Practical Magic

Sometimes it’s hard to watch a movie that is so beloved by a generation. It builds up a certain expectation, and the moment you don’t click with it or enjoy it, then you start to wonder what it is that makes other people like it but not yourself. There have been many instances where I watch a popular movie, not give it 4 or 5 out of 5 stars, and think to myself what it was that other people like or not like about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m never going to apologize for my rating because at the end of the day, it is my opinion and that is the only one that matters to me. But it is something to ponder. That’s something that happened when watching Practical Magic. It was enjoyable enough sure, and the performances were solid. But there was just so much holding it back that kept me from truly loving it. There’s a whole litany of problems, but there’s so much charm in the movie that it allowed me to somewhat overlook the flaws in the movie and have a decent time with it. The movie’s main problem is the tone. Or more accurately, the uneven tone that the movie can’t seem to decide on. It tries to be so many things without landing on one and it doesn’t always work. It tries to swing from cozy romantic comedy to dark supernatural drama to family drama, and instead of feeling dynamic and natural, it just feels jarring. And it’s a shame because the idea of sisterhood and witchcraft and generational trauma is genuinely compelling. But without committing to a certain tone or theme, it just feels awkward. One way we know what tone in the tonal Cuisinart that is this movie we’re about to get is a music cue using a popular song. Now, I’m not opposed to using popular music in movies, but they shouldn’t be used to tell the audience how to feel. In Practical Magic, it uses it to intrude and force transitions between events that just don’t make logical sense to transition. The performances are really good, and Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock have some fantastic chemistry together. Plus the supporting cast is fun and part of me wishes that the movie focused more on them rather than Nicole and Sandra. The aunts are amazing and steal the show. I can see why this is a cult movie for some. It’s charming enough and the autumn vibes are cozy and remind me a lot of Gilmore Girls. Plus the performances are good and the Aunts are genuinely hilarious. It just is such an uneven movie tonally, and the use of music to guide the movie instead of just being there really took me out. This had a lot of potential, which hopefully the sequel coming out this year will resolve, but it just didn’t click with me.