Practical Magic - Plot

Plot

Maria Owens, a young witch, is exiled to Maria's Island in Massachusetts with her unborn child for escaping her execution. She casts a spell upon herself to never fall in love due to heartbreak, only to die soon after. The spell becomes a curse for hundreds of years. Gillian and Sally Owens, wo descendants of the Owens family, are taken in by their aunts Frances and Jet after the death of their parents. Sally is the more gifted of the two while Gillian's talents are more in charm and persuasion, and have been subject to ridicule during their youth. After witnessing their aunts cast a spell on a man for a woman who seems obsessed with having his love, Gillian decides to fall in love and Sally casts a true love spell to protect herself.

The sisters cast an oath to each other using blood from both of their hands and Gillian leaves for California. Sally meets and marries Michael, an apple salesman. Years later, the two open their botanical shop Verbena and have two young daughters, Kylie and Antonia. Michael is killed when a truck collides into him. Sally and her daughters return to the Owens home to live with the aunts, and realize that the aunts cast a spell so she could fall in love. Sally swears off magic because the magical curses have ruined her life, and vows that her daughters will not perform magic. As Gillian begins a relationship with Jimmy Angelov in California, Sally is devastated by her husband's death. Gillian feels that Sally needs her and drugs Jimmy to return to Massachusetts.

Gillian returns to Sally after Jimmy becomes abusive, but the sisters are kidnapped. Sally puts belladonna into Jimmy's tequila, but inadvertently kills him. The sisters attempt to resurrect him using the forbidden spell from their aunts' book of spells. Jimmy attempts to kill Gillian after being revived. Sally kills him again, and the sisters bury his body in the garden of the Owens home. State investigator Gary Hallett arrives from Tucson, Arizona in search of Jimmy, attributing his death to Sally. Gillian has Kylie and Antonia create a potion to banish Gary, but it fails. Later, Sally has Gary record her testimony and sees the letter she had once written Gillian, and realizes he must have read it more times than he had let on. Unable to deny their feelings for each other, they kiss and Sally realizes that he was there because of the spell she cast years earlier.

Sally finds that Jimmy's spirit has possessed Gillian's body and Gary sees Jimmy's spirit emerge. Jimmy attempts to grab Gary's heart, but his star-shaped badge saves him and temporarily exiles the spirit. Later, Sally tells Gary that he is here is because of her spell and the feelings they have for each other are not real. Gary replies that curses are only true if one believes in them and reveals that he also wished for her, before returning to Arizona.

Jimmy possesses Gillian again and attempts to kill Sally. Realizing that a coven of nine women use witchcraft against Jimmy, Frances and Jet return. Sally realizes she must embrace magic to save her sister and asks the aid of the townswomen. Jimmy's spirit is dispelled and exorcised by the coven. When Sally repeats the spell that was mentioned as Gillian first left, they clasp their hands to mix each other's blood once more and exorcise Jimmy's spirit. Sally receives a letter from Gary telling her that she and her sister are cleared of any suspicion of wrongdoing in Jimmy's case and Gary returns to Massachusetts to be with Sally. The Owens women celebrate All Hallow's Eve dressed up in witch costumes, but they are embraced and welcomed by the townsfolk.