Practical Magic | 1998
- Locations |
- Washington State;
- Los Angeles, California
- DIRECTOR |
- Griffin Dunne
Set in ’New England’, Practical Magic was shot mainly on location in Washington State with the waterfront village of Coupeville on Whidbey Island being transformed into the fictitious 'Ashbury'.
Dismissed by critics on first release, the witchy and dark romcom found its audience and has gone on to secure a firm fan following, plus a long-delayed sequel – imaginatively titled Practical Magic 2.
Although it’s set on an island off the coast of ‘Massachusetts’, the original film was shot on the west coast, mainly in Washington State with the waterfront village of Coupeville, about 60 miles north of Seattle, on the shore of Penn Cove on Whidbey Island being transformed into 'Ashbury'.
Most of the buildings seen in Coupeville were along a stretch of NW Front Street, painted white to fit the ’New England’ setting, though most have reverted to their original colour.
The 'Verbena Botanicals' store run by Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) was filmed in 4 NW Front Street at North Main Street, which currently houses Mexican restaurant Molka Xete.
A little west, Toby's Tavern, 8 Front Street NW became 'Catch and Fry'.
And further west, 13 Front Street NW (now Madrona Blossom gift store) became the lodgings of Officer Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn) when he arrives in town to investigate the disappearance of Gilly's abusive partner.
When Gilly Owens (Nicole Kidman) cuts loose and recklessly goes off with a bad boy with lank hair and shades, in romcom land, she's in for a bad time.
Away from the Pacific Northwest, the pool party where she falls for Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic) was filmed north of Los Angeles, at 10014 Amanita Avenue in Tujunga (that's the neighbourhood of 1982 classic E.T. in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains)
When Sally drives to help Gilly, they both end up being abducted by Angelov. The refinery alongside which they stop – and where Jimmy is given the belladonna-infused tequila – is the Puget Sound Refinery, 8505 South Texas Road at Bartholomew Road toward Anacortes on Route 20 about 30 miles north of Coupeville.
But of course the most famous location is the Victorian-style Owens home, which several people – including Barbra Streisand – were interested in buying. Disappointingly for them and for droves of fans, the mansion was no more than a shell built for the film and torn down immediately after filming.
It was constructed on a bluff on the west side of San Juan Island overlooking the Haro Strait, near the area of San Juan County Park, with thousands of plants and even fifty fully-grown trees (according to the press releases) brought in to anchor the house into the landscape.
The house interiors were filmed on soundstages in Los Angeles.
On the western shore of San Juan Island, near Kanaka Bay, the prologue set in the 17th century as Maria Owens narrowly escapes being hanged and bitterly casts her curse, was filmed.
