Bewitching

February 1, 2002
In 1813 Alec Castlemaine, a callous English duke who compares courtship to horse trading, faces rejection from his meticulously selected betrothed, who decides she cannot live without love. That same night, Joyous Fiona MacQuarrie, a Scottish witch with faith in fairy-tale endings, messes up a travel incantation and ``zaps'' herself into the duke's lap. Unbelievably, she explains away her sudden appearance, and the duke, wanting to salvage his pride, marries her immediately. After she reveals her powers on their wedding night, the duke forbids her to perform any hocus-pocus. Inconveniently, she can't always control her magic. When she sneezes, whatever she thinks appears. There is some self-righteous challenge to traditional representation of race and class. Joy hires a Caribbean cook named Hungan John despite protest from the rest of the household, although he ends up being little more than a happy, singing black man. Joy also helps Alec see that servants are people too. Barnett's ( Just a Kiss Away ) quirky wit is demonstrated when Joy say things like ``Can't you shrink it a wee bit?'' after they consummate their marriage, giving a twist to an otherwise standard plot.