How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, adapted from Terry McMillan's best-selling 1996 novel of the same title. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs (in his film debut), Whoopi Goldberg, and Regina King. The original music score was composed by Michel Colombier.[3] Plot[edit]
Stella Payne is a very successful 40-year-old stockbroker raising her son, Quincy, and living in Marin County, California, who is persuaded by her best friend from college, Delilah Abraham, to take a well-deserved, first-class vacation to Montego Bay, Jamaica. As she soaks in the beauty of the island, she encounters a handsome young islander, Winston Shakespeare, who is twenty years her junior. His pursuit of her turns into a blossoming romance that forces Stella to take personal inventory of her life and try to find a balance between her desire for love and companionship, and her responsibilities as a mother and corporate executive. Cast[edit]
Reception[edit]The reception from critics was mixed.[4][5][6] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 50% based on 50 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Angela Bassett gracefully breezes through a hot summer fling without much conflict or ado, leaving us wondering when -- or if -- she's ever getting that groove back."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 56 out of 100, based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[8] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A−.[9] Box office[edit]In its opening weekend, Stella grossed $11,318,919, ranking #2 in the domestic box office behind Saving Private Ryan's fourth weekend.[10] The film would go on to gross $36,672,941 domestically and an additional $1,605,781 overseas for a worldwide total of $39,278,722, from an estimated $20 million budget.[2] Soundtrack[edit]A soundtrack containing mostly R&B and reggae was released on August 11, 1998, by MCA Records. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was certified gold on September 22, 1998. Accolades[edit]1999 Acapulco Black Film Festival
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What is the plot of When Stella Got Her Groove Back?The movie stars Angela Bassett as Stella, a divorced mom and high-powered San Francisco trader who, as the movie opens, is promising a client a guaranteed 65 percent return on some Russian bonds. Her personal life is lonely, and her sisters advise her to find a man.
What was wrong with Delilah in How Stella Got Her Groove Back?Sure enough, Delilah has cancer. Despite everything, Bassett and Goldberg make the scene an effective one.
Did Stella Ever Get Her Groove Back?Stella got her groove back exactly 24 years ago this week — allegedly. In August 1998 when How Stella Got Her Groove Back premiered, Taye Diggs was a relatively-unknown Broadway actor (having starred in a little musical called Rent), and Angela Bassett was, well, Angela Bassett.
Did Stella and Winston stay together?It wasn't until just before last Christmas, Plummer says, that the two finally split -- after he revealed he was gay.
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