To say that I love movies is an understatement. If you ask me to just sit at home, or stay glued to my seat at a movie theater and watch movies all day—you don’t have to ask me twice.
I don’t know where my love for movies comes from but I don’t question it. I’ll always be the type who shows up early at the theater because I need to see the trailers; the one who often memorizes lines because it’s been seared into my brain that it can’t be helped; and the one who posts quotes and photos of her favorite movies on social media.
One of the movies I never tire of watching and sharing is Practical Magic, released in 1998 starring Sandra Bullock, and Nicole Kidman. I remember watching this in high school. I’ve always been a fan of witch-themed movies so this was right up my alley. It had the romantic essence and witchy woo combination but without the cheesiness. If there was, it wasn’t so cringe-y.
To this day, I still share it on my social media especially the letter Sally (Bullock) sends to her sister Gillian (Kidman), or lovingly called Gilly (while also looking up to see if the moon has red circle on it). When I do share it, those who know and love it also can’t help but message me so we can reminisce together.
To me, it’ll always remain underrated (praying there won’t be a reboot because this is already okay). It’s funny how I’ve been thinking about it often these past few days; but with Halloween coming up, I deduced that I was always watching it around this holiday. But with it being one of my all-time favorites, I watch it anytime I feel like it.
This movie isn’t overlooked, it’s just not often celebrated, and my inner child is pretty miffed about that. Because of that, I took it upon myself to write the reasons why I still love it, and my favorite moments:
The Amas Veritas spell
“And if he doesn’t exist, I’ll never die of a broken heart.”
If you think your standards for finding the right man are complex, little Sally’s beats yours without question: one green eye, one blue; the ability to flip pancakes in the air, can ride a pony backwards—tough. With the family curse looming, I don’t blame her at all. Watching this when I was in high school, it all felt really beautiful, and magical because no matter how much she swore off any possibility for love so as not to fall into the same fate as her mother, lo and behold, there’s one whose qualities she wished for in one man existed—Detective Gary Hallet— who wished for her too.
The Kiss
“Life is perfect”
Whenever I hear Faith Hill’s song This Kiss, it always takes me back to that moment in the movie when the witching hour struck, setting off Sally’s aunts’ spell into high gear, and Sally running around town and into the arms of the guy he eventually couldn’t stop kissing, not even minding the beard. With an Owens for a name, she was so used to the whispers and the taunts. But now with a husband and two daughters, she felt a sense of normalcy.
Midnight Margaritas
“Broom fell…company’s coming.”
Only the Owens sisters could make midnight margaritas fun and bewitching. More than that, this was also the night when Sally and Gilly’s aunts sensed that something was off. To me, this was one of the most creepy scenes in the movie, especially when they sang the song Jimmy Angelov belted out before he was dead and buried and the tequila bottle left on the porch.
Something Dark…and Unnatural
“I don’t care what he comes back as, as long as he comes back!”
The man by the roses that grew overnight, the toads…Jimmy Angelov is back into something otherworldly, testing the powers and resilience of the sisters. The same spell that aunts Jet and Frances didn’t want to do for Sally’s husband, they did to Jimmy and now they have to pay the price, setting the tone of the movie.
The Bonds of Sisterhood
“My blood, your blood, our blood.”
The beginnings of the movie already solidified the bond that sisters Sally and Gilly have, but it was when Gilly’s life was in danger caused by Jimmy possessing her body that their bond was tested. This wasn’t supposed to be the day that Gillian dies because they promised, through a blood pact, that they would grow old together and die together. It was touch and go there for a moment but thanks to that bond, and with a little help from the nosey neighbors who have always suspected them to be witches, they finally got rid of Jimmy’s spirit, and before you know it, the townspeople watched as they were dressed in witch outfits (striped stockings and all), jumped off the roof, and fly.
There are so many other beautiful moments from the movie, memorable quotes—even the setting, I’d give anything to live there even for one night. Since I can’t, I’ll just press play and it’ll feel as if I’m there.
