SYNOPSICS
Practical Magic (1998) is a English movie. Griffin Dunne has directed this movie. Sandra Bullock,Nicole Kidman,Stockard Channing,Dianne Wiest are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1998. Practical Magic (1998) is considered one of the best Comedy,Drama,Fantasy,Romance movie in India and around the world.
Sisters Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) have a special bond with each other despite being different in personality and outlook. Having grown up with their spinster Aunt Frances (Stockard Channing) and Aunt Jet (Dianne Wiest) in the long time Owens family house on an island off the coast of Massachusetts following the death of their father and then their mother, they are the latest in a long line of witches. Rumors of the Owens women being witches have existed for generations in the small close-minded town in which they live, despite there being no hard evidence. The Owens women are also under a curse that any man with who they fall in love is doomed. With this experience, extroverted Gillian decides to leave the island to live life to the fullest, in the process, falling for Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), a Bulgarian who grew up near Transylvania. More introspective Sally, who has sworn off the use of magic except in its most practical sense, has taken ...
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Practical Magic (1998) Reviews
Loved it
Normally I don't care for chick flicks, but I can't seem to stop watching this one over and over again. I was surprised that so many others didn't care for it. I just loved the sets, the costumes, the women and their relationships, the real magic in the film, the special effects, the child actresses. This was stuff that women could relate to better than men. Aidan Quinn was the only boring part of the movie. I wished they'd chosen an actor who was more into the role. He seemed bored and made his part in the film more boring. (Also, he mumbles. Someone should give him elocution lessons.) This movie wasn't meant to be heavy. It was meant to be light, fun fluff, and that it is. The characters weren't meant to be deep, but I felt the relationship between the two sisters was deeper and well performed by two skilled actresses. In spite of the fluffiness of it, I enjoyed the two scenes in which we got to sit and relax to the sound of Stevie Nicks' "Crystal." So what if cars weren't crashing and guns weren't shooting. They weren't supposed to be. I felt the camaraderie of the moment as the two sisters and their aunts got drunk on "midnight margaritas" while dancing to Harry Nilsson's "Lime in the Coconut." It was just plain light fun. Also, women can enjoy the vicarious satisfaction of watching these women destroy the evil, bullying man who tries to destroy them. The end of the film was rather Disney-kiddie-flick-like. Another ending might have worked better, but it was tolerable because it reminded the audience that the film was all in fun, and not to be taken seriously. I usually prefer deeper films, but I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of fluff. Sure it was silly and campy, but it was fun. A film doesn't have to take itself seriously to be fun. Bullock, Kidman, Channing, and Wiest are beautiful, charming and wonderful to watch in this flick, and I love watching the four of them over and over again.
Magical Fun
This is a "fun" movie, surprising and funny but much more for adults than children- it's too scary and graphic for little ones. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman give star-powered performances- both deliver the goods here and you'll enjoy it whether you're fans of them or if you're not. They're simply charming and as much as people may want to dislike Kidman for being Ms. Cruise, she again proves she's a star in her own right. Forget the critics and the Be-faithful-to-the-book drones, this is a good movie- hip, edgy and sometimes spooky. If this was a movie made by two unknown actresses, it would be a "gem" critics would recommend to audiences, but for some reason with Bullock and Kidman, it gets reviewed on a different scale and ends up short for people. Forget all that- it's great entertainment with yes, two pretty big stars- but they can't help that so get over it and enjoy the movie for what it is- a real "gem."
A Wonderfully fun movie
This movie is one of my favorites - I love watching it. I have to agree with the remarks by AshIsTheGal and Warlen. Nicole Kidman had never been one of my favorite actress either, but I loved her in this movie (as I did Sandra Bullock). The real standouts though were Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest - watching them perform was almost worth the price of admission itself! They are wonderful. I don't see this movie as being about magic or witchcraft, the romance between Sally and Gary Hallet or even Jimmy Angelov chasing Gillian (which is a huge catalyst - but not really any more than that). For me, this movie is really about the relationships between sisters and women (the Aunts Franny and Jet, Kylie and Antonia, the Owens' women and the townswomen and of course, between Sally and Gillian - both young and adult). All of the actresses had a great chemistry, but I couldn't believe how well matched Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman were. I felt that their bond was very believable and I loved watching their relationship to each other (and themselves) grow and mature as they went from being children to adults. I certainly don't think that this film will appeal to everybody, and I can see why so many people "don't get it", but if you watch it more for the relationships between the women and not so much for the romance angle or the magic I think that you will really enjoy this movie. I thought that the romance and magic were handled very well, I just saw them as being secondary to the real story. Also - it has a wonderful soundtrack. I read the book after seeing the movie, and while there are many changes between the two, I really enjoyed both. I thought that the changes made to the movie made for a better movie overall. All in all, a very enjoyable movie. I highly recommend it.
In favor of this movie!
Reading the reviews of this movie is like being on a teeter-totter. One hates, the other loves, one hates... I LOVED THIS MOVIE. Maybe it's because I come from a family of 6 sisters.... The bonding and care between the sisters and the Aunts, standing against the rest of the town's distrust and dislike shows family strength. When Sandra is weeping over her husband dying, I cried with her. I thought it was a fabulous moment for her in the movie. If you want a movie about a woman getting revenge on an abusive husband, rent The Color Purple (ALSO a fave of mine) This movie was playful, at times slightly spooky... Hello? It's a Witch story... it should have SOME spooky stuff in it, and I don't feel the special effects were too over done. As far as them inviting the women of the town in to help, I loved that whole sceen as well. The flash backs to the sisters as children and not wanting to let the other go... all of it. Each time that sceen pops into power mode, it makes me want to call every one of my sisters. I haven't read the book, so I understand there might be some disappointment from those who HAVE read it. Movies rarely pack the punch of the written word they're based on. (Like EVERY King movie EVER put on film!) But I adore Practical Magic. I saw it in the theater, and bought it as soon as I could.
A very unique film, full of magical surprises...
A couple of months before Practical Magic came out in theaters, I read the novel it was based on by Alice Hoffman, and loved it. So when I went to see 'Practical Magic' the movie, I didn't know what to expect, since most movie adaptions from books are very different and disappointing. But, while this was very different from the novel, I was pleasantly surprised. 'Practical Magic' is not your average romantic comedy or your average witch movie. Instead, it mixes the 2 genres together and creates a sparkling film that never gets boring. Even though some scenes are a little far-fetched, the acting, relationships and storyline keep it from getting too weird. As for the cast, I don't think it gets much better. Sandra Bullock pretty much plays her usual character, but she plays it with a well-acted sensitivity and you definitely sypathize for her. Nicole Kidman, is brilliant--very wild-child, but not so trampy that you hate her--and probably the most interesting character ( and the best performance) in the whole movie. Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing are extremely well cast as the eccentric aunts, and their on-screen presence is breathtaking. Aidan Quinn is also very good, playing Sandra Bullock's 'perfect man'. So what's my final outlook on 'Practical Magic'? Excellent. Sure, it's not a flawless, Oscar-worthy, masterpiece, but it's fun and one of the most interesting films I have seen in a long time. So, if you're looking for a well-acted, well-written, unique film, I definitely recommend 'Practical Magic'. And don't forget to read the book!