Stella (1990 film)
| Stella White | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Erman |
| Produced by | Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. |
| Screenplay by | Robert Getchell |
| Based on |
Stella Dallas 1923 novel by Olive Higgins Prouty |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Morris |
| Cinematography | Billy Williams |
| Edited by | Jerrold L. Ludwig Bud Molin |
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Production
companies |
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
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Release date
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February 2, 1990 |
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Running time
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109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $19 million |
| Box office | $20,240,128 |
Stella is a 1990 American drama film produced by The Samuel Goldwyn Company and released by Touchstone Pictures. The screenplay by Robert Getchell is the third feature film adaptation of the 1923 novel Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty. Previous film versions were Stella Dallas and the silent film Stella Dallas.
The title character is a vulgar and unfashionable single mother living in Watertown, NY, who, determined to give her daughter Jenny all the opportunities she never had, ultimately makes a selfless sacrifice to ensure her happiness. This film version differs from earlier versions in that Stella never marries the father of her child, and in fact, declines his proposal early in the film.
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.
Stella (Bette Midler) is a feisty woman working in a bar when she meets and falls for the suave charms of the young Dr. Steve Dallas (Stephen Collins). Although from opposite ends of the social spectrum, they start an affair resulting in Stella becoming pregnant. After he proposes half-heartedly, she rejects him and embarks upon raising their child Jenny as a single mother but is always helped and encouraged by her stalwart friend, a local good natured barfly, Ed Munn (John Goodman). Stella is fiercely independent and proud and is determined to do well by this child and take on whatever jobs she must to raise her daughter properly. When Jenny is 4 years old, her father suddenly reappears on the scene and is determined to get to know his daughter. At first reluctant to allow this, Stella is persuaded to allow contact, and a happy bond develops between the father and daughter. As Jenny (Trini Alvarado) grows up, she becomes torn between her father's rich and well-connected background, and her loyalty and love for her mother who is poor and vulgar but devoted to her daughter. She also despises the perceived relationship she sees developing between Stella and Ed Munn who is now a broken alcoholic. Jenny eventually meets and falls for a boy from her fathers 'world' and Stella realizes that now, the disparities in her own and Jennys father's backgrounds might jeopardize her daughter's future happiness. So she makes a heart rending decision towards the end of the film to ensure that this is not going to happen.
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