Editing Practical Magic

{{short description|1998 film by Griffin Dunne}}
{{for|the novel that inspired the film|Practical Magic (novel)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Practical Magic
| image          = Practical Magic (film poster).png
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Griffin Dunne]]
| producer       = [[Denise Di Novi]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Robin Swicord]]
* [[Akiva Goldsman]]
* [[Adam Brooks (filmmaker)|Adam Brooks]]
}}
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Practical Magic (novel)|Practical Magic]]''|[[Alice Hoffman]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sandra Bullock]]
* [[Nicole Kidman]]
* [[Goran Visnjic]]
* [[Dianne Wiest]]
* [[Stockard Channing]]
* [[Aidan Quinn]]
}}
| music          = [[Alan Silvestri]]
| cinematography = [[Andrew Dunn (cinematographer)|Andrew Dunn]]
| editing        = Elizabeth Kling
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Fortis Films]]
* Di Novi Pictures
* [[Village Roadshow Pictures]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released       = {{film date|1998|10|16}}
| runtime        = 104 minutes<!--The DVD cover incorrectly claims the film runs 154 minutes--><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 27, 1998|title=''Practical Magic'' (12)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/practical-magic-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtyynzm|access-date=May 7, 2025|website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $75 million<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2959836673/ |title=Practical Magic |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref>
| gross          = $68.3 million<ref name="numbers" />
}}

'''''Practical Magic''''' is a 1998 American [[romantic fantasy]] film based on the 1995 novel ''[[Practical Magic (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 Visnjic]].

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. The film grossed $68.3 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. Upon initial release, the film received mixed reviews from critics who found the film's combination of different genres, including [[Supernatural film|supernatural fantasy]], [[domestic abuse]] drama, [[romantic comedy]], and [[Police procedural|crime procedural]], to be jarring. It has since gained a [[cult film|cult following]] for its cast, soundtrack, and [[Feminism|feminist]] themes. A sequel, tentatively titled ''Practical Magic 2'', is scheduled for a September 18, 2026, release.

==Plot==
<!-- PER WP:FILMPLOT, PLOT SUMMARIES IN FEATURE FILMS SHOULD BE BETWEEN 400 AND 700 WORDS. -->
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 [[elopement|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 [[Atropa belladonna|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 [[exorcism|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==
{{cast listing|
* [[Sandra Bullock]] as Sally Owens, a witch who becomes widowed after the Owens curse kills her husband. She abandons magic and doesn't allow her daughters to practice it.
** [[Camilla Belle]] as young Sally Owens
* [[Nicole Kidman]] as Gillian "Gilly"  Owens, Sally's free-spirited sister who embraces her heritage, leaves their small town and becomes the victim of an abusive relationship.
** Lora Anne Criswell as young Gillian Owens
* [[Goran Visnjic]] as James "Jimmy" Angelov, Gillian's lover. Originally from Bulgaria, he's an abusive alcoholic with a cowboy style who kidnaps the sisters and is killed by them in self-defense, twice.
* [[Stockard Channing]] as Frances Owens, aunt of Sally and Gillian, who tends to be frank and assertive.
* [[Dianne Wiest]] as Bridget "Jet" Owens, aunt of Sally and Gillian, who is kind and gentle.
* [[Aidan Quinn]] as Investigator Gary Hallet, from Tucson, Arizona, who questions Sally and Gillian in the disappearance of Jimmy Angelov and falls in love with Sally.
* [[Caprice Benedetti]] as Maria Owens, the first witch in the Owens family and the one who casts the spell that curses all her descendants.
* [[Evan Rachel Wood]] as Kylie Owens, Sally's elder daughter, who lives with her mother and the aunts after the death of her father, Michael. She looks and acts like Gillian.
* Alexandra Artrip as Antonia Owens, Sally's younger daughter, who also lives with her mother and the aunts after the death of her father. She has dark hair and a spunky personality.
* [[Mark Feuerstein]] as Michael, Sally's late husband and father of Kylie and Antonia Owens. He is a victim of his wife's family curse, which results in his untimely death when their daughters are young.
* [[Peter Shaw (American actor)|Peter Shaw]] as Jack, Sally and Gillian's father, who died from the Owens curse when they were children.
* Caralyn Kozlowski as Regina Owens, Sally and Gillian's mother, who died by suicide after losing her husband to the Owens curse.
* [[Chloe Webb]] as Carla, a good friend of Sally's, who works at her shop.
* [[Lucinda Jenney]] as Sara, one of the town women, who initially fears the Owens family but later responds to Sally's call for help.
* [[Margo Martindale]] as Linda Bennett, another friend of Sally's who also works at her shop.
* [[Martha Gehman]] as Patty, one of the town women who responds to Sally's call for help.
}}

==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.<ref name=Hooked>{{cite web|title=Practical Magic: A Victorian House Fit for a Witch|url=http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/10/25/practical-magic-a-victorian-house-fit-for-a-witch/|website=Hooked|access-date=31 October 2012|date=25 October 2009|quote=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.|archive-date=13 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013221808/https://hookedonhouses.net/2009/10/25/practical-magic-a-victorian-house-fit-for-a-witch/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Design|url=http://www.amasveritas.com/film/setting/design.html|website=Amas Veritas|access-date=31 October 2012|quote=Though this Victorian house looks as if it's been in place for a century, it's actually an architectural shell.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506093608/http://www.amasveritas.com/film/setting/design.html|archive-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Coupeville: The Home to "Practical Magic"|date=4 October 2018|url=https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/coupeville-the-home-to-practical-magic/|website=Whidbey Camano Islands|access-date=10 October 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202035805/https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/coupeville-the-home-to-practical-magic/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Director Griffin Dunne said he originally had a darker vision for the film. The scene with Sally and Gilly inserting needles into Jimmy was supposed to be much more disturbing and the domestic violence plot line was more intense, but the studio cut the darker material.<ref name="VF" /><ref name="Collider">{{cite web |last1=Foutch |first1=Haleigh |title=Practical Magic's Lost Director's Cut Was Stunningly Beautiful, Says Writer |url=https://collider.com/practical-magic-directors-cut-details/ |website=Collider |access-date=23 October 2024 |date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> He expressed interest in a [[director's cut]].<ref name="Culturess">{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=Kristen |title=Interview: Griffin Dunne talks This is Us and the Practical Magic director's cut |url=https://culturess.com/2019/11/30/griffin-dunne-interview/ |website=Culturess |access-date=23 October 2024 |date=November 30, 2019}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Practical Magic |type=DVD [audio commentary] |date=1999 |publisher=Warner Bros. |url=http://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Practical-Magic-DVD/52245/ |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref><ref name="VF">{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Savannah |date=October 6, 2023 |title=How ''Practical Magic'' Pissed Off a Real-life Witch |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/10/how-practical-magic-pissed-off-a-real-life-witch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013233450/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/10/how-practical-magic-pissed-off-a-real-life-witch |archive-date=2023-10-13 |access-date=23 October 2024 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref>

The cast further stated in the film's commentary that they felt supernatural elements of the house started to affect them.<ref name="VF" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Coupeville Celebrates 'Practical Magic'|date=15 October 2018|url=https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/coupeville-celebrates-practical-magic/281-604592879|website=King 5|access-date=10 October 2020|archive-date=29 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929051050/https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/coupeville-celebrates-practical-magic/281-604592879|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Practical Magic: Music from the Motion Picture
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = Various artists
| cover      = Practicalmagicalbum.jpg
| alt        =
| caption    = Photo by Suzanne Tenner
| released   = October 6, 1998 (original pressing)
| recorded   = August 15–16, 1998,<br />[[Abbey Road Studios]] (Michael Nyman tracks)
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Soundtrack]], [[Pop music|pop]], [[Minimal music|minimalism]], [[orchestra]]l
| length     = 56:58 (Nyman pressing); 51:46 (Silvestri pressing)
| language   = English
| label      = [[Reprise Records|Reprise]]/[[Warner Music Group|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 (soundtrack)|Ravenous]]
| next_year  = 1999
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Alan Silvestri]]
 | type       = soundtrack
 | prev_title = [[The Parent Trap (1998 film)|The Parent Trap]]
 | prev_year  = 1998
 | title      = Practical Magic
 | year       = 1998
 | next_title = [[Stuart Little (film)|Stuart Little]]
 | next_year  = 1999
}}
}}

Composer [[Michael Nyman]]'s score to the film was abruptly replaced with music by [[Alan Silvestri]] for the theatrical release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldwasser |first=Dan |date=March 16, 2000 |title=Michael Nyman - Interview |url=https://www.soundtrack.net/content/article/?id=53 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Soundtrack.Net}}</ref> 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 recording|bootleg]]. The complete Nyman score runs 62:30 and contains music that would later appear, in altered form, in ''[[Ravenous (1999 film)|Ravenous]]'' and ''[[The Actors]]'', as well as a bit of his stepwise chord progression theme from ''[[Out of the Ruins]]''/''[[String Quartets 1–3#String Quartet No. 3|String Quartet No. 3]]''/''[[Carrington (film)#Music|Carrington]]''/''[[The End of the Affair (1999 film)#Music|The End of the Affair]]''/''[[The Claim (2000 film)|The Claim]]''. "Convening the Coven", though not "Maria Owens," was subsequently reissued on ''[[The Very Best of Michael Nyman: Film Music 1980–2001]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Practical Magic- Soundtrack details |url=https://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/9683/Practical+Magic |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=SoundtrackCollector.com}}</ref> 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 (Fleetwood Mac song)|Crystal]]," both featuring [[Sheryl Crow]] on back-up vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Masley |first=Ed |date=2021-11-10 |title=The Stevie Nicks 'Dreams' TikTok challenge was huge. Why her song 'Crystal' could be next |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/11/10/stevie-nicks-cyrstal/6369499001/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}}</ref>

<!-- see [[Template:Track listing]] to improve this section -->
; Track listing
# "If You Ever Did Believe" – [[Stevie Nicks]]
# "[[This Kiss (Faith Hill song)|This Kiss]]" – [[Faith Hill]]
# "[[Got to Give It Up|Got to Give It Up (Pt.1)]]" – [[Marvin Gaye]]
# "Is This Real?" – [[Lisa Hall (musician)|Lisa Hall]]
# "Black Eyed Dog" – [[Nick Drake]]
# "[[A Case of You (song)|A Case of You]]" – [[Joni Mitchell]]
# "Nowhere and Everywhere" – [[Michelle Lewis]]
# "[[Always on My Mind]]" – [[Elvis Presley]]
# "Everywhere" – [[Bran Van 3000]]
# "[[Coconut (song)|Coconut]]" – [[Harry Nilsson]]
# "[[Crystal (Fleetwood Mac song)|Crystal]]" – Stevie Nicks
# "Practical Magic" – [[Alan Silvestri]] / "Convening the Coven" – The Michael Nyman Orchestra
# "Amas Veritas" – Alan Silvestri / "Maria Owens" – The Michael Nyman Orchestra

===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Soundtrack|title=Practical Magic|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1998|certyear=1999|access-date=December 17, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==Reception==

===Box office===
''Practical Magic'' opened at #1 with $13.1 million in ticket sales.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fleeman |first=Michael |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record-witches-chucky-scare-up-bi/132684201/ |title=Witches, Chucky scare up big audiences
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930183612/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record-witches-chucky-scare-up-bi/132684201/ |date=October 20, 1998 |access-date=September 30, 2023 |archive-date=September 30, 2023 |page=31 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=[[Daily Record (New Jersey)|Daily Record]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film went on to gross $68.3 million worldwide, less than its $75 million production budget.<ref name="numbers">{{cite web | url = http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Practical-Magic#tab=summary | title = Practical Magic | work = The Numbers | access-date = 2016-05-22 | archive-date = 2023-05-23 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230523025857/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Practical-Magic#tab=summary | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Vulture" />

===Critical reception===
''Practical Magic'' received negative reviews from critics upon release,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Galuppo |first=Mia |date=June 10, 2024 |title=Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman Returning for 'Practical Magic' Sequel |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/practical-magic-sequel-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman-1235918619/ |access-date=November 4, 2024 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nateras |first=Jose |date=November 1, 2021 |title=Does Practical Magic hold up? 'Tis the season to find out |url=https://www.avclub.com/does-practical-magic-hold-up-tis-the-season-to-find-o-1847963517 |access-date=November 4, 2024 |work=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref> who panned its inconsistent tone and script.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Framke |first=Caroline |author-link=Caroline Framke |date=October 31, 2016 |title=The flawed but fun Practical Magic is the Thelma and Louise of witch movies |url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/31/9647652/practical-magic-review-witches |access-date=November 4, 2024 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |quote=The scattered script (written by Akiva Goldsman, Robin Swicord, and Adam Brooks) and constantly changing tenor are why Practical Magic received such negative reviews upon its 1998 release.}}</ref> The [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported an approval rating of 26%, with an average score of 4.8/10, based on 101 reviews. The site's consensus states: "''Practical Magic''{{'}}s jarring tonal shifts sink what little potential its offbeat story may have{{snd}}though Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock's chemistry makes a strong argument for future collaborations."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/practical_magic | title = Practical Magic | work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | publisher = [[Fandango Media|Fandango]] | access-date = December 29, 2024 | archive-date = 11 October 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231011205927/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/practical_magic | url-status = live }}</ref> 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 <!-- Cited terminology, please do not change! -->"mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.metacritic.com/movie/practical-magic | title = Practical Magic | publisher = [[CBS Interactive]] | work = [[Metacritic]] | access-date = December 4, 2012 | archive-date = May 29, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230529054623/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/practical-magic | url-status = live }}</ref> Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of 'B-' on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Practical Magic |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=CinemaScore |language=en-US |archive-date=1999-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991127210934/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[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."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1998/10/16/practical-magic/|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|title=Practical Magic Review|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=October 16, 1998|access-date=December 4, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120112150837/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,63751,00.html|archive-date=January 12, 2012}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' spoke of the film's unsure tone, "veering uncertainly from horror to laughs to romance", and opined that the film "is too scary for children and too childish for adults".<ref name=Ebert>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/practical-magic-1998|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Practical Magic|work=rogerebert.com|publisher=Sun-Times Media Group|date=October 16, 1998|access-date=December 4, 2012|archive-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026124115/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19981016%2FREVIEWS%2F810160303|url-status=live}}</ref>

Garth Stahl of the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' was more positive, noting that women in [[Black comedy|dark comedy]] and depictions of sisterhood are rare in film.<ref name="Stahl">{{Cite news |last=Stahl |first=Garth |date=1998-10-25 |title=Practical Magic Should Have Focused on Its Dark Side |url=https://www.courant.com/1998/10/25/practical-magic-should-have-focused-on-its-dark-side/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241024012711/https://www.courant.com/1998/10/25/practical-magic-should-have-focused-on-its-dark-side/ |archive-date=October 24, 2024 |access-date=October 24, 2024 |work=Hartford Courant}}</ref> He wrote ''Practical Magic'' "has its flaws. Some scenes are weak, occasionally lines are a little muddled, and there is some plot underdevelopment. Yet it is daring and fun — a frolic for two charming actresses and a dapper film premise".<ref name="Stahl" /> He concluded "The main source of attraction is undeniably the enchanting and witty witchcraft. It is simultaneously what makes the Owen sisters outcasts and what makes them special. With a few very sharp scenes, including a jazzy dance sequence, 'Practical Magic' is worth [it]. It is a step toward allowing women to assert themselves in the genre of dark comedy. Now isn't that practical."<ref name="Stahl" />

Reviewing the film for [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], Tom Keogh said, "The film has a variety of tonal changes—cute, scary, glum—that Dunne can't always effectively juggle. But the female-centric, celebratory nature of the film (the fantasies, the sharing, the witchy bonds) is infectious, and supporting roles by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as Kidman and Bullock's magical aunts are a lot of fun."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keogh |first=Tom |title=Practical Magic |isbn=0790740060 }}</ref>

The film has acquired a cult following over the years.<ref name="Vulture">{{cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=Lila |title=''Practical Magic'' Got Cursed by an Actual Witch. Is That Why It Bombed? |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/practical-magic-griffin-dunne-witch-curse.html |access-date=23 October 2024 |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |date=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20181013093747/https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/practical-magic-griffin-dunne-witch-curse.html |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="VF" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldstein |first=Jessica |date=2020-10-20 |title=Stockard Channing Answers Every Question We Have About ''Practical Magic'' |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/10/stockard-channing-answers-our-practical-magic-questions.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> Writing about ''Practical Magic''{{'}}s legacy in 2018, David Sims of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' discussed how the film centers relationships between women through the Owens bloodline as well as in the final scene involving the town's women uniting to free Gillian from Jimmy's control.<ref name="Sims">{{cite web |last=Sims |first=David |date=2018-10-16 |title=Thank the '90s for ''Practical Magic'' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/10/practical-magic-revisited-20-years-later/573097/ |work=The Atlantic |access-date=2019-10-16 |archive-date=2019-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110133657/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/10/practical-magic-revisited-20-years-later/573097/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Vox>{{Cite web |last=Framke |first=Caroline |date=2015-10-31 |title=The flawed but fun Practical Magic is the Thelma and Louise of witch movies |url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/31/9647652/practical-magic-review-witches |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Vox |language=en-US}}</ref> He described the film as a mainstream [[Major film studios|studio]] feature "that wove dark themes about gender and power into an ostensible crowd-pleasing comedy", qualities that made it unusual for its time and have contributed to its staying power.<ref name="Sims" />

===Audience viewership===

''Practical Magic'' entered the [[Max (streaming service)|Max]] top 10 films chart, securing the #5 spot just one day after its October 1, 2024 premiere on the streaming platform.<ref>{{cite news |first=Britta|last=DeVore|date=September 25, 2024 |title=Nicole Kidman's 24% Rotten Tomatoes Movie Just Got a Spellbinding Streaming Update|url=https://collider.com/practical-magic-streaming-max-release-date-october/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925194937/https://collider.com/practical-magic-streaming-max-release-date-october/|archive-date=September 25, 2024 |access-date=October 3, 2024 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=
Adam |last=Blevins|date=October 3, 2024 |title=Audiences Can't Stop Streaming Nicole Kidman's Supernatural Witch Comedy|url=https://collider.com/practical-magic-max-streaming-success-top-10/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241003194937/https://collider.com/practical-magic-max-streaming-success-top-10/|archive-date=October 3, 2024 |access-date=October 3, 2024 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref>

==Accolades {{anchor|Awards}}==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Year
! Nominated work
! Award
! Result
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1999
| Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture <br /> [[Dianne Wiest]]
| [[American Comedy Awards#1999 awards|American Comedy Awards]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 14, 1999 |title=American Comedy Awards |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1999/03/14/american-comedy-awards/59773e94-36c6-4921-bc68-0d2a367c399a/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
| {{nom}}
|-
|Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy/Romance <br /> [[Stockard Channing]] 
| rowspan="4" | [[Blockbuster Entertainment Award]]s
|{{won}}
|-
| Favorite Actor – Comedy/Romance <br /> [[Aidan Quinn]] 
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Song from a Movie <br /> [[Faith Hill]] <br /> <sub>For the song "[[This Kiss (Faith Hill song)|This Kiss]]".</sub> 
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy/Romance <br />[[Dianne Wiest]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress <br /> [[Camilla Belle]]
| rowspan="2" | [[20th Youth in Film Awards|Young Artist Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 20th Annual Youth in Film Awards |url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128203408/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm |archive-date=2016-11-28 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=YoungArtistAwards.org}}</ref>
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress <br /> [[Evan Rachel Wood]]
| {{nom}}
|}

==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 were in talks to star in it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman-1236030299/|title='Practical Magic 2': Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Talks to Return for Sequel|last=Woerner|first=Meredith|date=June 10, 2024|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=June 10, 2024|archive-date=June 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610193927/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman-1236030299/|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that same month, Nicole Kidman confirmed that she and Sandra Bullock would reprise their roles in the sequel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/nicole-kidman-confirms-practical-magic-sequel-sandra-bullock-1235973111/|title=Nicole Kidman Confirms Return For 'Practical Magic 2' With Sandra Bullock|last=Haring|first=Bruce|date=June 13, 2024|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=June 14, 2024|archive-date=June 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613193927/https://deadline.com/2024/06/nicole-kidman-confirms-practical-magic-sequel-sandra-bullock-1235973111/|url-status=live}}</ref> Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the screenplay for the original film, would return to write the script.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61060569/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/|title=Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to reunite for Practical Magic 2|first=Justin|last=Harp|date=June 11, 2024|website=[[DigitalSpy]]|access-date=June 11, 2024|archive-date=June 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611193927/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61060569/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/|title='Practical Magic 2' in the Works With Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Talks to Return|first=Umberto|last=Gonzalez|date=June 10, 2024|website=[[TheWrap]]|access-date=June 10, 2024|archive-date=June 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610193927/https://www.thewrap.com/practical-magic-2-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/|url-status=live}}</ref> Griffin Dunne hinted that a woman will direct the sequel, while he will serve as an executive producer.<ref>{{cite news |first=Pat|last=Saperstein|date=June 17, 2024 |title=Griffin Dunne on His Fascinating, Complicated Family, His 'Hilarious' Friendship With Carrie Fisher and Directing 'Practical Magic'|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/features/griffin-dunne-memoir-carrie-fisher-practical-magic-1236039520/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617194937/https://variety.com/2024/film/features/griffin-dunne-memoir-carrie-fisher-practical-magic-1236039520/|archive-date=June 17, 2024 |access-date=October 3, 2024 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

In July 2024, Akiva Goldsman later confirmed that he would be returning to write the sequel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-akiva-goldsman-writing/|title=We Just Learned Who Is Writing the 'Practical Magic' Sequel [Exclusive]|first=Ryan|last=O'Rourke|date=July 26, 2024|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=July 26, 2024|archive-date=July 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726193927/https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-akiva-goldsman-writing/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=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|title='Practical Magic' Producer Says Sequel Will "Honor" Original Film|first=Jen|last=Juneau|date=August 5, 2024|website=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=August 9, 2024|archive-date=August 5, 2024|archive-url=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|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/practical-magic-producer-sequel-honor-original-1235966272/|title='Practical Magic' Producer Says Sequel Will "Honor" Original Film|first=Lexy|last=Perez|date=August 5, 2024|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=August 9, 2024|archive-date=August 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805193927/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/practical-magic-producer-sequel-honor-original-1235966272/|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the timeline is still uncertain, in August 2024, producer Denise Di Novi is optimistic about beginning production next year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-filming-window-update/|title='Practical Magic 2' Gets a Spellbinding Update From Producer|first=Lade|last=Omotade|date=August 6, 2024|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=August 9, 2024|archive-date=August 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806193927/https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-filming-window-update/|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2025, [[Susanne Bier]] was reportedly in talks to direct the sequel.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2025/01/practical-magic-2-susanne-bier-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman-1236266828/|title= Warner Bros In Talks With Susanne Bier To Direct 'Practical Magic 2'|date= January 24, 2025|access-date= January 24, 2025|first= Anthony|last= D'Alessandro|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-date=January 24, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124193927/https://deadline.com/2025/01/practical-magic-2-susanne-bier-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman-1236266828/|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2025, Kidman mentioned that the sequel was "moving ahead rapidly".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-update-nicole-kidman/|title=Nicole Kidman Reveals the 'Practical Magic' Sequel Is Coming Sooner Than You Think|first=Marisa|last=Williams|date=February 26, 2025|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=February 27, 2025|archive-date=February 27, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227193927/https://collider.com/practical-magic-2-update-nicole-kidman/|url-status=live}}</ref> Three months later, it was announced that Bier would direct the film, which is scheduled for release on September 18, 2026.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Rubin |first1=Rebecca |title=''Practical Magic 2'', Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Sets Fall 2026 Release Date |url=http://variety.com/2025/film/news/practical-magic-2-release-date-nicole-kidman-sandra-bullock-1236388605/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=May 6, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250506162138/https://variety.com/2025/film/news/practical-magic-2-release-date-nicole-kidman-sandra-bullock-1236388605/ |archive-date=May 6, 2025 |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=60626328 |date=May 6, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adalian |first=Josef |date=2003-09-17 |title=CBS rekindles 'Magic' |url=https://variety.com/2003/scene/markets-festivals/cbs-rekindles-magic-1117892571/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The series, named for the [[Sudbury, Massachusetts]] location of the novel and film, was not picked up.

In 2010, Warner Bros. and [[Freeform (TV channel)|ABC Family]] attempted to develop a prequel television series.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/abc-family-brewing-practical-magic-33718|last=Hibberd|first=James|title=ABC Family brewing 'Practical Magic' reboot|date=October 29, 2010|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=December 18, 2011|archive-date=March 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326022344/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/abc-family-brewing-practical-magic-33718|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of ghost films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/practical-magic}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19990422173950/http://www.practicalmagic.com/ Promotional website] (archived)
* {{IMDb title|0120791}}
* {{Mojo title|practicalmagic}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|practical_magic}}

{{Griffin Dunne}}
{{Akiva Goldsman}}

[[Category:1998 films]]
[[Category:1998 comedy films]]
[[Category:1998 fantasy films]]
[[Category:1998 romantic comedy films]]
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[[Category:1990s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s female buddy films]]
[[Category:1990s feminist films]]
[[Category:1990s romantic fantasy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American female buddy films]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films about curses]]
[[Category:Films about sisters]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films based on fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Films based on romance novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Griffin Dunne]]
[[Category:Films produced by Denise Di Novi]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alan Silvestri]]
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[[Category:Films with screenplays by Akiva Goldsman]]
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