---
title: "Practical Magic"
year: 1998
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/practical-magic"
fi1m_id: "practical-magic"
imdb_id: "tt0120791"
tmdb_id: 6435
wikidata_id: "Q148429"
fi1m_score: 60
critics_score: 51
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-23T10:35:18.883875+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-23T10:35:32.097776+00:00"
region: "NO"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Practical Magic (1998)

Directed by Griffin Dunne · 1h 44m · Medietilsynet 15 · Romance, Fantasy, Comedy

## Identity

Practical Magic

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/practical-magic
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** practical-magic
- **IMDb ID:** tt0120791
- **TMDB ID:** 6435
- **Wikidata ID:** Q148429
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120791/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/6435, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q148429

**Fi1m score: 60** · Critics 51 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* The house is lovely, the aunts are lovelier, and the plot turns up late and drunk

> Griffin Dunne’s version of Alice Hoffman’s novel has two good sisters, two better aunts and a house we would move into tomorrow. It also has three screenwriters and about as many films inside it, and never picks one.

## Synopsis

The Owens women have been witches for generations and cursed for most of them: any man one of them loves dies young. Orphaned early, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) are raised in a clapboard house above a small harbour town by their aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest), who sell love spells to the neighbours. As a girl, careful Sally casts a spell so she will never fall in love; wild Gillian leaves town with a boy. Years on, Sally has married Michael (Mark Feuerstein) and has two daughters, Kylie (Evan Rachel Wood) and Antonia (Alexandra Artrip), when the curse finds him. Then Gillian rings, frightened of her boyfriend Jimmy Angelov (Goran Višnjić), and Sally drives through the night to fetch her.

## Review

*Practical Magic* is about two sisters who cannot fall in love without killing somebody, and it cannot decide whether that is funny, sad or frightening. Griffin Dunne directs from Alice Hoffman’s novel, and three screenwriters, Akiva Goldsman, Adam Brooks and Robin Swicord, share the credit, which is usually a sign that a script has passed through several hands with different plans for it. It shows. There is a warm small-town comedy about a family of witches, a drama about sisters who need each other, a romance, and a horror film about a man who will not go away, and in 104 minutes none of them is given enough room to finish.

The best thing in the film is the house. Robin Standefer’s production design gives the Owens women a clapboard place on a bluff with a conservatory full of herbs, a kitchen the size of a chapel and a staircase built for slow entrances, and Andrew Dunn lights it as if it were always four o’clock on an October afternoon. Judianna Makovsky puts the aunts in velvet and the sisters in slips and cardigans. We would move in tomorrow, curse included, and we suspect that a good deal of the film’s long life comes down to other people feeling the same.

Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, as Aunt Frances and Aunt Jet, are the reason the comedy works. They hex the neighbours’ children on request and treat the family curse as an inconvenience, like damp. Channing does the sharp one and Wiest the soft one, and they finish each other’s sentences in a way that suggests sixty years of shared kitchens. The film gets worse every time it cuts away from them.

Sandra Bullock plays Sally as the one who stayed, running a shop and pretending to be ordinary, and Nicole Kidman plays Gillian as the one who ran, all red hair and bad boyfriends. They are good together. There is a scene of the two of them lying on a bed, talking about the men they have lost, that sounds like a real conversation between real sisters, and the film could have used ten more like it. The scene people remember is the midnight margaritas, the four women dancing round the kitchen table, and we were charmed by it against our better judgement; it is loose and slightly drunk and it is the one time the film stops arranging its actresses and lets them play.

The trouble arrives with Jimmy Angelov (Goran Višnjić), Gillian’s boyfriend, a man with a cowboy hat and a temper. Once he is in the story the film turns darker, and Dunne stages his scenes with real menace, but he stages them in the same warm light, so a frightened woman in a car is followed within a minute by the aunts being whimsical about a broom. Elizabeth Kling’s cutting is not the problem; the material does not join. Alan Silvestri’s score does its best to knit the pieces together and the pop songs do the rest, cued so that a Stevie Nicks track tells us how to feel before the scene has had a chance to. The second half takes a turn we will not describe, except to say that we felt our own jaw set during the last twenty minutes, which the film means as a rousing coming-together and which plays as a set piece somebody remembered they had promised.

Aidan Quinn arrives in the second half as Gary Hallet, an investigator asking questions about Jimmy, and he is decent in the part. His scenes with Bullock are the part of the film that most resembles the poster, and they have the least room of anything here. Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip, as Sally’s daughters Kylie and Antonia, get a few good lines and a lot of standing in doorways.

The witch comedy has a long history, from *I Married a Witch* to *The Witches of Eastwick*, and the good ones pick a tone and hold it. *Practical Magic* wants the sweetness of the first and the bite of the second and a weepie besides, and it settles for being pleasant. It has stayed loved, and we can see why: the house, the aunts, the margaritas. Those are real pleasures. They are also about forty minutes of the film.

See it on a wet autumn afternoon with someone who will not mind you talking during the plot. The 12 certificate is about right; there are two or three scenes that would frighten a small child and nothing that will trouble anyone else.

*Fi1m score 60, published 23 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split almost down the middle, and even those who enjoy Practical Magic call it fluff. Most critics agree the cast is the best thing in it: Bullock and Kidman keep it moving, and the senior witches played by Wiest and Channing draw praise from admirers and detractors alike. The soft, glossy photography is noted on both sides, not always as a compliment. The two most recent reviews are among the kindest, which suggests its standing has improved with time.

The reservations cluster on tone. Nearly every critic notes that it is three films at once, a sisterhood drama, a horror picture and a romance; the disagreement is whether that is charming or a muddle. Roger Ebert finds it too frightening for children and too childish for adults, and objects to soundtrack songs doing the story’s emotional work. Time Out goes furthest, calling the performances hammy and the story heartless. The scores run from 20 to 80.

## Straight answers

**Is Practical Magic worth watching?**

*Practical Magic* is worth watching for the house, the aunts and the midnight margaritas, and we scored it 60. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest are the reason the comedy works, and Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are good together as the sisters. The plot, which cannot decide between comedy, weepie and horror, is the part you will talk through.

**How long is Practical Magic, and what is it rated?**

*Practical Magic* runs 1h 44m and is rated 15 by the Medietilsynet in Norway. It is a romance and fantasy film.

**Where can I watch Practical Magic in Norway?**

*Practical Magic* is streaming on HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ in Norway, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from kr 39.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Practical Magic, and is it suitable for children?**

*Practical Magic* carries a UK 12 certificate, which we think is about right. The comedy is warm and the family curse is treated as an inconvenience, but Gillian’s boyfriend Jimmy brings real menace, and there are two or three scenes that would frighten a small child. Older children and teenagers will not be troubled by anything here.

**How does Practical Magic compare to Kiki's Delivery Service?**

*Practical Magic* is the looser and more grown-up of the two, a witch comedy about sisters, curses and bad boyfriends, while *Kiki’s Delivery Service* is a gentle animated film about a young witch finding a town and a job. Miyazaki’s film is the better one, because it picks a tone and holds it. Choose the Owens sisters for velvet, herbs and drunken kitchen dancing.

**Is Practical Magic based on a true story or a book?**

*Practical Magic* is based on Alice Hoffman’s novel of the same name, not on a true story. Three screenwriters, Akiva Goldsman, Adam Brooks and Robin Swicord, adapted it, and the film’s inability to settle on one story suggests the book passed through several hands. You need not have read Hoffman to follow it.

**What should I watch after Practical Magic?**

After *Practical Magic*, try [*Kiki's Delivery Service*](https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service) (1989, Fi1m 86): A young witch finds a town and a job; Miyazaki’s gentlest film. Then [*Fried Green Tomatoes*](https://film.one/film/fried-green-tomatoes) (1991, Fi1m 75): Women, a kitchen and a body nobody mentions; the same recipe without spells.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the 1998 Griffin Dunne film still enchants on its big-screen re-release ahead of a sequel. They single out its romcom quirk, buttery cinematography and stabs of black comedy as making it a zany gem. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/06/practical-magic-review-nicole-kidman-and-sandra-bullocks-90s-witchy-fantasy-still-enchants)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (71/100, inferred): Maslin calls the film a bouncy, bubble-brained guilty pleasure with a transcendently silly story line and excessive froufrou touches. She singles out the stars' svelte charm and the delightful comic support from the senior witches as the elements that still provide escapism. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/16/movies/film-review-in-a-super-cute-coven-a-witches-brew-for-men.html)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (70/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as an uneven chick movie that shifts between cute fluff, sisterhood drama, and supernatural elements, calling it a no-brainer with ruffles. Bullock and Kidman are praised for making it fly along with strong comic support, while Dunne is noted for directing prettily in service of fanciful romantic escapism. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/practical-magic-review/)
- **Variety**, Emanuel Levy (52/100, inferred): Levy describes the film as slight and undernourished, a hodgepodge that is not entirely satisfying on any level due to conflicting script sensibilities. He singles out the strong ensemble, particularly Nicole Kidman's sexy performance and the supporting turns by Wiest and Channing, as the picture's best asset. [Read](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/practical-magic-2-1200455534/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (40/100, inferred): Ebert finds the film tonally uncertain, veering between horror, laughs and romance in a way that makes it too scary for children and too childish for adults. He singles out the intrusive soundtrack songs that are used to force emotional cues and segues the story cannot support on its own. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/practical-magic-1998)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Jack Mathews (35/100, inferred): Mathews finds the movie has no more practical magic than a souffle chef, with the filmmakers concentrating on emotional trappings rather than cheap tricks. He singles out the big stars' inability to conjure enough to make the witchcraft story work despite the hype. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-16-ca-32891-story.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kevin Maher (30/100, inferred): The film attempts to update the women's picture genre with supernatural elements but fails to explore the tensions of its matriarchal world. Dunne prioritizes saccharine emotions and glossy visuals over dramatic substance. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/15)
- **Time Out**, CO'Su (20/100, inferred): The film substitutes set pieces and music for drama and genuine emotion. Performances are hammy and the story lacks heart or mind. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/practical-magic)
- **Paste**, Kenneth Lowe (70/100, inferred): The critic views the film as three different movies in one—sisterhood drama, horror, and romance—praising its blend of whimsy, magic, and character dynamics while noting its tonal shifts and initial commercial failure. He highlights the strong female cast and the film's enduring appeal as a seasonal favorite for its themes of belonging and independence. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/practical-magic/autumn-classics-practical-magic)

## Details

- **Director:** Griffin Dunne
- **Director:** Griffin Dunne
- **Screenplay:** Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, Adam Brooks
- **Novel:** Alice Hoffman
- **Cinematography:** Andrew Dunn
- **Editor:** Elizabeth Kling
- **Music:** Alan Silvestri
- **Production design:** Robin Standefer
- **Costume design:** Judianna Makovsky
- **Producer:** Denise Di Novi
- **Cast:** Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens; Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens; Stockard Channing as Aunt Frances; Dianne Wiest as Aunt Jet; Goran Višnjić as Jimmy Angelov; Aidan Quinn as Gary Hallet; Evan Rachel Wood as Kylie Owens; Alexandra Artrip as Antonia Owens
- **Runtime:** 1h 44m
- **Certificate (Medietilsynet):** 15
- **Release (Norway):** 26 February 1999
- **Genres:** Romance, Fantasy, Comedy
- **Budget:** $75 million
- **Box office:** $94 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7uixLkpjPs

## Where to watch in Norway

- HBO Max: streaming
- Netflix: streaming
- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent kr 39.00, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy kr 99.00, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-23.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Bell, Book and Candle* (1958): Kim Novak’s Greenwich Village witch; the same premise played straight and much drier.
- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987): Three women, one devil, and a film that commits to being nasty.
- *The Craft* (1996): The teenage version, meaner and more honest about what power does to friends.
- *Kiki's Delivery Service* (1989), Fi1m 86: A young witch finds a town and a job; Miyazaki’s gentlest film. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service.md)
- *Fried Green Tomatoes* (1991), Fi1m 75: Women, a kitchen and a body nobody mentions; the same recipe without spells. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fried-green-tomatoes.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/practical-magic