Stella

1990

Action / Drama / Romance

4
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 76% · 7 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 76% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.2/10 10 3042 3K

Plot summary

Barmaid Stella Claire and blueblood Stephen Dallas have very little in common -- except they've fallen in love. When their relationship fails, Stella decides to raise the child they had, Jenny, alone. But Jenny and Stella are far from the perfect mother-daughter pair.

Director

John Erman Photo
John Erman

Top cast

Ben Stiller Photo
Ben Stiller as Jim Uptegrove
Philip Akin Photo
Philip Akin as Police Officer
John Goodman Photo
John Goodman as Ed Munn
Peter MacNeill Photo
Peter MacNeill as Bobby
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
1001.94 MB
1280*688
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 6
1.82 GB
1904*1024
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 1

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by drednm

Bette Midler Shines

This is one where some terrific performances are trapped in a movie that, as a whole, doesn't quite work.Bette Midler shines as Stella, a working-class high school dropout who slings drinks in an Upstate New York bar. She meets a rich college boy (Stephen Collins) who's taken with her quirky zest for life and they have a kid. But marriage is out of the question. Stella knows in her heart she'd never fit into his world. As the kid grows up, Stella wrestles with what's best for the kid versus what she wants for herself. This quandary eventually leads to a mother's sacrifice.Based on the 1923 novel STELLA DALLAS by Olive Higgins Prouty, this story was first filmed in 1925 with Belle Bennett and again in 1937 with Barbara Stanwyck as the star. By 1990 the story just seemed far-fetched and very old-fashioned and Midler's follow-up to the smash hit BEACHES was a box-office disappointment.It's a shame because Midler gives a terrific performance. Her Stella is full of love and self-doubt as she rides the highs and lows of her threadbare life. She eventually ends up selling cosmetics door to door to pay for things for her daughter (Trini Alvarado). Stella puts her life on hold to give her daughter what she thinks the daughter wants. Only problem is the daughter wants something else.Also very good in this film are John Goodman as Ed, Stella's longtime friend who's on a downward spiral, and Marsha Mason as the warm and understanding Janice, the woman who will become the daughter's step-mother.Others in the cast include Ben Stiller, Linda Hart, Eileen Brennan, and William McNamara ... but watch this one for a great performance by Bette Midler.
Reviewed by gerry-russell-139 7 / 10

Unusually better than the original

The original with Barbara Stanwyk is saved only by Stanwyk's performance. The story and the other performances are too sickeningly sweet and the film itself is too dated to be really enjoyed today. Bette Midler's version is much more interesting. She is Stella Claire, an independent, free-spirited single woman who gets pregnant and refuses help from her boyfriend (Stephen Collins) or her friend (John Goodman in an underrated performance). She raises her daughter Jenny played so sweetly by Trini Alvarado and then comes to the conclusion that Jenny's father can do better for her and ultimately makes a life-altering decision. Through out the film, there are plenty of laughs, tears and memorable moments mostly between Midler and Alvarado. Marsha Mason co-stars as Jenny's would-be stepmother, who though wealthy turns out to be a very good influence on her. If you like Midler, Goodman or just good films with plenty of emotion you'll enjoy Bette Midler's version of STELLA.
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