Ghost Upon the Floor

 Tonight’s film was one I have found myself returning to most years in early October, for my witchy fix: “Practical Magic.” 

 To me, this film will always be perfectly immortal. The right amount of humor, horror, romance, schmaltz, with an incredible heart. The cast is, of course, amazing. Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing (who have quite a few Oscars between them) are incredible. As well as the little girls who play Sally’s daughters; they are incredible little actors.

 I believe, for the first time, last night I noticed that the woman from the opening of the film when Sally and Gillian are children, wanting the love spell with the pigeon, comes back at the end as a part of the phone tree coven.

 I will also eternally plug what is now a series of books that Alice Hoffman has now written. While the first novel this film is based on is incredible, the follow ups manage to be even more meaningful; with “The Rules of Magic” being perhaps my favorite, the origin stories of the aunts Franny and Jet. If you love this movie and haven’t read them, why are you reading my blog? Go read those, instead.

 Before the film, I found myself in the lower gorge of Niagara Falls for my brother’s wedding. A beautiful place in the fall.

Last night was one of my favorite nights of the year. The night, in October, when I watch one of my favorite movies— one that I watch several times a year— “Practical Magic.” Released to success in 1998, the film has since on home video and streaming become an autumnal cult classic among those who love magic and witches. 

 Based on the Alice Hoffman novel of the same name, the film takes several liberties from the novel, and they all work beautifully. “Practical Magic” is a beauty story of sisterhood, love, family and being different, told in only the way that witchcraft can. In more recent years, Hoffman has written now three sequel novels: “The Rules of Magic,” a prequel about the aunts Jet and Frannie and their backstory; “Magic Lessons,” the Owens’ family ancestor Maria’s backstory, and “The Book of Magic” and sequel that follows our beloved characters after the events of “Practical Magic.” For the few years, a series adaptation of “The Rules of Magic” has been in the works at HBO, and I sincerely hope it happens, as it is my favorite novel in the series, and one of my all time favorites. They also need to make it, so that a proper adaptation of “The Book of Magic” can be done; a story that practically begs for Bullock, Kidman, Weist and Channing to reunite and tell.

 Back to the magic of the film at hand. The story is beautiful. The lines I know by heart. The comfort is all around, and I will never tire of watching it. For plot points so fantastical, so much is said so aptly about human relationships, how we survive and the family we keep along the way. 

 Things that struck me on this viewing. The chemistry between all our actors; especially Kidman and Bullock and Channing and Weist. Also, the young actors who play Bullock’s daughters are so good. The house, oh goodness the house. Few houses on film, gorgeous and old and sprawling and covered with cats and books and plants and love— and a greenhouse— make me want to live in them more. Part of me always will live, however, in the house with rosemary planted by the garden gate. And where I fall in love as often as I can.