Some sequels are guaranteed, while others are eventually inevitable. In the case of Practical Magic 2, neither of those scenarios could’ve been predicted as its fate. As the sequel is being celebrated with a lavish rollout courtesy of Warner Bros., with a London and Los Angeles premiere, alongside a big press push with numerous press and television interviews, not even its high-profile stars, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, would have expected to be here again following the first film’s release in 1998.
When Practical Magic premiered, the movie was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics and, despite a decent box office start, the film was viewed to have underperformed due to its budget and the popularity of one star and the up-and-coming popularity of another. However, as a lot of us know, sometimes a film’s life doesn’t end following its theatrical release. The real magic bestowed upon the fantasy romantic comedy drama came once it reached home video and began its journey as a fall/Halloween favorite for the female demographic. Soon its themes would begin to resonate much more and Practical Magic would become a cult favorite on its way to its sequel arriving this weekend.
Based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic was directed by actor-turned-director Griffin Dunne (a man coming from a well-known showbiz family as well as being a spooky season mainstay thanks to An American Werewolf in London) and written by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, and Adam Brooks.
In the film, Sally and Gillian Owens (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman) descend from a long line of witches and are raised by their aunts after the death of their parents due to a family curse. Their aunts also teach them the art of practical magic as they grow up, and they find themselves having to use it to combat the evil spirit of Gillian’s abusive boyfriend before it can kill them. The movie also stars Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Aidan Quinn, Goran Visnjic, and Evan Rachel Wood.
Reviews Weren’t Kind To Practical Magic
Practical Magic sits at 30 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus that reads, “Practical Magic’s jarring tonal shifts sink what little potential its offbeat story may have, though Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock’s chemistry makes a strong argument for future collaborations.” Attacks on the film’s tonal shifts were the main culprit that many believe made the film not work for critics and some audiences when the film was initially released. The marketing sold one thing, but the finished product delivered something decidedly different.
Likely due to Bullock’s involvement and the film leaning more toward the female demographic, the trailers for Practical Magic sold a romantic comedy with a spooky/fantasy twist. That’s not to say that the film doesn’t offer that, because it certainly does, but there are darker elements that drive the plot, with the film sometimes turning into a domestic abuse drama with elements of a crime procedural. That’s a far cry from the feel-good romantic comedy it was sold as via its marketing campaign. There are dark narrative turns that were probably hard to showcase in the film’s marketing, which may have caught everyone off guard once they saw the finished film.
Movies can definitely work with various genre shifts. Look no further than Ghost, a film that became a box-office behemoth and even managed to earn awards season love following its release. Ghost has elements of romance, a crime thriller, and comedy, and manages to balance them all well because the central narrative, the love story between Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jenson (Demi Moore) that ends far too soon due to tragedy, remains its strong emotional center. The comedy provided by Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg in a role that won her an Academy Award) is well-placed and, most importantly, even her character is provided moments to not play everything for laughs with Sam and Molly’s story. One could argue that, at the time, Practical Magic’s greatest hits compilation of genre shifts didn’t work because the audience wasn’t expecting them and therefore weren’t ready for them. Marketing the movie as a straightforward dark comedy with romantic elements may have served it better back in 1998.
Light-Hearted Tales of Sisterhood Turn Dark
Practical Magic thrives on its message of sisterhood (which will fuel its cult status in the future), but it’s wrapped in a much darker tale that can be disarming on first watch. It starts a bit whimsically, setting up Sally as the quieter sister longing for true happiness, while Gillian is clearly the more rebellious, thrill-seeking sister searching for the next adventure. The audience could identify with either sister depending on their respective personalities, while their witchy aunts Frances and Jet (portrayed by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) are loving caregivers who spend their time trying to help the lovesick locals by casting spells that could cure what ails them.
The story gets a bit more complicated as the main plot device is unveiled. A generations-old curse causes the death of any man who falls in love with any woman in the family. Sally and Gillian became orphans due to the curse, and this has only made their adult lives suffer because of it. The aunts even cast a spell to bring Sally the love of a local man, which results in a loving union that results in children but turns tragic when he is unexpectedly killed. This makes Sally yearn for love but avoid it because she knows what the curse will bring, while Gillian engages in casual encounters because they stop short of love.
None of this is especially light-hearted, and it only grows darker for the audience when Gillian’s casual endeavors bring a violent criminal into their ranks. Jimmy Angelov (Visnjic) is far from an angel, and when Sally has to come to the aid to her sister after one violent encounter, Jimmy is killed. Sally and Gillian then use magic to bring him back to life but ultimately realize this decision was a mistake and they kill him again. He’s then buried in the garden and that’s when it becomes a crime procedural as they try to hide their involvement in his disappearance. Not exactly the fun and whimsy that the movie was sold on.
Identity Crisis Leads To Muted Box Office
Despite opening at number one with a gross of $13.1 million during the appropriately spooky weekend of Oct. 16, Practical Magic didn’t have a lot of staying power. The movie ended its run with $46.7 million domestically and $94.4 million worldwide on a $75 million budget. This didn’t make it a huge flop by any means, but it wasn’t a massive winner either.
Bullock recently discussed the film’s underperformance while promoting Practical Magic 2. Both she and Kidman thought they had a hit on their hands, but quickly said things got “quiet” after the film’s release:
“We thought, ‘This is going to be such an amazing film. People are going to love it.’ And then it got quiet. It got quiet. [They] were like, ‘How many women in a film do you need? How many tones do you need? What kind of film is this?”
That really seems to be why the initial response was so muted. No one really knew what to make of Practical Magic. Some believed that the film couldn’t have it all. It wasn’t possible for it to be a romantic comedy one minute, a fantasy film the next, and then a domestic violence procedural because the genre shifts were far too drastic. It seems as if critics and some audiences wanted Practical Magic to pick a lane.
There’s something to it being said that Practical Magic needed to pick a lane. This is said far too often to women in general when they are said to want it all. They’re often told they can’t have it all and that they have to choose one avenue that works for them. However, as we have seen over the years, thanks to the #MeToo movement and other instances of women finding their strength and their voice, women can have it all, and this sentiment is likely what led to Practical Magic gaining reassessment in the years since its initial release.
Home Video Resurgence & Cultural Reassessment
As is the case with many films that go on to gain a cult following, Practical Magic began to find its true audience on home video and subsequent airings of the film on cable and basic cable. Audiences who were reluctant to give the film a shot in theaters gave it an opportunity on home video, and like Hocus Pocus before it, the film found itself becoming an annual Halloween favorite.
Superficially, Practical Magic became an autumn-season favorite for the target audience because its aesthetic, despite its darker themes, coincides with the coziness of the fall. Its moody New England setting, complete with falling leaves surrounding the giant Gothic Victorian house at its center, gives it a spooky-season-light vibe that suits an audience who doesn’t want something too atmospheric and scary but still wants to celebrate the tone of the season. It’s not a tale of outright horror, but with its use of potions and magic, it casts a witchy spell that makes it right at home with a film like The Craft or a television series like Charmed (oddly enough, a series that premiered the week before Practical Magic opened).
Perhaps its biggest legacy is linked to a theme it shares with Charmed, and that is sisterhood above all else. The Owen sisters, despite how different they are, remain bonded by their shared childhood trauma and a connection that allows them to transcend the curse that could easily destroy them. Their contrasting personalities balance them out, creating the perfect yin and yang for them to help each other through life’s greatest struggles. It also doesn’t hurt that Bullock and Kidman share an undeniable chemistry that truly brings the characters to life.
Their differences don’t drive them apart, as could be the case in some films with similar themes. Their innate bond with each other allows Sally and Gillian to use those differences to fill the gaps in their lives and provide what might be missing. A bond so strong that they can sense when one of them is in danger. In all actuality, even though the domestic abuse part of the story was deemed to be off-putting and dark, its resolution is far from it. When Gillian finds herself possessed by her abusive boyfriend, it’s Sally’s love for her sister, combined with the strength of the community of women, that frees Gillian. That’s a message that resonates and is more than likely why Practical Magic went from a tale too dark to tell to one of female unity and empowerment.
TikTok & The Whimsigoth Movement
Practical Magic hasn’t just become a favorite of fans swept away in its witchy nostalgia; younger fans have caught on to the film via TikTok and what has become known as its “whimisgoth” aesthetic. This has created a bridge between its millennial and Gen Z female fans that film bonded by what some believe Practical Magic helped pioneer.
Coined by architectural designer Evan Collins, “Whimsigoth” combines “whimsical” and gothic” and does away with the more traditional dark gothic styles, replacing them with something warmer and cozier. They usually consist of pastel-heavy colors, and they are mixed in with vintage textures and spiritual items. The overall aesthetic of “Whimisigoth” is more approachable and feels more rooted in something more spiritual rather than dark magic.
Practical Magic’s moody color palettes alongside its mystical imagery have made it the blueprint for this moment. From the Owens’ Victorian home to the fashion of the characters, it has created a trend that has sparked revivals of the ‘ 90s movement on TikTok with a new generation of fans. Jonathan Carson, a creator popular for his “Favorite Aesthetics” series on the platform, had this to say about Practical Magic’s significant influence on this movement:
“[Whimsigoth is] a lifestyle that channels creativity, divinity and a deep connection to the mystical. An infusion of everyday surroundings with a touch of magic. Practical Magic checks all the boxes when it comes to nostalgia, strong feminine energy, and it brings something very niche to the table.”
The movement has led to Practical Magic-themed birthday parties and fans heading to the movie’s filming locations on Whidbey Island in Washington, which served as the film’s primary fictional Massachusetts town, to show off their best “Whimsigoth” garb. By the way, this is another sign of the film’s cult status. Visitors have now made it an annual tradition, usually in the fall, to see the now iconic spots from the film.
Continuing Its Legacy
Practical Magic 2 opens this weekend, and tracking sees the film opening to $40 million+ during its debut, which would put it close to the full domestic gross of the original after one weekend. A new generation, alongside a generation of moviegoers who were around when the original was misunderstood, will now get to experience the magic of a new story with familiar characters together.
Practical Magic is a movie that more than earned its cult status. Beginning as a film that was shunned by critics for its spastic tonal shifts that didn’t resonate with moviegoers at the time of its release, Practical Magic became a beacon of sisterhood and resilience that has continued to cast a spell on a generation of audiences and has kept its spirit alive for nearly 30 years.
Practical Magic 2 opens in theaters nationwide this Friday.
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