Stella
She sacrificed her own dreams to make her daughter's dreams come true.
1990 | 109m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | John Erman |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Robert Getchell, Olive Higgins Prouty |
| Staring: |
| Barmaid Stella Claire and blueblood Stephen Dallas have very little in common -- except they've fallen in love. When their relationship fails, Stella decides to raise the child they had, Jenny, alone. But Jenny and Stella are far from the perfect mother-daughter pair. | |
| Release Date: | Feb 02, 1990 |
|---|---|
| Director: | John Erman |
| Writer: | Robert Getchell, Olive Higgins Prouty |
| Genres: | Drama, Romance |
| Keywords | |
| Production Companies | The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Touchstone Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $20,240,128
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 28, 2026 Entered: Apr 20, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Bette Midler | Stella Claire |
| John Goodman | Ed Munn |
| Trini Alvarado | Jenny Claire |
| Stephen Collins | Stephen Dallas |
| Marsha Mason | Janice Morrison |
| Eileen Brennan | Mrs. Wilkerson |
| Linda Hart | Debbie Whitman |
| Ben Stiller | Jim Uptegrove |
| William McNamara | Pat Robbins |
| John Bell | Bob Morrison |
| Ashley Peldon | Jenny (age 3) |
| Alisan Porter | Jenny (age 8) |
| Kenneth Kimmins | Security Guard |
| Bob Gerchen | Bartender |
| Willie Rosario | Dancing Waiter |
| Rex Robbins | Minister |
| Ron White | Tony De Banza |
| Matthew Cowles | Sid |
| Louis Ferreira | Cocaine Dealer |
| Peter MacNeill | Bobby |
| Michael Hogan | Billy |
| George Buza | George |
| Eric Keenleyside | Wendell |
| Megan Gallivan | Preppy Girl #2 |
| Rob McClure | Steven's Friend |
| Sam Malkin | Man in Theatre |
| Jayne Eastwood | Nurse |
| Charles W. Gray | PTA Parent (as Charles Gray) |
| John Kozak | Mr. Wilkerson |
| Elva Mai Hoover | Mrs. Hough |
| Glynis Davies | Mrs. Douglas |
| Philip Akin | Police Officer |
| Jayne Valseca | Preppy Girl #1 (as Jayne Rager) |
| Todd Louiso | Preppy Boy #1 |
| Jeff Nichols | Preppy Boy #2 |
| Philip Astor | Bar Customer |
| Eve Crawford | Janice's Secretary |
| Elizabeth Lennie | Airline Reservation Clerk |
| Dwayne McLean | Tom |
| Tedd Dillon | Freddie |
| Jane Dingle | Bingo Winner |
| Jamie Shannon | Teenage Heckler |
| Jaap Broeker | Coffeeshop Owner (uncredited) |
| Mack Dolgy | Opera Patron (uncredited) |
| Elizabeth Karr | Bridesmaid (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Robert Getchell | Screenplay |
| Olive Higgins Prouty | Novel |
| Jerrold L. Ludwig | Editor |
| Bud Molin | Editor |
| Howard Feuer | Casting |
| James Hulsey | Production Design |
| Jeff Ginn | Art Direction |
| Steve Shewchuk | Set Decoration |
| Theadora Van Runkle | Costume Design |
| John Erman | Director |
| John Morris | Original Music Composer |
| Billy Williams | Director of Photography |
| Dan Perri | Title Designer |
| Patricia Birch | Choreographer |
| Jack Gill | Stunt Coordinator |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| David V. Picker | Executive Producer |
| David Coatsworth | Associate Producer |
| Bonnie Bruckheimer | Co-Producer |
| Samuel Goldwyn Jr. | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 5 |
| 2024 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 5 |
| 2024 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| 2024 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Trending Position
"Stella" sometimes resembles a television movie of the week, especially in relation to the deliberately manipulative melodrama we are subjected to and this could have been more damaging than it actually is. That is because the film manages to part ways with all things conventional and what begins to ... unfold is an absolutely fascinating and compelling study of the constantly evolving and shifting relationship dynamics of a disparate set of characters each with their own personal problems to overcome. It is regrettable in a way that more depth hasn't been given to the character Ed Munn and the plight he is so obviously facing. After all, we are given an insight into the lives of Stephen and Janice, so it is unfortunate this isn't reciprocated with Ed and Stella just to balance this element of the film out a little more.