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In the 1998 film adaptation of Terry McMillan's novel, *How Stella Got Her Groove Back*, Angela Bassett stars as Stella, a 40-year-old stockbroker who jets off to Jamaica for a holiday with her friend Delilah, played by Whoopi Goldberg. There, she meets a young islander, Winston Shakespeare, played by Taye Diggs, and the two begin a romance. The film received mixed reviews, with some praising the performances of Bassett and Goldberg, while others found the plot unconvincing. Notably, the film sparked conversations about relationships with significant age differences and the fantasy elements of chick flicks. Interestingly, the story was inspired by McMillan's real-life romance with a Jamaican man 20 years her junior.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back plot summary

"How Stella Got Her Groove Back" is a 1998 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. It is adapted from Terry McMillan's best-selling novel of the same title. The film stars Angela Bassett as Stella Payne, a 40-year-old successful and divorced stockbroker and single parent to her 11-year-old son, Quincy.

The plot begins with Stella's friends and family pressuring her to get into a relationship, as she has been single for a long time. Stella decides to take a vacation to Jamaica with her best friend, Delilah Abraham, who lives in New York City. While there, Stella meets a young and handsome islander, Winston Shakespeare, who is a chef's assistant and twenty years her junior. They develop a romantic connection, but their time together is cut short when Winston gets hired as a chef's assistant and has to work.

Upon returning to California, Stella loses her job due to a merger with another company. She visits Jamaica again, this time with Quincy and his cousin. She meets Winston's mother, who shames her due to their close age difference. Additionally, Stella learns that Delilah is dying of cancer, forcing her to reflect on her life. She spends time with Delilah in New York before she passes away, and Winston joins her for the funeral.

Back in California, Winston proposes to Stella, but tensions arise due to their differing perspectives on their relationship. Stella is offered a high-ranking position at her old brokerage, but she declines to start her own firm. After some time, Winston decides to return to Jamaica to pursue medical school. Stella intercepts him at the airport and accepts his proposal, realizing the importance of both love and her responsibilities as a mother.

The film received mixed reviews, with praise for its acting, scenery, and soundtrack, but criticism for its pacing and lack of chemistry between the lead characters. Despite this, it grossed <$39,278,722 worldwide, surpassing its $20 million budget.

The novel vs. the film adaptation

The 1998 film adaptation of Terry McMillan's novel, 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back', takes several creative liberties with the source material, making changes to the plot, characterisation, and themes.

One of the most notable differences is the portrayal of the protagonist, Stella Payne. In the novel, Stella is described as a wealthy, middle-aged Black woman. The film, however, casts Angela Bassett in the role, and while she embodies the character's success and confidence, the adaptation falls short in exploring Stella's intelligence, reducing her to a woman defined by her pursuit of romance. Bassett's performance, though praised, struggles to convey the complexity and depth that the novel's Stella possesses.

The film also simplifies the novel's exploration of the age difference between Stella and Winston Shakespeare, her love interest. In both the novel and the film, Winston is twenty years Stella's junior, and this forms a central tension in the story. However, the film largely uses this element for comedic effect, particularly in the scene where Winston's mother shames Stella for her age. The novel, on the other hand, delves deeper into the implications of their age gap, highlighting the power dynamics and life experience disparities between the two characters.

The adaptation also makes significant changes to the plot. In the film, Stella's job loss is abrupt and tied to a merger, whereas in the novel, her employment changes are more gradual and complex. Additionally, the film introduces Delilah's cancer diagnosis and subsequent death as a plot device to create emotional scenes, whereas in the novel, Delilah's arc is more nuanced and serves to explore the themes of female friendship and mortality.

The ending of the film also differs from the novel. In the adaptation, Winston proposes to Stella at the airport, and she accepts, choosing love and companionship. In the novel, however, the conclusion is more ambiguous, leaving the outcome of their relationship uncertain.

Despite these differences, both the novel and the film adaptation of 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' centre around the themes of love, self-discovery, and the challenges of balancing personal and professional lives. The film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, brings the story to life with stunning visuals of Jamaica, and the performances of the lead actors, particularly Bassett and Taye Diggs, who plays Winston, capture the essence of the characters' passions and conflicts.

The cast of How Stella Got Her Groove Back

• Angela Bassett as Stella Payne
• Taye Diggs as Winston Shakespeare
• Whoopi Goldberg as Delilah Abraham
• Regina King as Vanessa
• Suzzanne Douglas as Angela
• Michael J. Pagan as Quincy Payne
• Richard Lawson as Jack
• Barry Shabaka Henley as Buddy
• Phyllis Yvonne Stickney as Mrs. Shakespeare
• Glynn Turman as Dr. Shakespeare
• Denise Hunt as Ms. Thang
• James Pickens, Jr. as Walter Payne
• Carl Lumbly as Judge Spencer Boyle
• Victor Garber as Isaac

The film also features uncredited performances from actors including Victor Garber, who plays Isaac, and Jonathan Plummer, author Terry McMillan's then-husband, who cameos as himself.

The author, Terry McMillan

Terry McMillan (born 18 October 1951) is an American author known for her relatable female protagonists. Her bestselling novels include Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Disappearing Acts, and The Interruption of Everything—all of which were adapted for the screen. She lives in California.

McMillan has been making waves in publishing since the '90s when she first hit the bestseller lists. Her works centre on the complexities of being a single, upwardly mobile black professional woman, and have gained her wide audiences. McMillan's works have validated a group of underserved readers.

McMillan's novel, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, was adapted into a film in 1998. The story follows a 40-year-old stockbroker, Stella Payne, who is a single parent to her 11-year-old son, Quincy. Stella takes a vacation to Jamaica, where she meets and falls in love with a man named Winston Shakespeare, who is twenty years her junior. The novel and film adaptation explore the challenges of long-distance relationships and the tension between responsibilities and companionship.

The film's critical reception

The critical reception of the film "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 50% approval rating based on 50 reviews, with an average score of 5.5/10. The critical consensus on the website described the film as "Angela Bassett gracefully breezing through a hot summer fling without much conflict or ado, leaving us wondering when -- or if -- she's ever getting that groove back." Metacritic, a similar website, gave the film a score of 56 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews." CinemaScore, a service that polls audiences, gave the film a grade of A-.

The film's North American debut took in $11,318,919, ranking second at the domestic box office, behind Saving Private Ryan's fourth weekend. The film went on to make $36,672,941 in North America and an additional $1,605,781 overseas, for a global total of $39,278,722, exceeding its estimated $20 million budget.

The film received praise for its performances, cinematography, and soundtrack. One reviewer from the Washington Post characterised it as "the chick flick to end all chick flicks," complimenting the performances of Bassett, Diggs, and Goldberg, as well as the film's visuals and escapist fantasy. A five-star review on Rotten Tomatoes described the film as "beautifully shot" and praised its exploration of long-distance relationships and age differences. Another five-star review on the same site commended the film's cast and its depiction of a romantic adventure.

However, some reviewers criticised the film's plot and character development. Roger Ebert wrote that the film "tries its best to turn a paperback romance into a relationship worth making a movie about, but fails." He questioned the authenticity of the central romance and felt that the plot's twists and turns were unnecessary. A two-star review on Rotten Tomatoes echoed this sentiment, stating that the film "drags on without much happening" and that the main characters "don't seem to have much fun."

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