Practical Magic 2

by Mike McGranaghan

It’s hard to believe now, but Practical Magic was kind of a dud when it was released in 1998. The film topped out with $46 million at the domestic box office, and the reviews were not great. (It currently holds a 30% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes.) Time has been good to the movie, though, as the intervening years have found it growing an appreciative fanbase, hence the new legacy sequel Practical Magic 2. I was in the small minority of critics who liked the original and, despite some reservations, I like this one, too.

Witchy Owens sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) still live in their big Massachusetts mansion with eccentric aunts Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Frances (Stockard Channing). Sally has two daughters, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams), who do not know they are all witches. They’ve heard the lore about a family curse that ends the life of any man who falls in love with an Owens woman, although they don’t believe it. Then Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) confesses his love for her. The next day, he falls into a coma after being hit by a car. Sally finally reveals the family secret to her daughter, leading Kylie to venture to England in search of a way to break the curse. Sally and Gillian chase after her, enlisting the help of magic scholar Ian Wright (Lee Pace). What they discover is a very dark secret about the family’s lineage.

As with the first film, Practical Magic 2’s tone is all over the place. Parts of it are heavily comedic, others emotional. The finale turns into an action picture with CGI effects and the characters’ lives placed in danger. Sometimes the tone shifts in the middle of a scene. Such inconsistency was an oft-cited criticism of the original. At least this time, there’s a general expectation that the story will try to be a lot of different things simultaneously.

The plotting can be a bit wonky, as well. The script tries to explain the Owens clan’s history in a couple of exposition dumps that are slightly confusing because of how rapidly the information is delivered.

What works (again) is the chemistry between Bullock and Kidman. They’re fun together, giving the sisters differing personalities that can gel or clash, depending upon the situation. Bullock has to go heavier this time, since Sally is worried about her daughter’s fate. She brings a credible sense of material protectiveness to the role. Kidman keeps Gillian a comically free spirit, yet adds new layers to suggest an inner resolve that proves important as the drama grows. Wiest and Channing are as charming as they were before, while King and Williams make nice additions to the cast.

The best part of the movie is the way it presents its theme of love, specifically how hard it can be to see the ones we love hurting. Kylie feels genuine guilt over Gideon’s comatose state, so much so that she will do anything to reverse the curse and bring him back to consciousness, even if it puts herself in danger. Similarly, Sally feels guilt for hiding Kylie’s witchy nature from her for so long. Failing to be up front about it has caused her daughter to watch the man she loves slip away from her. But whereas love created the problem, it also fixes it, thanks to the sisterly bond between Sally and Gillian. There’s real sweetness in here that carries the picture over any rough plot points.

Under the direction of Bird Box’s Susanne Bier, Practical Magic 2 takes the concept of witchery more seriously than its predecessor. Scenes involving spells are shot with a dark elegance that gives weight to the subject. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are about the most charismatic cinematic witches you could find. Their bond glues the film’s disparate elements together, allowing this legacy sequel to be a pleasing follow-up to a cult favorite.