The film was directed by Griffin Dunne and stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Aidan Quinn, and Goran Višnjić.

Bullock and Kidman play sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, descended from a long line of witches.

Raised by their aunts after their parents' death from a family curse, the sisters were taught the uses of practical magic as they grew up.

Heartbroken when the father of her unborn child never returned to her, Maria cast a spell to prevent herself from ever falling in love again.

Learning that they secretly cast a love spell on her so that she could marry and be happy, Sally says the aunts will never teach her daughters magic.

The sisters take Jimmy's body back to the aunts' house, where they attempt to resurrect him using a forbidden spell, which causes him to return and attack Gillian.

State investigator Gary Hallett arrives from Tucson, Arizona in search of Jimmy, who is also a serial killer.

Realizing she must embrace magic to save her sister, Sally asks the aid of the townswomen and they form a coven to exorcise Jimmy's spirit.

The scene with Sally and Gilly inserting needles into Jimmy was supposed to be much more disturbing and the domestic violence plot line was more intense, but the studio cut the darker material.

For the final scene with all of the townspeople at the Owens home, the entire population of the town where filming took place was invited to show up in costume and appear as townsfolk.

[12] Composer Michael Nyman's score to the film was abruptly replaced with music by Alan Silvestri for the theatrical release.

A 50-track demo (the last two tracks being "Convening the Coven" and "Maria Owens") of Nyman's score has been circulating among fans as a bootleg.

The complete Nyman score runs 62:30 and contains music that would later appear, in altered form, in Ravenous and The Actors, as well as a bit of his stepwise chord progression theme from Out of the Ruins/String Quartet No.

[2][18] Practical Magic received negative reviews from critics upon release,[19][20] who panned its inconsistent tone and script.

The site's consensus states: "Practical Magic's jarring tonal shifts sink what little potential its offbeat story may have – though Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock's chemistry makes a strong argument for future collaborations.

[24] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave Practical Magic a negative review, calling it "a witch comedy so slapdash, plodding, and muddled it seems to have had a hex put on it.

[26] Garth Stahl of the Hartford Courant was more positive, noting that women in dark comedy and depictions of sisterhood are rare in film.

But the female-centric, celebratory nature of the film (the fantasies, the sharing, the witchy bonds) is infectious, and supporting roles by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as Kidman and Bullock's magical aunts are a lot of fun.

[30] Practical Magic entered the Max top 10 films chart, securing the #5 spot just one day after its October 1, 2024 premiere on the streaming platform.

[42][43] Although the timeline is still uncertain, in August 2024, producer Denise Di Novi is optimistic about beginning production next year.