Though it’s still hot as a cauldron filled with man-vanishing potion here in Florida, I’m committed to the observance of the fall with my annual rituals of witchcraft fun. Disclaimer here: this piece is all about “witchcraft” à la Hocus Pocus, fabulous pointy black hats worn with striped stockings, and glitter-dusted brooms mounted on front porches atop haybales and carved pumpkins. And perhaps a few well-spelled margaritas for good measure. We here at LadyFaireMagazine acknowledge, and even know, the difference between witchcraft and Witchcraft, magic and Magick. But we think there’s nothing but delightfully wicked fun to be found diving into the spirit of the season!
The release of Practical Magic 2 in September, 2026, has been the perfect excuse to layer the charms, don the tights and hats, and make a date with our favorite friends (coven) to see this long-awaited sequel to the 1998 film.
Also based on the novel series written by Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic 2 reunites us with the women of the Owens family, all of whom we met in the first film and book. Hoffman is a renowned writer, and one of this author’s absolute favorites. I own and have read all of PM novels, as well as many of her other works. She writes with whimsy, yes, and many of her stories include a fairy-dusting of the magical realism that imbues the Practical Magic series with its unique style and appeal. Hoffman’s characters, particularly her women, are layered, complex, and often misguided as they search for ways to love and be loved. Her settings are fully realized, you can virtually smell the herbs and scented waxes that surely infuse every pore of the Owens’ beautiful home. Some complexity was lost in the original film adaptation; as is so often the case, the intricacies communicated in prose don’t translate to film. The rich inner lives of the aunts, sisters, and offspring must be reconstituted visually.
So rather than lamenting that “book is better” (we know it almost always is, at least for us die-hard readers), let’s look at the film as a, well, film, shall we?
First, the aesthetic is heavenly, with lighting that practically shimmers with gold dust. The iconic house, so beloved in the original film that even Barbra Streisand tried to buy it only to discover it was a shell built on borrowed land, has been meticulously recreated in England, this time with a fully-realized first floor. The decor is layered, as the abode should be, with artifacts gathered by three centuries of Owens women. I would drop everything and move to this house immediately.
The costuming is great, with Nicole Kidman’s Gillian wearing what all Renfaire lovers would recognize as a contemporary witch-core vibe, Sandra Bullock’s Sally is dressed in New England preppy as she shelves books in a library that one can only wish to peruse. Daughter Kylie’s look is a younger mirror to her Aunt Gilly’s, while her younger (in the film, anyway) sister, Antonia, a medical resident doctor, is practical and often in scrubs. And the aunts. Oh, the aunts! Jet and Franny (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, reprising their roles), float through the house in the most beautiful silk scarves and elegant feathers; they are serenity embodied.
As one would expect from these veteran actors, the performances are strong, though there were times I didn’t quite buy Nicole Kidman’s “ingenuity.” No longer the twenty-something woman of the original film, and a full fifteen years older than Gillian was in The Book of Magic, Kidman’s own inherent elegance and poise peeked through the cutesy facade of her character. Sandra Bullock handled Sally with depth and her typical adeptness with physical comedy. Joey King portrayed Kylie’s youthful, headstrong personality with a foundation of joy so complete that it allowed the audience to engage and love her, in spite of her willful recklessness, and Maisie Williams served as a solid, grounding force who I sympathized with, utterly.
There are callbacks that fans will be delighted to see and hear, from self-stirring teacups to limes in coconuts, the familiar whimsy of the original film helps to soften some of its heavier themes of grief and loneliness.
And though, yes, romantic love is a part of the story, and the gentlemen in question are handsome and appealing in every single way, what really lives at the center of this tale is the love these six women have for each other, the lengths to which they will each go to for the benefit of their mother/daughter/sister/aunt/niece, the forgiveness offered, the accountability demanded, the vulnerability and heavy-lifting (literally, as Sally drags Jillian’s enormous suitcases up three flights of stairs)… all of these resonated with the beauty of what love looks like between women who want nothing but the best for each other. It is, and should be, how families and friendships can work magic in our lives.
Finally, when all was said and done, what I carried away from the film was deeper, and it was communicated exquisitely in Brandi Carlile’s cover of Billy Joel’s lament, “And So It Goes,” underscoring what is the final act of selfless love that we’ll know from the Owens women. I won’t spoil it, but what I now understand is that there should be no fear, no shame in growing old. Instead, there is power in what can be, if one’s heart is open, the most profound and fathomless wisdom and clarity of purpose.
In every heart there is a room A sanctuary safe and strong To heal the wounds from lovers past Until a new one comes along… and so it goes, and so it goes, and you’re the only one who knows.
Interested in reading Alice Hoffman’s works? May we suggest a search at Bookshop.org, a site that supports indy bookstores across North America and the UK. The Chicago Tribune says, “Consider Bookshop.org the Rebel Alliance standing up to the Amazon Empire.”
Kim Bryant is a veteran performer, educator, and writer. With 25 years teaching experience, an adjunct professorship in Theatre, and twenty years in the festival world, she brings a wealth of experience to LadyFaire Magazine. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Lubbock Christian University, a Master’s degree in Theatre from the University of Houston, and a Master’s degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. Kim has studied at Actor’s Studio of Chicago, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and at New York’s Lincoln Center, and currently works in leadership for Disney Live Entertainment.
