Bewitched

Nora Ephron (You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle) directs Bewitched, a 2005 comedy film inspired by the television series of the same name. The film is not a remake of the series, mind you, but does conjure up some elements from the classic TV show as a backdrop and uses a new twist to bring different characters to light. The film is an homage of the old series, as we meet a witch named Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) who wants to give up on magic and live and ordinary life.

Bigelow meets a has-been movie star named Jack (Will Ferrell) and ends up being cast as the witch in an updated remake of the television show Bewitched. Bigelow ends up unintentionally becoming more popular than Jack and takes the spotlight away from him, upsetting the former film star. Jack decides to downplay her role in the series, virtually writing her out of the show and turning himself into the focal point. The relationship between Bigelow and Jack becomes the focal point of the film as Isabel tries all sorts of magical tricks to get her revenge on Jack, but eventually falls in love with him and tries to help the relationship naturally flourish.

I liked this film and I’m not ashamed to say it. The film was largely panned by most critics, getting a 24% average rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, but it did rather well in the international box office and turned a profit. The film really relies on context, for one. The expectations for a film like Bewitched have to be in the right place in order for any enjoyment to come out of it. You’ve got Will Ferrell as a romantic lead and victim of some funny stuff involving witchcraft, so that is an element that you had better be prepared for. Ferrell pulls it off, too, and gets a chance to show his range as a comedic lead actor. His facial expressions, vocal manipulations and goofball comedic talents are on display here along with his ability to be a straight lead character. It’s an interesting touch and never feels forced, unlike many comedic lead roles in these types of films.

Kidman is also very enjoyable as the witch. She is light, fluffy and cute in her role as Isabel Bigelow, breathing her lines with eye-sparkling enthusiasm and viewing all of life like a kid in a candy store. She’s trying to be normal, but at the same time she has a childish energy that puts her in situations where she just “can’t help” but use her powers. Kidman’s role has a great energy about it that was largely ignored by audiences of this film. Once again, the notion of expectations and context comes into play. Some critics panned the film for being too “light and fluffy”, but I’d truly question the expectations of such a review and wonder, seriously, whether they were aware of what film they walking into.

Watching a film like Bewitched is about knowing how to watch a film like Bewitched. If you have read my reviews here in the past, you know that I am perfectly comfortable calling a terrible film what it is. It is important to recognize context when you are looking at films, however, and I find that many critics and film audiences refuse to do that. They look for pacing that doesn’t suit a story, want twists and turns when none are required, and so on. Reviewers claimed Bend It Like Beckham, for example, was “too soft”. So in the context of such a inherent lack of ability to realize the point of a film, Bewitched could probably turn out to be less than desirable viewing. At its absolute worst, it’s harmless fun.

At its absolute best, and this is how I chose to see it, it’s flighty fanciful magic with good performances, a solid comedic backing cast (including Stephen Colbert, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, David Alan Grier and Steve Carell) and a nice romantic tone. Bewitched won’t change the world and, for a critical public generally harsh on comedy films and romantic comedy films, it probably won’t light any fires. But it is gentle fun and a good time at the movies.

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