Character Relationship Map: Practical Magic

Characters

• Gillian Owens (played by Nicole Kidman) — protagonist

  Younger Owens sister, free-spirited witch who elopes, returns to Massachusetts, and faces deadly curse consequences.

• Jimmy Angelov (played by Goran Višnjić) — supporting

  Dangerously abusive serial killer, Gillian's boyfriend, accidentally killed by Sally and resurrected by forbidden magic.

• Gary Hallet (played by Aidan Quinn) — supporting

  State investigator from Arizona searching for Jimmy Angelov, suspects the Owens sisters of foul play.

• Michael (played by Mark Feuerstein) — supporting

  Sally's late husband, a local man who loved her despite the curse, dies in a truck accident.

• Maria Owens (played by Caprice Benedetti) — supporting

  Ancestor of the Owens family, survived witchcraft execution, cast the original love curse on descendants.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Michael → Gillian Owens (Family Brother-in-Law) — Michael connects Gillian Owens to the domestic family life that existed before his death.

  Michael is presented as the husband of Gillian Owens's sister, making him Gillian Owens's brother-in-law.

• Gary Hallet → Jimmy Angelov (Professional State Investigator And Subject) — Gary Hallet's official investigation places him directly against Jimmy Angelov's criminal legacy.

  Gary Hallet arrives from Tucson, Arizona, while investigating Jimmy Angelov's disappearance and criminal history.

• Maria Owens → Gillian Owens (Temporal Ancestor And Descendant) — Maria Owens's original spell shapes Gillian Owens's inherited family history.

  Maria Owens is identified as the ancestor whose curse affects her descendants, including Gillian Owens.

• Gillian Owens → Jimmy Angelov (Romantic Boyfriend) — Their romantic relationship becomes the immediate source of danger.

  Gillian Owens tells her sister that she is involved with Jimmy Angelov, an abusive man.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Gillian Owens → Gary Hallet (Conflict Attempted Manipulation) — Gillian Owens initially treats Gary Hallet as a threat to the family's emotional situation.

  Gillian Owens attempts to separate Gary Hallet from her sister with a potion, but the potion is discarded.

Story Analysis

An inherited love curse forces an Owens family member to confront dangerous magic, abusive power, and the fear of intimacy.

Plot Progression

1. Maria's Lasting Curse — Maria Owens survives an attempted execution and casts a spell after being abandoned. The spell becomes a curse affecting later Owens descendants.
2. Gillian's Unsettled Life — Gillian Owens leaves Massachusetts after making a blood promise with her sister. She spends years moving through relationships before returning to the family crisis.
3. Jimmy's Violent Return — Gillian Owens reveals her abusive relationship with Jimmy Angelov. His accidental death, forbidden resurrection, second death, and burial create a supernatural threat.
4. The Investigator Arrives — Gary Hallet investigates Jimmy Angelov as a missing serial killer. Magical interference and Jimmy Angelov's spirit complicate the investigation and expose the curse's emotional consequences.
5. The Curse Is Broken — Jimmy Angelov's spirit attempts another attack through Gillian Owens. A local coven exorcises the spirit, nullifies the curse, and allows Gary Hallet to return to Massachusetts.