Stella (1990)

Director:

John Erman

Writers (WGA):

Olive Higgins Prouty (novel)
Robert Getchell (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 February 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Stella is determined, courageous, vulgar, unfashionable...and all her daughter has. Through the trials of teenagehood...

Plot Keywords:

Self Sacrifice | Alcoholism | Parenthood | Mother | Single Mother

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Bette Midler	...	Stella Claire
John Goodman	...	Ed Munn
Trini Alvarado	...	Jenny Claire
Stephen Collins	...	Stephen Dallas
Marsha Mason	...	Janice Morrison
Eileen Brennan	...	Mrs. Wilkerson
Linda Hart	...	Debbie Whitman
Ben Stiller	...	Jim Uptegrove
William McNamara	...	Pat Robbins
John Bell	...	Bob Morrison
Ashley Peldon	...	Jenny (age 3)
Alisan Porter	...	Jenny (age 8)
Kenneth Kimmins	...	Security Guard
Bob Gerchen	...	Bartender
Willie Rosario	...	Dancing Waiter

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-10 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ed leaves Stella's in a huff on Christmas Eve, he slams the front door and the wreath falls off. However, when Stella says goodbye to Jenny, the wreath is hanging up again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Alien from L.A. (#6.16)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

The Idler

The Divine Miss M bites the dust.

I can sympathise with Bette Midler's desire to extend her range, especially following her personal triumph in "Beaches". Throughout "Stella" she bears evidence of a thinking, intelligent actress, and she has my profound admiration for that. But good intentions do not make for a good movie, nor indeed for a good performance. As the redoubtable Stella Dallas - so memorably played by Barbara Stanwyck in 1937 - Midler gives an hysterically over detailed performance. Straining pathetically for heart throbs, she makes herself look more than a little ridiculous - and for a woman who started her career singing in a gay bath house, that's saying something.

But whilst I can't see the film as more than the standard mother-love soap opera, its good to see an actress daring to hang herself in public. Her performance doesn't really work, but the effort in itself is fascinating, and at times she comes so close to making us believe in the film.

With a stronger director and a better script this might have been something special. But Midler has had to carry it alone, and that's simply no way to treat the Divine one.