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Practical Magic

The Owens women live under an ancient curse: any man they love is doomed to an untimely death. Orphaned as young girls, Sally and Gillian are raised by their eccentric aunts Frances (a bawdy Stockard Channing) and Jet (the wickedly funny Dianne Wiest), benevolent white witches who thumb their noses at the town's attempts to ostracize them. As teenagers, Sally (a tepid Sandra Bullock) immerses herself in herb lore while sultry Gillian (a bewitching Nicole Kidman) relishes her power over men. Later, trying to subdue Gillian's abusive lover Jimmy with belladonna, the sisters accidentally poison him (don't try this at home, ladies). The law shows up at Sally's door: Sheriff Gary Hallett (Aidan Quinn) is smitten and so is she -- all the more because she conjured him up as a young girl, dreaming of Mr. Right. But a more urgent problem arises: Gillian is possessed by Jimmy's ghost. A coven is convened, and amid a swirl of broomsticks, boiling cauldrons, and ILM-style fairy dust, the bogeyman is banished and the love spell clicks into place.

Griffin Dunne's cunningly crafted romp bears only slight resemblance to Alice Hoffman's romantic novel, but its wry humor and lush imagery make for a fun, feel-good movie just in time for Halloween. Although there are noble attempts to woo modern witches (like myself) with politically correct neo-pagan platitudes, this film is at its best when brazenly embracing every evil stereotype in the book.

-- Peg Aloi