How Stella Got Her Groove Back

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 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.

Plot
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 younger. 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

 * 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
 * Sicily as Chantel
 * Richard Lawson as Jack
 * Barry Shabaka Henley as Buddy
 * Lee Weaver as Nate
 * Glynn Turman as Dr. Shakespeare
 * Phyllis Yvonne Stickney as Mrs. Shakespeare
 * Denise Hunt as Ms. Thang
 * James Pickens, Jr. as Walter Payne
 * Carl Lumbly as Judge Spencer Boyle
 * Victor Garber (uncredited) as Isaac

Reception
The reception from critics was mixed.

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 49% based on 49 reviews. On Metacritic the film has a score of 56 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A-.

Box office
In its opening weekend, Stella grossed $11,318,919, ranking #2 in the domestic box office behind Saving Private Ryan's fourth weekend. 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, this can be considered a moderate success.

Soundtrack
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

 * 1999 Acapulco Black Film Festival
 * Best Actress — Angela Bassett (won)
 * Best Actor — Taye Diggs (nominated)
 * Best Actress — Whoopi Goldberg (won)
 * Best Director — Kevin Rodney Sullivan (nominated)
 * Best Film (won)
 * Best Screenplay — Terry McMillan (nominated)
 * Best Soundtrack (won)


 * 1999 NAACP Image Awards
 * Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture — Angela Bassett (won)
 * Outstanding Motion Picture (won)
 * Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture — Whoopi Goldberg (won)
 * Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress — Michael J. Pagan (won)