Sad, huh?
Stella is a 1990 drama film based on the novel Stella Dallas, which was previously adapted as a film in 1925 and 1937. This version is a Setting Update.
The film stars Bette Midler as Stella, John Goodman as Ed Munn, Trini Alvarado as Jenny, Stephen Collins as Stephen Dallas, Marsha Mason as Janice Morrison, Eileen Brennan as Mrs. Wilkerson, Ben Stiller as Jim Uptegrove, and William McNamara as Pat Robbins.
This film has the examples of:
- Adaptation Name Change:
- Stella never marries Stephen Dallas in this version, so her name never becomes "Stella Dallas." Additionally, her maiden name was "Martin" in previous versions, but now it's "Claire."
- Stephen and Stella's daughter is named Jenny instead of Laurel.
- Mrs. Morrison's first name is changed from Helen to Janice.
- Richard Grosvenor is renamed Pat Robbins.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In all previous versions of the story, Stephen and Stella got married, with the marriage falling apart after their daughter's birth. In this version, they never get married in the first place, and the daughter is born out of wedlock.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: Like in the previous versions, Stella drives Jenny away so that she'll live with Stephen and Janice.
- Character Title
- Food Fight: Stella, Ed, and Jenny get into one.
- Honorable Marriage Proposal: Stephen offers to marry Stella after he gets her pregnant, but she turns him down.
- Mooning: Some rowdy boys do this to Jenny on her birthday.
- One-Person Birthday Party: Like in the previous versions, no one attends Jenny's birthday party due to people disapproving of Stella.
- Setting Update: Set in the late 20th century (1960s - 1980s) whereas the novel and the previous film versions were all set in the early 20th century.
- Time Skip: The film starts off in 1969, which is exactly fifty years after 1919, the year in which the 1937 version started. The majority of the film is set in The '80s.
- Uptown Girl: As always, this is a major issue in Stephen and Stella's relationship. Although they don't get married in this adaptation, Stephen later says that it wouldn't have worked between them, and the previous versions back him up on that.
