There are movies I go to on a regular basis when I’m in a certain mood or wanting to get into the heart of a certain season. This time of year, we have a family tradition of viewing Hocus Pocus – Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy just rock their roles as bumbling witches bent on reclaiming their youth.
Also in October – or most any other girl night with my daughter – means Practical Magic is a top contender. We just love this film.
Along with a solid story line, this movie is an excellent example of the various strengths of women in different stages and challenges of life. Showing several female heroines working together toward a common goal is something I believe sets women apart and lifts us up to achieve things we might not be able to manage on our own.
While Sally (Sandra Bullock) is considered the main character of Practical Magic, her aunts as mentors and meddlers are strong heroines in their own right. The conflicting views on romantic love and happiness between Sally and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) are no match for their devotion to one another. And Sally’s daughters are intrigued by the aunts skills while trying to respect their mother’s rules.
Each pair of sisters is a team and the movie celebrates this dynamic connection within and between each generation of sisters as they are called to pull each other through little problems and dark emotional times.
As I was watching it last week, just letting it run in the background while I did other things, I realized one of my favorite parts of the movie is when Sally activates the PTA phone tree in order to save Gillian. Sally is a strong, talented female heroine, but everything she knows to do on her own has failed. She needs reinforcements… she needs a team.
As the women show up, some of them are accepting of Sally and her mysterious ‘craft’ and others arrive simply out of curiosity. The team assembles, following the direction of Sally and the aunts and as they gather, the film cleverly expresses their individuality while showing the inherent strengths of intuition and resilience (to name just two) that women have in common.
The teamwork is part of the ‘magic’ (pardon the pun), and they are the community Sally must connect with in order to not only banish the demon from her sister, but heal her community after generations of misunderstanding and conflict. That teamwork is the key to the happy ever after of the story and the team’s success opens the door for the romantic happy ever after for Sally as well.
I’ve been blessed with a tremendous team of women who have been there to support and encourage me through recent challenges and it’s wonderful to know they will help me celebrate the good times on the horizon.
Live the adventure!
Do you have a team that carries you through challenges and celebrates your successes?
