairs of sisters -- who all live together in a funky old house on the edge of town.
Based on Alice Hoffman's novel of the same name, "Practical Magic" is a half-serious, half-satirical take on all things witchy, from modest displays of everyday sorcery to full-blown casting of spells to raise the dead or cause love to blossom.
Ill-fated romances going back several centuries mark the line of Owens women, who have also endured the mocking, unfriendly locals but live more or less in peace. It seems that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman is fated to die, usually after fathering two girls.
After their parents' death, from girlhood on, Sally Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) know of the curse, but that doesn't stop the former from marrying a nice but doomed guy and the latter from becoming a vamp with bad taste in men.
Quieter and trying to join the real world, Sally is still devastated when tragedy strikes and she vows to give up practicing "white" magic. Sally goes so far as to tell her naughty but lovable aunts (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing) not to encourage her daughters Evan Rachel Wood, Alexandra Artrip) in the ways of witchery.
Soon enough Gillian, in Arizona, gets in trouble when a wild lover (Goran Visnjic) turns violent. Sally rushes to help, and the two sisters are forced to get rid of him. Unfortunately, the dead guy's ghost haunts them and possesses Gillian, eventually leading to a group exorcism.
Sally also faces a new dilemma when a private investigator (Aidan Quinn) comes looking for Gillian's missing lover. Could he be the perfect mate Sally thought could never exist? Will She ever want to use her power again?
Robin Swicord, Akvia Goldsman and Adam Brooks are credited for the rambling, often fuzzy screenplay that has a few sparkling moments, while Dunne's direction is consistently lackluster. Still, he gets the job done well enough for undemanding viewers, most of whom won't be able to keep their eyes off Bullock and Kidman. As a pair and individually, they may not click in every frame, but on a basic level the movie delivers on its promise of seeing two accomplished actresses strut their stuff.
PRACTICAL MAGIC
Warner Bros.
In asssociation with Village Roadshow Pictures
A Di Novi Pictures production
in association with Fortis Films
Director: Griffin Dunne
Producer: Denise Di Novi
Screenwriters: Robin Swicord, Akvia Goldsman, Adam Brooks
Executive producers: Mary McLaglen, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Andrew Dunn
Production designer: Robin Standefer
Editor: Elizabeth Kling
Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky
Music: Alan Silvestri
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sally: Sandra Bullock
Gillian: Nicole Kidman
Aunt Jet: Dianne Wiest
Aunt Frances: Stockard Channing
Gary: Aidan Quinn
Jimmy: Goran Visnjic
Kylie: Evan Rachel Wood
Antonia: Alexandra Artrip
Running time -- 103 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Warner Bros.' "Practical Magic" may conjure up potent boxoffice and join in a post-theatrical coven with mainstream audiences, but it's a disappointing brew of slick commercial moviemaking and old-fashioned romantic fantasy.
Not as enchanting and mysterious as it could be, despite strong performances by leads Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, actor-producer Griffin Dunne's second film as director features multiple generations of peaceful New England witches -- several pairs of sisters -- who all live together in a funky old house on the edge of town.
Based on Alice Hoffman's novel of the same name, "Practical Magic" is a half-serious, half-satirical take on all things witchy, from modest displays of everyday sorcery to full-blown casting of spells to raise the dead or cause love to blossom.
Ill-fated romances going back several centuries mark the line of Owens women, who have also endured the mocking, unfriendly locals but live more or less in peace. It seems that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman is fated to die, usually after fathering two girls.
After their parents' death, from girlhood on, Sally Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) know of the curse, but that doesn't stop the former from marrying a nice but doomed guy and the latter from becoming a vamp with bad taste in men.
Quieter and trying to join the real world, Sally is still devastated when tragedy strikes and she vows to give up practicing "white" magic. Sally goes so far as to tell her naughty but lovable aunts (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing) not to encourage her daughters Evan Rachel Wood, Alexandra Artrip) in the ways of witchery.
Soon enough Gillian, in Arizona, gets in trouble when a wild lover (Goran Visnjic) turns violent. Sally rushes to help, and the two sisters are forced to get rid of him. Unfortunately, the dead guy's ghost haunts them and possesses Gillian, eventually leading to a group exorcism.
Sally also faces a new dilemma when a private investigator (Aidan Quinn) comes looking for Gillian's missing lover. Could he be the perfect mate Sally thought could never exist? Will She ever want to use her power again?
Robin Swicord, Akvia Goldsman and Adam Brooks are credited for the rambling, often fuzzy screenplay that has a few sparkling moments, while Dunne's direction is consistently lackluster. Still, he gets the job done well enough for undemanding viewers, most of whom won't be able to keep their eyes off Bullock and Kidman. As a pair and individually, they may not click in every frame, but on a basic level the movie delivers on its promise of seeing two accomplished actresses strut their stuff.
PRACTICAL MAGIC
Warner Bros.
In asssociation with Village Roadshow Pictures
A Di Novi Pictures production
in association with Fortis Films
Director: Griffin Dunne
Producer: Denise Di Novi
Screenwriters: Robin Swicord, Akvia Goldsman, Adam Brooks
Executive producers: Mary McLaglen, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Andrew Dunn
Production designer: Robin Standefer
Editor: Elizabeth Kling
Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky
Music: Alan Silvestri
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sally: Sandra Bullock
Gillian: Nicole Kidman
Aunt Jet: Dianne Wiest
Aunt Frances: Stockard Channing
Gary: Aidan Quinn
Jimmy: Goran Visnjic
Kylie: Evan Rachel Wood
Antonia: Alexandra Artrip
Running time -- 103 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 10/14/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.