A Nova Paixão de Stella

Angela Bassett ("Waiting to Exhale") is talented and buff as Stella, a single mother/career woman who's in need of a vacation. Stella decides to head for Jamaica with her best friend, Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg in a fine supporting role). Stella meets 20-year-old Winston (Taye Diggs). They fall in love, in-spite of Stella's emotional insecurities. Terry McMillan adapted from her novel based on her real-life experience. I hate to say this, but unlike "Waiting to Exhale," this overlong movie barely holds up to the book, because of too many plot holes and too many unnecessary characters. On the contrary, Diggs turns in an impressive performance as well. My evaluation: ** out of ****.

"How Stella Got her Groove Back" was a refreshing change from the legion of "Hood" movies that have infested the 1990's. The movie; based on the Terry McMillan novel by the same name; stars: Angela Bassett as a fortyish six-figure income, single mom that falls for a young stud while vacationing in Jamaica.

"Stella" did not have a plot that revolved around: violence, guns and drugs. It effectively portrays the stigma attached to a older woman-younger man relationship, without pandering to a lot of ethnic stereotypes! It showed what a fine actress Angela Bassett was. It also showed Angela Bassett in skivvies!

Every woman that has been accused of "Robbing the Cradle" can relate to this motion picture! How Stella got Her Groove Back effectively portrayed an age gap love story. It takes character to see beyond the age difference in a romantic relationship.

Angela Bassett does an outstanding job. To those of you who can't understand why Stella needs her groove back, you have only to look up the word mundane. No matter how much money you have or Chanel suits you own that doesn't mean you have true companionship. We all want a real connection someone to hold us, love us and tell us it will get better. And that transcends age and socio economics. Sometimes people are right on time. No one can go through the world completely alone. We never know what or how long any relationship will last so I suppose the most important thing is to seize the day. Make your own reality and Stella does that with dignity and with pride and admittedly with hesitation and fear. That's the sign of a very real character! Someone who is vulnerable. Someone you can understand even if you're not in the same situation.

I've heard of When Stella Got Her Groove Back, for years, but never until today checked it out. Stella, Angie Basset, is a day trader living in San Francisco. Stella has a child recently divorced, but is convinced to take a trip,

We go to Jamaica where a 20 year old man has the hots for Stella, she is not sure at first. They do a one night stand, thinking this will be the last we see of each other; Winston calls Stella at home asking for her to come back, and I miss you.

Throughout the film, both sides of the family are skeptical of the age difference until they see how much Winston and Stella care about each other.

Angie's and Whoopie's acting in this is just. Stellar! This is a great movie to make you feel better.

It's typical of IMDb to have mindless action films earn an average of 7 or better, but for some reason a light film like this suffers from anti-romance, anti-female-lead bias that permeates this site. It is an enjoyable film with good music and the usual good acting from Angela Bassett. There are some good comedic moments, and good dialogue among the female friends in the movie. If you put aside the baggage of what happened with McMillan's real life marriage, you should like it.

Now that I've gotten my review out of the way, I have to say the one thing that bothered me about the film is that it makes Jamaica look like a great place to visit--when in fact it is an island guilty of gross human rights violations, where gay people live in fear for their lives and sexism is de rigeur. I cannot get past that simple injustice even when watching a movie, especially this one where a woman who could afford to go anywhere in the world chooses to give her travel dollars to the place that deserves them the least!