Practical Magic: The Fan-Favorite Romantic Fantasy Gets an Upgrade (4K)

The Film:

Back in 1998, an odd little romantic fantasy called "Practical Magic" was released. Based on the popular 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman, it boasted a star-studded cast, but for one reason or another, it failed to connect with critics, who heavily panned it, and audiences, who didn't exactly turn up in droves to see it, which lead to box office disappointment. However, like many films that aren't appreciated upon first release, it found new life on home video, growing its fanbase considerably to the point where it is considered something of a cult film, with many making it an annual seasonal watch.

Nearly 30 years later, its popularity has grown to the point where a sequel has finally been made, with its release scheduled for next month, and so, to celebrate the original film's legacy, Warner Bros. has decided to give it a stunning 4K upgrade so the fans can enjoy it in the best possible quality as they await its upcoming follow-up, meaning it's time once again to go back and revisit another potentially misunderstood fan-favorite to see who was closer to the mark when judging this unusual little outing.

As the film opens, a brief prologue tells us how Maria Owens was to be hanged as a witch over 300 years ago, but survives, only to have her husband abandon her and her unborn child. As a result, she casts a spell to prevent herself from falling in love again, with the spell eventually becoming a curse against all men who fall in love with Owens women.

In the present day, we follow sisters Gillian (Nicole Kidman) and Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock), who moved in with their aunts, Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest), when they were kids after their parents succumbed to the curse. They grew up with many people ridiculing them and calling them witches, which they actually are, with Sally putting a spell on herself as a child to only fall in love with a certain kind of man. However, a teenage Gillian couldn't wait to fall in love, causing her to run off with her boyfriend to live in LA, leaving the girls separated as adults.

Meanwhile, Sally falls in love with and marries a local named Michael (Mark Feuerstein), with whom she has two daughters, but the curse comes calling once again, resulting in Sally & her daughters moving in with Frances & Jet. As distraught as she is, when Gillian asks for her help with an abusive boyfriend named Jimmy (Goran Visnjic), she comes running, eventually leading to a situation that gets them entangled with even more magic spells & an investigator (Aidan Quinn) who comes asking questions about the same scumbag's disappearance.

Indeed, when "Practical Magic" was first released, it was not received well at all by the critics, who commonly cited its awkward tonal shifts & strange blend of genres as its most negative aspects, and to be fair, that's a rather honest appraisal. The film wants to be a family drama, a romantic comedy, a supernatural thriller, and an investigative crime procedural. That's a pretty strange concoction, and it certainly does make the film feel like it's a little all over the place, almost like it just can't decide what it really wants to be, hence why it tries to be a little bit of several things.

Next to that, its other biggest issue is that, even among all of these different options, it consistently chooses less compelling directions to take the story. There are a few times throughout where it has the opportunity to take some rather intriguing paths, ones that would truly allow it to embrace its supernatural elements, while still maintaining a strong hold on its family drama aspects, but then it simply falls back into a more straightforward, lighter, and romantic tone that leaves you wondering what could have been if they had been a little more bold.

That said, you do have to admire the tremendous cast that they pulled together, one that includes three Oscar winners (Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, and Dianne Wiest), Oscar nominee/3x Emmy winner Stockard Channing, and 2x Emmy nominee Aidan Quinn. They do the best they can with the somewhat clunky material, with the chemistry between Kidman & Bullock giving the family drama a fair amount of believability & heft, so while the story & tones may be a little all over the place, you at least get the pleasure of watching a top-notch ensemble working a little magic to give you the best result possible.

In the end, "Practical Magic" isn't a particularly bad film, it's just one that needed to have a little more focus in regards to what it wanted to be and what it wanted to accomplish. The fantastic cast was certainly up to the task of trying to make it work, but the screenplay by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, and Adam Brooks really needed to go through a few more drafts in order to get to a more compelling story (Their adaptation was already a rather loose one, so why not go loosely in a more intriguing direction?). Still, even with its drawbacks and somewhat harsh critical reception, it clearly has its fans, who can now enjoy it in pristine 4K quality as they await the sequel, where perhaps the filmmakers (a combination of returning & new members) will be able to tap into the true potential of the characters to give us something a little more memorable.

Video/Audio:

"Practical Magic" comes to 4K in a 2.35:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of fantastic quality. The image features some grain, as is to be expected, but still remains quite clear & sharp throughout its entire 104-minute runtime. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue & Alan Silvestri's score in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a wonderful job in both departments for the film's new upgrade.

Special Features:

Commentary by Director Griffin Dunne, Producer Denice Di Novi, Star Sandra Bullock, and Composer Alan Silvestri

Casting the Spell (10 Minutes): A vintage featurette that explores the film's ensemble.

Making Magic (6 Minutes): Another vintage featurette that goes behind the scenes of the film.

Conclusion:

Griffin Dunne's "Practical Magic" boasts an impressive ensemble that's up to the task of trying to make the odd material work and features some intriguing elements, but with a tone that's all over the place due to its mixture of multiple genres, and a story that's hesitant to go in any truly compelling directions, the film ultimately ends up becoming a somewhat forgettable, minor footnote in the careers of its excellent cast.

Score: 3/5

Available on 4K starting tomorrow.

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