Practical Magic - The Perfect Halloween Movie

If you’re looking for a fun and romantic Halloween movie, you should definitely check out Alice Hoffman’s 1998 adaptation of her novel Practical Magic. It features sizzling stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

The two sisters, Sally and Gillian Owens, have grown up in a small Massachusetts town where they are known as witches. But they want to leave that behind them and find love in their lives.

1. It’s a Halloween movie

A cult favorite, Practical Magic tells the story of two witch sisters who are raised by their aunts. It’s a low-key take on witchcraft that embraces its rustic, cottage-like aesthetic in a film that still feels fresh and vibrant decades later.

The movie stars Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens, a widowed mother who moves back in with her aunts after her husband dies and attempts to deny her magical abilities. Nicole Kidman plays her rebellious sister, Gillian, who longs to break free of their family’s traditional path and find love on her own terms.

But thanks to an ancestral curse, every man they fall in love with ends up dying tragically, a fact that Sally and Gillian must learn to accept as a part of their reality. In the end, they must use their magical powers to break the curse and find love of their own.

While Practical Magic doesn’t always hit its stride, it has its share of memorable moments. From the gorgeous house that stands on a cliffside and surrounds its green garden, to the midnight margarita dance party and the black kitten who runs through most of the film, it’s one of the best Halloween movies out there. It also offers a unique glimpse into the life of witches and their bond with each other.

2. It’s a love story

Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, is a love story that’s worth watching. The film was released in 1998 and has since become a cult classic. It’s also a quintessential 90s movie, both for its rising stars and its unique filmmaking style.

The film tells the story of orphaned sisters Sally and Gillian Owens (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman), witches who are descended from a long line of witches with a family curse. They’re raised by their aunts, who feed them brownies for breakfast and visit them only when they need a spell.

But as they grow up, they realize that their aunts aren’t entirely who they seem. Sally marries a man she loves, but her husband dies in an accident. She’s devastated, but she blames the family curse: any men who fall in love with an Owens woman are doomed to death.

Though Practical Magic isn’t a perfect movie, it’s still an engrossing film that has a lot to say about female power and sisterhood. The movie also explores the uncanny ways we can connect to people and things.

But the best thing about this enchanting movie is that it’s not afraid to show its audience that abuse and trauma can be a part of life. It’s also not afraid to show that love can come with risks. The movie is full of moments that make you cry, but it doesn’t do it in a heavy way. It’s about the power of women to protect themselves and each other.

3. It’s a family movie

When you watch Practical Magic, it’s pretty clear that the witchy-adjacent movie is more about women, sisterhood, and community than it is a horror flick. And that’s exactly what makes it a timeless film: It speaks to so many different people.

Its blending of genres is a bold choice, one that made it difficult for critics to get a handle on. But in the years since its release, it’s become a cult classic.

The story of a witch and her two sisters who break a family curse is a spellbinding tale. But there’s much more to it than meets the eye.

There’s also a powerful premise about the damaging effect of abuse on a woman’s psyche, which is still very relevant today. It’s a theme that was echoed throughout the Harvey Weinstein stories and #MeToo era, with Christine Blasey Ford testifying in front of Congress about her experiences with assault.

The film reflects on this through its themes of gender equality and body autonomy, both of which are still relevant. It’s also a reminder that even when you feel like your life has been destroyed, there are people around you who love you and support you.

4. It’s a horror movie

Practical Magic was released in 1998 and, at the time, it had the potential to be a box-office hit. With two stars at the helm and a marketing campaign centered on a fun, feel-good witchy romance, it should have had plenty of fans.

Despite its lackluster reviews, however, the film is a cult classic and still remains relevant today. It celebrates sisterhood with a fierce heart and love that blazes across cities.

It also acknowledges that abuse and trauma are things that happen, putting a love story side by side with that hurt, a reminder that life does go on, even when it’s hard. This is a theme that’s particularly pertinent on its 20th birthday, which happened to fall just two weeks after Harvey Weinstein stories broke and just a day after Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of the Senate in her defense of her accuser, Brett Kavanaugh.

In this movie, the Owens sisters have largely avoided witchcraft, but when Gillian’s boyfriend Jimmy Angelov dies unexpectedly, the girls are thrust into a world of hard magic and harrowing curses. With policeman Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn) suspecting them, the girls must use their wits and a lot of hard work to save Jimmy.

One of the most enduring moments in the film is when Frances, Jet, Sally, and Gillian drink “midnight margaritas” while dancing around their kitchen to Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut.” It’s a simple scene that demonstrates that women can enjoy themselves in spite of their status as outcasts and a wretched curse. They can dance and laugh together and it makes their bond stronger, no matter how many times the script changes its tune.

5. It’s a romantic comedy

If you’re a fan of romantic comedy movies then you’ll want to watch Practical Magic. This 1998 film is a popular cult classic that’s perfect for Halloween season.

The movie stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, descended from a long line of witches. They live in a house that’s anything but normal, and they have to use their magic to destroy an evil spirit that threatens their family line.

But their powers of sorcery come at a price. The men they fall in love with are doomed to death, so Sally and Gillian must learn how to use their magic properly.

When they’re younger, Sally and Gillian don’t think much about their powers. But when Jimmy Angelov dies and the girls discover he was an exorcist they begin to learn their new powers.

As the two women become more powerful, they start to attract more attention from people. But it’s when they try to resurrect a man that their magic begins to unravel.

It’s a little spooky, but it’s also funny. The film isn’t afraid to treat death with sensitivity, so it can be quite morbid at times.

The rom-com genre is one of the most popular in Hollywood, and it has a history that dates back to William Shakespeare. However, it has been criticized for being too formulaic. It’s been proclaimed dead in the past, but it seems to be making a comeback.

6. It’s a lesbian movie

There are plenty of lesbian movies out there, but sometimes it’s hard to decide what ones you like. Maybe you’re sick of watching cliched man-haters and women who decide they’re more into men than ever before, but at the same time you want to watch something that doesn’t just look like a stereotypical lesbian movie.

That’s where practical magic comes in: this 90s classic is full of sisterly love and second chances – and that makes it an essential lesbian movie to see. But, as is often the case with these movies, it’s not without its flaws.

Featuring go-for-broke prettiness and a transgressively silly story line, it’s not a film to be taken seriously. It’s also not for everyone, so you may find yourself needing a glass of wine to get through it.

It’s a shame that director Griffin Dunne didn’t take the high road with this movie, because he could have made it a fascinating piece of queer cinema, using witchcraft to highlight problems that strongly independent women face. But the movie ends up with a tonal mishmash that yanks you between attempts at black humour and wittiness and darker moments of abuse and violence.

But that doesn’t mean you should avoid this film entirely, and in fact, it can be a really enjoyable watch. It’s not just about the sisters navigating their feelings for each other, it’s about how much you can love someone who doesn’t quite fit into the straight world. That’s something that can be very difficult to do, and it’s a great reminder of how far we have come in the fight for equality.