Hoping to capitalize on the unexpected success of 1995's "Waiting To Exhale," this follow-up story from novelist Terry McMillan plays out like a melodramatic roller coaster. With its repetitious ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" will have some in the audience whooping in delight over the proceedings, but by the time you leave the theater you might just realize that there's not much substance behind the "ride" and that you've seen too much of the structure holding up its track.
Putting something of a female (and slightly older) spin on the standard Lolita story -- the "sexpot" this time is a just out of his teens young man -- and reportedly based on McMillan's personal experiences in similar matters, the picture features a winning cast and some funny moments, but suffers from a poorly structured, paced and opportunistic plot that nearly derails this romantic roller coaster.
Much like many real relationships, the fun and sparks are in the introductory dance of the two would-be lovers, and this film sizzles in its early moments when Stella and Winston first meet and flirt. From a goofy but fun fantasy sequence where Stella imagines/hallucinates herself in a "Come to Jamaica" commercial that serves as the film's catalyst, to the moment where Winston unknowingly breaks "the mood" with an application of ice to Stella's back, the film's first half is joyous fluff.
Unfortunately, as often happens in matters of the heart, that spark is extinguished and replaced by squabbles, arguments and more than enough bits of dialogue from Stella claiming that she's old enough to be Winston's mother, etc..., all of which serve to ruin our mood and enjoyment of watching the film.
One of the old "rules" that I remember from my screenwriting days is to make your plot resemble the track of a roller coaster where things are good (the high hills) and then suddenly replaced by conflict and trouble (the low valleys), and then alternate these to create dramatic tension. Well, first time director Kevin Rodney Sullivan and screenwriters McMillan and Ronald Bass ("My Best Friend's Wedding," "Waiting to Exhale") have taken that idea and gone to the extreme.
Utilizing more than enough of that up and down track to make nearly everyone nauseous from its topsy-turvy construction, the filmmakers have delivered a picture that's as often frustrating as it is entertaining. One moment the two characters are in love, and the next they're about to break up. Wait five minutes and then they're back together again. It's nearly as if the filmmakers were playing the flower pedal picking game of "She loves me, she loves me not" and having the characters react accordingly.
While the plot resembles a temporally condensed version of many real life relationships, all of those many hills and valleys in a two-hour film come off as too unrealistic and the puppeteer's strings (or roller coaster track to keep that symbolism running) are way too obvious in their efforts to manipulate the audience.
That also applies to other key and non romantic plot elements the film has to offer. Having Stella return to her job only to be fired and then return to Jamaica seems awfully convenient and more than a little unrealistic despite the screenwriters' attempts to justify such proceedings. Likewise, the illness and death of a key character also seems quite contrived and conspicuous in its attempt to bring out the tissues throughout the audience (for the most part it fails), and doesn't even serve as a catalytic purpose like it should have.
Perhaps everything makes more sense and is more symbiotic in the original novel, but here such moments seem too random and do nothing more than kill the film's momentum, giving it something of a "herky-jerky" feel. To make matters worse, the film is way too long for this genre (around two hours), and can't ever seem to figure out how it's going to resolve its low conflict "suspense," although it finally does sputter to a predictable finale.
Fortunately, the film features enough charming and likeable characters, along with enough humor, to make it easy to watch. Angela Bassett ("What's Love Got To Do With It," "Waiting To Exhale") does a decent job as the title character, but is unfortunately saddled with such wishy- washy behavior (courtesy of the script) that one's never quite sure what's motivating her. She does shine, however, in the film's early moments when she finally lets down her hair and has some fun.
Newcomer Taye Diggs, who makes his feature film debut with this picture, is good, and his big and radiant smile and overall sex appeal should make him destined for further romantic roles on the big screen. While he's quite charming and had the women at our screening swooning over his looks, the filmmakers have mostly left him high and dry regarding any real character development.
Whoopi Goldberg ("Ghost," "Sister Act") is present mainly as comic relief, and she easily gets the best bits in the film. Whether throwing out "zingers" in response to Stella's stuffy demeanor or trying to keep up with her physically fit friend, Goldberg delivers some very funny moments. The rest come from Regina King as Stella's sassy sister, and Richard Lawson and Barry "Shabaka" Henley as two over the hill and out of shape Lotharios who mistakenly, but humorously, think they're hot stuff.
Although the film seemed to please its target audience (those who loved "Waiting To Exhale"), it's unfortunate that the film's plot and tempo are scattered all over the place. Had as much effort been used in developing a tighter and more believable story -- as was done in showing off lots of finely tuned bodies in minimal clothing -- the film would have fared much better.
Enjoyable, but certainly not great, the film will highly entertain some moviegoers, while leaving the rest wishing for something more substantial. We fall into the latter group and thus give "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" a 5 out of 10.