Despite the Unexpected Storyline
Magic Still Charms

With Halloween rapidly approaching, it's nice to see a fun movie about the supernatural that does not degenerate to a splatter film or teenage slasher flick. While the previews suggest nothing more than a magical love story, Practical Magic is actually a smart story about two sisters and their odd family traditions.

Sandra Bullock stars as Sally Owens -- who along with her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) -- is descended from a long line of witches. The tragedy of the Owens family is a curse one ancestor cast upon herself in an effort to assure she would never be hurt by love. Since that time, every man loved by an Owens woman has met with death.

When Sally and Gillian's mother lost their father, she soon died of a broken heart. The girls moved in with their eccentric aunts (played by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing) and grew up learning how to cast spells and practice magic.

The girls grow up along different paths. Sally, shy and reserved, becomes fearful of falling in love, while Gilly chases after it. With a "little push" by her aunts, Sally falls in love with a young man from town and gives birth to two daughters of her own. When her husband dies, the latest victim of the family curse, she begins to withdraw from the world.

Then Practical Magic takes a decidedly darker turn. Gilly, caught in an abusive relationship, calls for her sister's help. With Sally's help, Gilly tries to leave, but circumstances arise and they soon have a dead body on their hands. Rather than go to the authorities, the sisters try to undo their misdeed and only succeed in making matters worse. Aidan Quinn appears as an federal marshal who investigates the disappearance of the boyfriend and soon begins to investigate the mysterious Owens sisters as well.

While it never becomes a traditional horror movie, Practical Magic entwines some spooky elements into its storyline. Evil spirits, raising the dead, and possession all conspire to turn this tragic love story into something darker, but the themes of love, hope, and family brighten the gloom.

Those who do not find the subject of witchcraft appropriate subject matter may wish to avoid Practical Magic, but it is overall harmless. The witchcraft in the movie is more reminiscent of the traditional image with spell books, potions and bubbling cauldrons, rather than the "Sabrina" or "Bewitched" variety. As mentioned, there are some seriously creepy moments in this movie, and it is not recommended for children.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 103 min.