Stella (1990 film)

Infobox Film
name = Stella


image_size =
caption =
director = John Erman
producer = Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
writer = Olive Higgins Prouty (1920 novel)
Robert Getchell
narrator =
starring = Bette Midler
John Goodman
Trini Alvarado
Stephen Collins
Marsha Mason
Eileen Brennan
Ben Stiller
music = John Morris
cinematography = Billy Williams
editing = Jerrold L. Ludwig
Bud Molin
distributor = Buena Vista Pictures
released = Start date|1990|02|02
runtime = 109 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross = $20,240,128 (USA)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0100691

"Stella" is a 1990 American drama film produced by Touchstone and released by Buena Vista Pictures. The screenplay by Robert Getchell is the third feature film adaptation of the 1920 novel "Stella Dallas" by Olive Higgins Prouty.

The title character is a vulgar and unfashionable single mother who, determined to give her daughter Jenny all the opportunities she never had, ultimately makes a selfless sacrifice to ensure her happiness.

John Erman directed a cast that included Bette Midler as Stella and Trini Alvarado as Jenny, with John Goodman, Stephen Collins, Marsha Mason, Eileen Brennan, Linda Hart, Ben Stiller, and William McNamara in supporting roles.

In her "New York Times" review, Janet Maslin said, "Bette Midler, too old for the film's opening and too smart for its resolution, isn't exactly the right actress, but she's a lot closer than might have been expected. Ms. Midler manages to gloss over the story's inconsistencies, play up its charming aspects, and generally bluster her way through . . . her exuberance is most helpful in overshadowing the inconvenient aspects of this story."

Razzie Award nominations went to Midler for Worst Actress and Jay Gruska and Paul Gordon for Worst Original Song ("One More Cheer for Me!").

Total US gross for the film was $20,062,347 [http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1990/0STEL.php] . It has been released on videotape and DVD.

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
*Ben Stiller – Jim Uptegrove
*Linda Hart – Debbie Whitman
*William McNamara – Pat Robbins

Awards and Nominations

Nominations

*Razzie Awards: Worst Actress (Bette Midler), Worst Original Song - "One More Cheer for Me!" (Jay Gruska and Paul Gordon)

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100691/ IMDB entry]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEED6123FF931A35751C0A966958260 New York Times review]