In 1998, critics basically tore Practical Magic to shreds. Roger Ebert gave it two stars. It bombed at the box office, barely clawing back its $75 million budget. People didn't know what to make of it. Is it a rom-com? Is it a horror movie about a dead, abusive boyfriend coming back as a zombie? Is it a domestic drama about sisterhood? Honestly, it’s all of those things, which is exactly why it failed in the 90s and why it’s a massive, untouchable cult classic today.
If you’ve watched it recently, you know the feeling. The vibe is heavy. It’s the sound of Stevie Nicks’ "Crystal" playing while Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman dance around a candlelit kitchen. It’s the Owens house—that sprawling, white Victorian on the coast of Washington (which, fun fact, was actually just a hollow shell built on San Juan Island and torn down after filming). Practical Magic isn’t just a movie anymore. It’s an aesthetic. It’s "Whimsigoth" before that was a TikTok term. It’s the dream of wearing long velvet drapes and brewing midnight margaritas while the rest of the world sleeps.
The Owens Curse and the Reality of Sisterhood
The plot revolves around Sally and Gillian Owens. They’re descendants of Maria Owens, a witch who was exiled and, in her heartbreak, cast a spell that killed any man who dared to love an Owens woman. It’s a dark premise for a movie that looks so cozy. But the heart of the film isn't the romance. It's the bond between the sisters.
Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as Aunt Frances and Aunt Jet are the absolute anchors here. They represent the "weird" women society fears—the ones who eat chocolate cake for breakfast and don't care about the PTA. They understand that magic isn't about waving a wand; it's about the "blood in the garden" and the consequences of our choices. When Sally tries to live a "normal" life to avoid the curse, she loses her husband anyway. It’s a brutal lesson. You can't hide from who you are. The movie argues that the real magic is the messy, terrifying, beautiful reality of family, even when that family is being haunted by a malevolent spirit in a cowboy hat.
🔗 Read more: Drunk on You Lyrics: What Luke Bryan Fans Still Get Wrong
Alice Hoffman, who wrote the original 1995 novel, took a much darker approach than the film. In the book, the magic is subtle. It’s almost psychological. Director Griffin Dunne leaned into the supernatural elements, like the "Deathwatch Beetle" ticking behind the wallpaper and the glowing rose petals. While the tonal shifts from "cute gardening" to "necrotic possession" gave 1998 audiences whiplash, modern viewers appreciate the chaos. Life is chaotic. One minute you’re falling in love, the next you’re accidentally poisoning your sister’s toxic boyfriend with belladonna. It happens.
That House: Why We Can’t Stop Thinking About the Kitchen
We have to talk about the house. It’s the third lead character. Production designer Robin Standefer spent nearly a year perfecting the Owens homestead. Since the house didn't actually exist—it was an architectural shell—the interior sets were built in Los Angeles. Every single jar in the kitchen was filled with real dried herbs and liquids. The floors were stained to look like a hundred years of spilled potions and tea.
People still use this film as a blueprint for home decor. It's the "Cottagecore" archetype. You see it in the open shelving, the copper pots, and the massive center island where the aunts brew their tinctures. It feels lived-in. It feels safe. In an era of minimalist, "sad beige" homes, the maximalism of Practical Magic feels like a warm hug. It’s a space where women are in charge, where nature is invited indoors, and where the kitchen is the literal center of the universe.
💡 You might also like: Dragon Ball All Series: Why We Are Still Obsessed Forty Years Later
Why the Critics Were Wrong About the Tone
Critics at the time hated the "uneven" tone. They thought the shift from the lighthearted "Midnight Margaritas" scene to the exorcism of Jimmy Angelov was jarring. But isn't that just being a woman? One second you're laughing with your friends, the next you're dealing with a literal or metaphorical monster.
The character of Jimmy Angelov, played by Goran Visnjic, is a terrifying representation of domestic abuse. The film treats his presence as a rot—a literal stain on the floor that won't go away. By turning his ghost into a physical threat, the movie externalizes the lingering trauma of a bad relationship. When the townswomen finally come together at the end, brooms in hand, to help the Owens sisters, it’s not just a "girl power" moment. It’s a community of women deciding that they are stronger than the shadows of the men who hurt them. It’s powerful stuff for a movie that was marketed as a fluffy October romance.
Practical Steps for Living the Owens Lifestyle
If you find yourself watching Practical Magic every time the leaves turn brown, you’re not alone. The film has transcended cinema to become a lifestyle guide. You don't need to be a hereditary witch to tap into the energy of the film.
📖 Related: Down On Me: Why This Janis Joplin Classic Still Hits So Hard
- Plant a "Lunar Garden": In the movie, Sally is an herbalist. Start small. Plant lavender for peace, rosemary for remembrance, and maybe some mint (just keep it in a pot, or it’ll take over your whole yard like a curse).
- Prioritize Rituals: Not the "summoning spirits" kind, but the daily ones. Making a proper pot of tea, lighting a beeswax candle at dusk, or actually sitting down to eat breakfast with people you love.
- Embrace the "Aunt" Energy: This means wearing what you want, saying what you think, and ignoring the "Deathwatch Beetles" of social expectation. Be the person who gives the neighborhood kids chocolate cake.
- Invest in Community: The ending of the film works because the outsiders stop being outsiders. They ask for help, and the community shows up. Reach out to your "coven"—your friends, your sisters, your neighbors.
The news of a sequel, Practical Magic 2, being in development with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock returning, has sent the internet into a frenzy. It proves that we aren't done with these characters. We want to see Sally and Gillian as the new "Aunts." We want to see how the house has aged. Most of all, we want to be reminded that there is a little bit of magic in the mundane, and that "there are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant white roses for grace, and love isn't just a spell you cast."
Keep the rosemary by your gate. Watch the sky for the moon. And remember, the best spells are the ones we weave with the people who stay when things get dark.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the 1998 film again specifically looking for the background details in the kitchen set; it's a masterclass in production design.
- Read the original novel by Alice Hoffman to understand the deeper, darker roots of the Owens family history that the movie couldn't fit into two hours.
- Explore the "Whimsigoth" aesthetic on platforms like Pinterest or Instagram if you want to bring the Owens house vibe into your own living space through textures like velvet, lace, and botanical prints.