Practical Magic (1999, VHS)

This movie is a story of two sisters. One wants to be normal, but isn't. The other is more normal, but wants desperately to be something else. What makes it fun is that the family has a genetic kind of nose-twitching talent, (no one actually twitches)reminiscent of "Bewitched" that is passed genetically, and a curse accompanying their lives. What makes the movie good, in spite of the ridiculous premise, is the quality of the production, the directing, the screenplay by Swicord, based on a book by Alice Hoffman, and the performances of some outstanding cast members, and some good performances by the others.

The director Griffin Dunne is an actor's director, and his short sequences in film production notes verify this. I guess it proves that sometimes you gotta be there. It always manages to be better when there is an actor with stage experience involved. I suspect it is because they know tricks about acting, by not having a camera and editing to cover for their mistakes. Other films to Dunne's credit are ADDICTED TO LOVE, which is actually very funny, GODZILLA (1998), for which he will some day have to atone, and YOU GOT MAIL (1998) a soppy sentimental job that only I could love. What I think impresses me most here, is the quality of performances he managed to get from Bullock and Kidman, who have both done some outrageously bad performances (and good ones) in other movies.

The Sound track has some pretty good tunes, mostly fluff although fluff that helped the plot development. The special effects were only average, but more is less in this case. The little acts of magic make the difference, after all. The photography, in some cases, was stunning, (especially the moon) but not consistently so. The makeup was effective in the cases where it was required, but not impressive, and the costuming is sometimes reminiscent of Mary Poppins at a rummage sale. But it still manages to work here.

The pacing is excellent, and the movie doesn't spin out of control by building adrenaline suddenly, or by long boring scenes of exposition and angst. Each exciting scene is balanced by an ordinary one, and there is a nice mix of these extraordinarily, shall we say, gifted , people dealing with the problems of everyday life.

IS THERE A POINT? THE CURSE

There is probably no real message, and doesn't have to be. There is something that bothers me, though, and that is the nature, and expression of the curse. Maria, the first witch in the family, was sentenced to hang for witchcraft, and for sleeping around, back in the famous Salem witch-hunting festivals in the 17th Century. She breaks the noose with magic, and is banished to an island somewhere in New England, in the general direction of Logan Airport, which makes the location near Boston. (Actually it was filmed off the Washington Coast)She is pregnant, and expects her lover to come and rescue her. He does not, so she curses the women in her family to loneliness, by assuring that any man they love will die early, accompanied by the sound of the death march Beetle. I mean, isn't that a bit misdirected? Turn the guy into a toad, give him boils on his genitals,sure, but curse your grandchildren to loneliness? Fie on you, evil witch of the East! No wonder they didn't like you!

If there is another point to the movie, it would be in the character development of the two sisters. One of them has a lot of "magic" as in witchcraft magic, the other is less talented. The one with the talent desperately wants to just be normal. The other one, while not normal, would like a smidgeon of that power. Being normal is highly overrated.

Something could be made of the small town gathering and calling names, but how would you feel if an 8 year old kid pointed her little finger at you and gave you chicken-pox? So even good witches are flawed, at times. Sigh. The practice of witchcraft here, though is just a blend of herbs and spices, with a few choice nonsense words; an earth muffin's dream, really. But when those old housewives get together with their brooms....now that's another story!

HUMOR

There are some very funny scenes. The two aunts are a hoot, with a pleasant mix of Auntie Mame eccentricity, and Agness Moorehead witch behavior, with a bit of their own mix tossed in. The little girls are very believable in all their scenes. My favorite funny scenes in the movie are the Midnight Margarita scene and the PTA meeting, followed by the boyfriend resurrection scene. I wonder if Margaritas wouldn't be better with the two old witches making them at midnight? Maybe I should try that.

THE PLOT

THE CURSE OF MARIA

The movie opens at a hanging of a witch in bygone days in New England. But the witch breaks the rope with magic, and is banished to an isolated Island. Her lover never rescues her, so she curses all generations of women to come after her, to never be broken by love, with the love of their life marked for certain death.

After this we see a family, with the two sisters Gilly and Sally,as young girls, on the beach with their parents. The clicking of a beetle marks their Dad for death, as per the curse. Their mother "dies of a broken heart" and the two girls go to live with their eccentric spinster aunts, Jet and Frances. They learn a lot of interesting things. Sally resolves to never fall in love and creates a spell that she believes will never happen , for a love with some physical characteristics and skills that she believes could never be. Gilly, less talented in magic, can't wait to fall in love.

SPELL WITH GOOD INTENTIONS First love and marriage

Cut to teenage years. Gilly is running off with her boyfriend. Sally stays home, already missing her sister. A few years later, Gilly is partying around the country, and Sally would give anything to be normal. Unknown to her, the aunts cast a spell, and love finds Sally. She is blissfully happy for a few years, and has two children. Then she hears the scratching of the death march beetle, and her husband Michael buys the farm. (Note:This scene isn't meant to be funny, but it had me rolling on the floor)

Gilly, meanwhile is still partying but she falls in love with a darkly handsome but obsessive Bulgarian, Jimmy Angelov. He has a kind of dracula-cowboy thing going on.

Sally meanwhile moves back in with the Aunts, and tries desperately to be normal. She doesn't want her girls to learn witchcraft. She joins the PTA and opens a botanical shop.

JIMMY ANGELOVE -BLOOD ON THE MOON

Sally is lonely,but surviving. One night Gilly calls her up. The Bulgarian Cowboy has stepped up his obsessive behaviour, and slapped her around. Sally goes to rescue her. But, Angelov is in the back seat, in a rage, and holds Gilly, forcing Sally to drive, while he drinks more and goes more out of control. The girls lace his bottle with belladonna, and he dies of an overdose. They decide to do a spell to revive him, getting the PET SEMETARY version back. Sally clubs him and he returns to the inert (dead) stage, or so they think. They bury him in the yard.

THE HAUNTING

There are signs that Jimmy's spirit is manifesting . There is a plague of toads, roses grow overnight, and the kids see strange things in the yard. A midnight Margarita party goes from joyful to maudlin, then turns sinister as the girls discover that the bottle for the party is mysteriously left on the porch. Gillian is desperately afraid, and not feeling well. When the aunts discover the deed that has been done, they take off to teach Sally and Gilly a lesson.

HALLET COMES TO INVESTIGATE

A special investigator comes looking for Jimmy. Angelov is wanted for murder. Hallet begins to suspect foul play. Sally, though has a strange and unpredictable response to the handsome Tucson lawman. Is it love? She finds it hard to lie.

JIMMY RETURNS

The evil is far from over. Gilly is getting ill, and Jimmy possesses her intermittently and finally manifests in the flesh, in front of Hallet. Hallet gives them a reprieve using the 'magic' of his star badge, and Hallet learns what has happened, in spite of all the efforts to keep it from him. Sally learns that Hallet is the very description of her childhood impossible spell, the man of her dreams.
Hallet goes away, but it isn't over yet!

Jimmy takes possession of Gilly's body, and her life is on the line. Anything more would ruin this movie for you if you haven't seen it yet. The conclusion is actually pretty interesting, even as silly as the story seems so far.

CAST

SANDRA BULLOCK as Sally Owens, the good witch of the north (my title) She is the sister with the skills, and Sandra does a passable job. She's been in some stinkers
(SPEED with Keanu Reeves) and some interesting flicks as well, but this one is pretty much in her usual range. To see her in a different role, I would watch 28 DAYS again. The girl can act a little. She is very beautiful (as my ex used to point out frequently) and it compensates for her bad wardrobe. Check out her last scene. Whoah Nelly! Boots and a sleeveless dress?

NICOLE KIDMAN as Gillian Owens, the sister with, let's say, other talents. She is a party animal. One of the animals turns out to be abusive, and obsessive, not a good combination. I had to remind myself that Kidman has talent after EYES WIDE SHUT , and it re-asserts itself here. She manages to be seductive and selfish, yet very appealing. She has one outstanding dramatic scene, at the end. She does a very good job here.

STOCKARD CHANNING as Aunt Frances, the down- to- earth abrasive, sarcastic aunt, who plays her part with enthusiasm. She is absolutely wonderful, and full of mischief. SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION was her best movie so far, and she earned her Academy Award. She is versatile, with many accomplishments, stage and screen.

DIANE WIEST as Aunt Jet. She is the "good witch", with a twinkle and that low key, subtle charm that balances her sister's moxie as the other Aunt. Wiest is best known in her association with Woody Allen's productions, although her career started with Shakespeare, in a touring company.

AIDAN QUINN as Gary Hallet, the investigator who threatens the sisters, but who is the man of Sally Owen's dreams. It's hard not to like Quinn, who is talented and usually underrated. He won my heart many years ago in BENNY AND JOON, a movie which almost made me like Johnny Depp. He does a pretty good job here, also. Has many film credits under his belt, but I think he is still waiting for the big
one.

GORAN VISNJIC as Jimmy Angelov. He is actually Croation, and probably had the toughest role in the flick as the bad guy, yet he had moments. Darkly handsome, he still manages to be slimy, and occasionally likable. Makeup was a little cheesy in his manifestation scene, but those silver contacts were eerie.

MARK FEUERSTEIN as Michael. Says barely a word in the flick, but seemed very likable. A little shorter than Sandy for their scenes together.

EVAN RACHEL WOOD as Kylie, the oldest daughter of Sally. I think this kid has potential, and she was pretty good in this role. Handled her part with skill.

CAMILLE BELLE as Sally, age 11. Not a long role but an important one. I doubt though, that Sandra Bullock grew out of that serene and intelligent face, reminsicent of an Italian Renaissance painting.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION

If you haven't seen this movie, it will be fun for you to see. If you have seen it, pay attention to some outstanding performances, and just relax . Remember "there is a little witch in all of us". What bothers me, is that there is a lot of witch in many of us. Maybe a little mugwort will fix that up.