One of those movies that leaves you smiling at the end!

Practical Magic, based on the book of the same title by Alice Walker, is one of those movies that manages to successfully mix humor, romance, and suspense with a good storyline. It's the story about two sisters, Sally (played by Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (played by Nicole Kidman) and it's about fitting in--or not fitting in. Because Sally and Gillian come from a long line of witches, they are outcasts and everyone in their old-fashioned New England town looks down upon them. Gillian couldn't care less what people say about them, she's a free spirit and is happy with the way she is, so that's all that matters to her. Sally, on the other hand, is the one who longs to fit in, who longs to be "normal." Sally wants the house with the picket fence and the perfect husband and wonderful children. She shuns her powers as a witch and tries her best to fit in with her peers. Gillian is the one who embraces her differences, but try as she might, she doesn't have half the skills when it comes to magic that Sally possesses. As you can imagine, Gillian really feels that Sally is wasting herself by trying to be somebody that she is not.

This was the first time that Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman had worked together on a movie, but their rapport is immediately evident in the movie. It's no stretch to imagine that they could really be sisters. Their characters are as different as night and day, but at the same time, they share an intangible bond that comes into play several times through out the movie.

The storyline is uplifting in parts--at the beginning, the two sisters are faced with many obstacles that they must overcome, and they set to doing so, even when everyone else tells them it's a futile attempt. Sally claims she will never fall in love, as she fears the control it would have over her, and on top of it all, there is a family curse that ensures that any man who falls in love with a woman of Sally's family will die an early death. Despite these odds, however, love prevails. Practical Magic suggests to us that, with perseverance, love will prevail.

While the love story part of Practical Magic is great, in my opinion, the underlying theme which carries even more importance is this: People fear that which they know nothing about. Throughout the centuries, the women of Sally and Gillian's family were taunted, persecuted, and degraded by their fellow villagers. Why? The answer is simple--the townspeople were afraid of what they didn't know. As good as this movie is for entertainment purposes, it also carries a great lesson--don't judge people until you've really take the time to get to know them. Once Sally stops trying to be something she isn't and simply invites the townspeople into her life, things change, and for the better.

There really aren't many movies like this one. Yes, it includes elements of magic and "witchcraft," which may deter some people from watching it. This is nothing like The Craft or The Crucible or anything of that sort, it is something totally different. I would recommend it to anybody who likes a good love story, a story with strong, realistic characters, or anybody who likes stories of people who "march to the beat of their own drum." It's an excellent movie to watch with the girls (or the guys) on movie night, or equally as enjoyable as a date movie with a significant other.