"Practical Magic" (1998): What Works/What Doesn't
"Practical Magic" (1998): What Works/What Doesn't
The spellbinding allure of a '90s Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman playing bewitching sisters in a beguiling film...and that Stevie Nicks ballad we couldn't stop humming
Synopsis: A “Chick Flick” With Bite, Rage & Power
I was in college when I first watched the Griffin Dunne-directed Practical Magic, an offbeat film that was just left of mainstream about two beautiful sisters (Sally and Gillian), born into a family of witches, and cursed to never find everlasting love. The curse dictated that their romantic partner would always meet an untimely death, and they had their parents as living testament to this cruel fate. Talk about trauma. As such, the girls are raised by their aunts, played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, and I’ve always maintained, or have since I first saw this film, that those two would make for bitchin’ aunts. They are the epitome of cool.
The setting for this film is the popular Fall locale of New England, ripe for films about witches (Hocus Pocus, Hubie Halloween), puritanical people (Midnight Mass), or crime (The Departed, any Ben Affleck film in which he brings out his best “Havahd Yahd,” JFK accent, or the recent film with Matt Damon and Affleck’s brother, The Instigators). But enough about me…
JOKING!
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
Well You Should Be (it’s a Taylor Swift lyric from a song off her latest album - TTPD)
In revisiting the film, which has its positives - it’s incredibly female-centric (easily passing the Bechdel test), offers compelling storytelling, and with an engaging arc that keeps one entertained, I couldn’t unsee its problematic elements.
Side Note: The first time I watched the film, I was blissfully lost in the catchy soundtrack and the ‘90s vibe, especially Faith Hill's iconic 90s hit "This Kiss," which played in the background as Sandra Bullock experienced her first love with the guy from Royal Pains. Little did I know, the movie carried deeper societal messages beneath its surface.
So here’s where the cobwebs form:
#1 - The film's core premise echoes an all-too-familiar narrative: beautiful women must be punished for tempting men. This concept, reminiscent of biblical tales, manifests in the curse that afflicts the sisters for pursuing romantic love, perpetuating a problematic trope about female sexuality and its perceived dangers.