Practical Magic

A closer look at the story

Sally and Gillian Owens are sisters from a family of witches known for their gift for magic. Having lost their parents young, the two devoted sisters are raised by their aunts. The Owens women's gift, however, comes with a heavy curse: the men they fall in love with are doomed to die before their time. For a long while, both sisters have tried to keep away from witchcraft. But when Jimmy Angelov, Gillian's cruel lover, suddenly dies, the sisters suddenly find themselves deep in dark magic. As policeman Gary Hallet grows ever more suspicious, Sally and Gillian try to bring Jimmy back to life, but without realising it they place an evil spirit in his corpse that threatens their entire family line. Directed by Griffin Dunne and adapted from Alice Hoffman's novel, this 104-minute 1998 fantasy romantic comedy stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.