Practical Magic
Practical Magic is a 1998 American romantic fantasy film based on the novel by Alice Hoffman, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. Descended from a long line of witches, the sisters are plagued by a family curse that dooms any man they fall in love with to an untimely death. Raised by their eccentric aunts, they must eventually embrace their magical heritage to confront an abusive ex-boyfriend and a malevolent spirit threatening their lives and family legacy. The film blends elements of romantic comedy, supernatural fantasy, and drama, focusing on themes of sisterhood, self-acceptance, and community. It explores the Owens women's struggle for normalcy amidst their extraordinary abilities and the societal prejudice they face, ultimately leading to a powerful act of unity.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film contains moderate to high levels of violence, including domestic abuse, accidental murder, attempted murder, and supernatural attacks. The antagonist, Jimmy Angelov, is depicted as physically abusive, and his death occurs through poisoning, followed by a supernatural resurrection and subsequent second killing. These scenes involve physical threats and a demonic possession that is visually intense.
Gillian experiences domestic abuse from Jimmy Angelov, including being kidnapped and physically threatened. Sally accidentally poisons Jimmy Angelov with belladonna in his tequila, resulting in his death. After being resurrected through a forbidden spell, Jimmy's spirit attempts to strangle Gillian. Later, Jimmy's spirit possesses Gillian, causing her body to thrash unnaturally during an exorcism.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighWitchcraft and occult practices are central to the entire narrative of 'Practical Magic'. The Owens sisters, Sally and Gillian, come from a long lineage of witches and actively use spells, potions, and rituals throughout the film. These practices, including love spells, a blood spell, resurrection spells, and an exorcism, are depicted as a means of problem-solving and are ultimately portrayed in a positive, empowering light.
The Owens family openly practices witchcraft, with aunts Frances and Jet teaching Sally and Gillian how to use spells and herbal remedies. Sally and Gillian perform a forbidden spell to resurrect Jimmy Angelov from the dead, which has severe consequences. Later, Sally, with the help of the townswomen, forms a coven to perform an exorcism ritual to banish Jimmy's evil spirit from Gillian.
Substance Use
HighThe film depicts significant substance use, primarily alcohol and some smoking, with clear consequences. Characters consume alcohol to intoxication, and a major plot point involves a character being accidentally poisoned to death through tainted tequila. Another instance shows a character being drugged.
Sally Owens inadvertently kills Jimmy Angelov by putting an overdose of belladonna in his tequila, intended to sedate him. The Owens women (Sally, Gillian, and their aunts) are shown getting heavily drunk on tequila during a 'midnight margaritas' scene, leading to emotional outbursts and insults. Gillian drugs Jimmy to coerce him into traveling with her to Massachusetts.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie contains several frightening and intense scenes, including instances of domestic abuse, a kidnapping, and supernatural horror elements. The resurrection of a dead body and subsequent demonic possession of a main character are depicted with disturbing visuals and a suspenseful atmosphere, which some critics noted made the film too scary for children.
Jimmy Angelov's abusive behavior and kidnapping of Sally and Gillian create intense tension and fear, with threats of violence and attempted branding. The resurrection scene is visually disturbing, involving Sally and Gillian inserting needles into the eyes of Jimmy's corpse. Jimmy's ghost possesses Gillian, causing her to writhe in pain and exhibit feral behavior, which is a frightening depiction of supernatural possession.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe movie explicitly promotes a pagan and occult worldview, presenting witchcraft as a positive and empowering force for the protagonists. It contrasts this with historical depictions of Christian persecution of witches, implicitly positioning Christian beliefs as oppressive or misguided in that context. A Christian media review outlet specifically identifies the film as having a 'strong pagan worldview with strong occult, feminist, politically correct, & anti-biblical elements,' and as 'propaganda for paganism'.
The film's central theme is the Owens women's identity as witches and the positive role of 'practical magic' in their lives, despite a family curse and societal ostracism. An early scene depicts Puritans, including a Christian minister, attempting to hang the Owens family's ancestor for witchcraft, portraying historical Christian figures in a negative, persecutory light. A review from a Christian perspective states the movie 'sells the idea that people who use witchcraft are doing nothing wrong' and promotes paganism.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe movie includes suggestive themes and implied sexual content. One of the main characters, Gillian, is portrayed as sexually promiscuous. There are several kissing scenes and references to romantic relationships. Additionally, there is implied brief nudity in the context of a witchcraft ceremony.
Gillian Owens is described as 'sexually promiscuous' and embraces her sexiness. There are romantic kissing scenes, notably between Sally and her first husband, Michael, and later between Sally and investigator Gary Hallett. Brief, implied nudity is mentioned in the context of a witchcraft ceremony.
Profanity
MediumThe film features a moderate amount of profanity, including both mild obscenities and some stronger curse words. While not pervasive, the strong language is present in several scenes, contributing to the PG-13 rating and signaling content that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.
A content review specifically noted '17 mostly mild obscenities & 5 mostly strong profanities'. During the coven scene, one of the townswomen exclaims 'Holy shit' in response to a magical phenomenon. In the resurrection scene, Gillian (Nicole Kidman) shouts, 'Sally, watch his balls!'
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film showcases instances of defiance against societal norms and authority. The Owens sisters are ostracized by their town for their magical heritage, yet they ultimately embrace it. They engage in deceptive acts, including lying to the police about Jimmy Angelov's death, and one character even manipulates a police officer through magic.
The Owens sisters lie to investigator Gary Hallett about Jimmy Angelov's death and burial to avoid legal consequences. Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances use a love spell to manipulate Investigator Gary Hallett into falling for Sally, which also serves to clear the sisters of suspicion regarding Jimmy's disappearance. Gillian exhibits a rebellious attitude and embraces her 'sexiness,' challenging conventional societal expectations in the small town.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowSearches for explicit LGBTQ+ content, characters, or themes within the movie 'Practical Magic' or statements from its creators (Alice Hoffman, Griffin Dunne) yielded no specific results indicating LGBTQ+ representation. The film does, however, emphasize themes of female empowerment, sisterhood, and women supporting each other in difficult situations, which are broadly related to gender identity and female solidarity.
No explicit LGBTQ+ characters or storylines are present in the film, nor were any found through direct searches. The film features strong themes of sisterhood and female solidarity, such as when the townswomen come together to form a coven to help Sally and Gillian in a time of crisis.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
A Christian parent would likely recommend this film for ages 15+ due to its explicit and positively portrayed witchcraft and occult themes, moderate violence including domestic abuse and murder, implied sexual content, and significant substance use. While rated PG-13, the intensity and centrality of these elements may be too mature for younger teenagers, requiring guided viewing and discussion for those considering watching it.
Additional Notes
The film received mixed critical reviews upon its release, with some critics noting its inconsistent tone, veering between horror, comedy, and romance. Director Griffin Dunne mentioned a darker original vision for the film, particularly concerning the domestic violence storyline, which was toned down in the theatrical release. A sequel, 'Practical Magic 2,' is reportedly scheduled for release in 2026. The film's themes of sisterhood and overcoming adversity are presented alongside its strong magical content.
Related Reviews
Is Practical Magic right for your family?
These concerns are a starting point — what many Christian parents care about. Want to screen for other themes? Define your own concerns.
Screen any book, movie, or show — even titles no one else has reviewed.
“StoryScanner gives us clarity and confidence. It's become our go-to for checking books at the library and movies on family night.”
— Cristi & Brian, Dallas TX
“StoryScanner has been such a BLESSING for researching books for our children. You can set filters for your concerns, enter a book title, and it lets you know what's present.”
— Christian Book Reviews for Families (Facebook)
No credit card required