GRIFFIN DUNNE

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB.5. 

USA/Australia, 1998.  DiNovi Pictures, Fortis Films, Stargate Studios, Village Roadshow Pictures, Warner Bros..  Screenplay by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, Adam Brooks, based on the novel by Alice Hoffman.  Cinematography by Andrew Dunn.  Produced by Denise Di Novi.  Music by Alan Silvestri.  Production Design by Robin Standefer.  Costume Design by Judianna Makovsky.  Film Editing by Elizabeth Kling.  

Here’s an unfortunate waste: gifted actors, a great germ of an idea for a story (New England witches and their personal problems), all undone by a hackneyed script and juvenile direction by Griffin Dunne that emphasizes silly comedy over meaningful wit. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are modern-day sorceresses living with their equally mystical aunts (Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, whose scenes are the best).  The girls get themselves into a whole mess of trouble when they do away with Kidman’s abusive boyfriend (Goran Visnjic) and he comes back to haunt them. Brimming over with too many plot elements (Bullock’s love interest with police investigator Aidan Quinn, the girls’ family history, the town’s superstitions against them) the film is messy and silly.