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Lovebug Club: A Rom-Com Rewatch Podcast
Lovebug Club: A Rom-Com Rewatch Podcast
“How Stella Got Her Groove Back” Rewatch: A Steamy Vacation Romance
✈️ We’re kicking off Summer Vacation by traveling to Jamaica in the 1998 rom-com, How Stella Got Her Groove Back! Stella and Delilah take a girls trip to Jamaica, where Stella falls in love with a local (who’s half her age 😱) named Winston Shakespeare. Is this a lasting love or just a vacation fling? Tune in to find out! 🌴🏖️
🎥 This movie stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg, Regina King, Suzzanne Douglas, Michael J. Pagan, and James Pickens Jr…with cameos by Victor Garber and Eartha Kitt! Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The movie is based on a book by Terry McMillan about her real-life romance with Jonathan Plummer.
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🎬 Watch the movie on Amazon Prime (Starz)
💿 Song pairing: Miss Independent by Ne-Yo
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🛍️ Merch
00:00:11:02 - 00:00:12:22
Sarah
Hi Lovebugs. I'm Sarah.
00:00:13:03 - 00:00:14:04
Hadley
And I'm Hadley.
00:00:14:04 - 00:00:28:22
Sarah
We're kicking off our summer vacation theme by heading to Jamaica, where 40 year old stockbroker Stella falls in love with a much younger man who helps her enjoy life again. Let's find out how Stella got her groove back in this steamy nineties romcom.
00:00:31:23 - 00:00:42:07
Sarah
I know I say every week that I have a new favorite rom com and I thought I was going to say it again for this movie. But then the last scene happened and I was like, nope.
00:00:42:14 - 00:00:54:12
Hadley
I was like, oh, this is great. Is this going to be a sad ending rom com? They don't have those that often. When there are happy endings in rom coms you normally feel happy for these people. I did not feel happy for the two of them.
00:00:54:20 - 00:01:10:13
Sarah
I didn't either. I was like, you guys have a lot of issues to figure out still. I want to be happy for you, and I can clearly see that you two love and care about each other, but this isn't the healthiest dynamic and your plans for the future don't really line up.
00:01:11:01 - 00:01:13:11
Hadley
Stella Payne is played by Angela Bassett.
00:01:13:15 - 00:01:19:07
Sarah
My intro to her was American Horror Story: Coven. She was the Voodoo Queen.
00:01:19:12 - 00:01:26:16
Hadley
She's amazing. She's one of those names that everyone knows. I was really happy to see her in this starring role.
00:01:26:17 - 00:01:30:00
Sarah
Taye Diggs plays Winston Shakespeare.
00:01:30:06 - 00:01:31:08
Hadley
I love Taye Diggs.
00:01:31:14 - 00:01:32:18
Sarah
I know him from Rent.
00:01:32:22 - 00:01:42:23
Hadley
Me too! And there's a funny little tie in with that. He was in the Broadway production of Rent as well. When they did the movie version all but two or three of the people are the original Broadway cast.
00:01:42:23 - 00:01:43:18
Sarah
Oh, I didn't know that.
00:01:43:18 - 00:01:52:20
Hadley
Taye Diggs was performing Rent on Broadway when he learned that he was going to be the male lead in this movie. He celebrated by streaking through the theater.
00:01:53:06 - 00:01:57:20
Sarah
That makes sense since we all get to see his butt in that shower scene.
00:01:57:23 - 00:02:03:14
Hadley
He's a beautiful man. He was married to Idina Menzel for a while. They were both in rent together.
00:02:04:01 - 00:02:33:15
Sarah
Regina King plays Stella's sister. Vanessa. I recognize her from a Cinderella story. She's Hilary Duff's fairy godmother who works at the diner with her. She was also in Mighty Joe Young with Charlize Theron. That was one of my favorite movies growing up. It's so sad. I still cry every time I watch it. I think that's the movie that sparked my desire to travel to Africa, especially like Kenya and Rwanda, where you can go check and see gorillas up close.
00:02:33:21 - 00:02:34:11
Hadley
Have you gone?
00:02:34:17 - 00:02:48:08
Sarah
I've been to a few countries in southern Africa, but not northern Africa yet. I was trying to plan a trip there when the pandemic happened. The only other name I recognize in the cast is Whoopi Goldberg.
00:02:48:08 - 00:02:49:04
Hadley
Same.
00:02:49:04 - 00:03:03:20
Sarah
Every outfit that Stella wears is amazing. We see her in a tracksuit at the beginning of the movie, and that was the first outfit I noted. And then, like every outfit after that, her style is impeccable.
00:03:03:23 - 00:03:06:20
Hadley
I don't blame Delilah for wanting to steal her clothing.
00:03:07:01 - 00:03:15:12
Sarah
We see her at work. She's already stressing me out. Like Jane from 27 dresses. A workaholic, type-A personality.
00:03:15:13 - 00:03:16:20
Hadley
That's her day off, too.
00:03:17:01 - 00:03:34:21
Sarah
I was shocked when she said that. I was like, get out of here. You need to relax. Take a day to yourself. Don't worry. She's a stock broker in San Francisco, and her boss, Isaac, is the captain of the Titanic and a law professor who took advantage of Elle Woods.
00:03:35:02 - 00:03:41:22
Hadley
Victor Garber, he's also in Sleepless in Seattle and Happiest Season. Her life is so stressful. I'm glad she goes to her spa day.
00:03:42:09 - 00:03:54:03
Sarah
Stella's sisters, Vanessa and Angela are at the spa. Angela wants to set Stella up on a date with a judge, but Vanessa points out that she doesn't know Stella's type. And Angela says, Well, neither does she.
00:03:54:10 - 00:03:57:07
Hadley
She says she's already had a husband and doesn't want another one.
00:03:57:10 - 00:04:02:10
Sarah
Stella takes her son Quincy, to the airport for him to go visit his dad for two weeks.
00:04:02:11 - 00:04:07:07
Hadley
He says he wants her to have fun while he's gone. It's really sweet that he just wants her to enjoy life.
00:04:07:11 - 00:04:19:16
Sarah
Their mother son relationship is adorable. It's so gentle and caring. It's a perfect parenting relationship, in my opinion. I recognize this kid from something, but I don't know what.
00:04:19:16 - 00:04:40:23
Hadley
I know. I thought that, too. He is Michael J. Pagan, and he has been in a lot of horror movies. Stella goes home after dropping Quincy off at the airport. She's supposed to live in Marin County, which is right across from San Francisco. I grew up in Marin County, and when I looked out, her window I was like, this was not shot in Marin. It was shot in L.A..
00:04:41:02 - 00:04:52:00
Sarah
It looked like the hills of L.A.. My jaw dropped when we saw her house for the first time, like a heart eyes emoji. It's an architectural dream.
00:04:52:01 - 00:05:05:05
Hadley
It really is. I loved it and I loved how much property she had. Stella's watching TV and an ad for Jamaica comes on. I love this visual where the main character sees themselves as the person on TV because suddenly Stella is in the ad.
00:05:05:08 - 00:05:09:21
Sarah
She gets a call from the judge that her sister was trying to set her up with.
00:05:09:23 - 00:05:13:18
Hadley
I have thoughts on this judge, but he sounds nice enough on the phone.
00:05:13:23 - 00:05:15:21
Sarah
He's like, let's go for a run together.
00:05:16:02 - 00:05:20:00
Hadley
If she didn't fly off to Jamaica and meet Taye Diggs, I'd say go for it.
00:05:20:01 - 00:05:29:03
Sarah
I thought the end of the movie was going to be her and Winston breaking up, and then she'd go on a date with this judge and they would end up together.
00:05:29:07 - 00:05:41:12
Hadley
I hadn't even thought about that. That seems like a logical direction for it to go. She calls her friend Delilah, who's played by Whoopi Goldberg and tells her, we're going to Jamaica. Pack your bags. Then Stella calls a second time and says, ignore my last call.
00:05:41:15 - 00:06:00:05
Sarah
Okay, but wait. Delilah's voicemail. How did she get Eartha Kitt to record her voicemail message? Who is Delilah? What does she do? How does she know Eartha Kitt well enough to ask her to make a voicemail message for her. When Stella leaves the voicemail, she says, are you game or lame? I'm going to start using that.
00:06:00:07 - 00:06:10:21
Hadley
Delilah calls her back and she's like, I'm ignoring your second voicemail and we're going to Jamaica. Delilah tells Stella, you haven't had fun since I was a natural blonde, which I thought was hilarious.
00:06:11:08 - 00:06:17:05
Sarah
Delilah says, Don't be cheap, Stella. You make enough money and you're worth it. And so am I. So we're going to Jamaica.
00:06:17:07 - 00:06:18:16
Hadley
What a great friend to have.
00:06:18:19 - 00:06:21:23
Sarah
Then Stella is on a plane. That was a quick turnaround.
00:06:22:02 - 00:06:32:16
Hadley
It was. She didn't take much convincing to get to Jamaica. Delilah has already scoped out some men for them, which don't seem quite like Stella's type from the way she looks at them.
00:06:32:19 - 00:06:48:20
Sarah
Stella says, I did not come here to be a slut and Whoopi's like, I did. I love their friendship. They're lusting after like every single guy they see. Stella says they're going running in the morning and Delilah is like, I did not come down here to exercise. That would be me.
00:06:49:02 - 00:06:54:15
Hadley
Same the way that Delilah stretches the next day and runs a few feet and stops.
00:06:54:15 - 00:06:55:02
Sarah
Yeah.
00:06:55:02 - 00:06:56:01
Hadley
100% me.
00:06:56:08 - 00:07:01:06
Sarah
Stella goes on a run by herself. The sunrise beach scene is beautiful.
00:07:01:07 - 00:07:04:11
Hadley
It's a beautiful time for a run or to just sit on the beach.
00:07:04:11 - 00:07:12:11
Hadley
At breakfast, Stella locks eyes with Taye Diggs and she asks if he's a rapper. He asks to join her for breakfast.
00:07:12:14 - 00:07:15:14
Hadley
She's like, your plate looks heavier. Maybe I should go over there.
00:07:15:17 - 00:07:26:00
Sarah
I like that we get to hear her inner thoughts in this scene. I didn't feel like Taye Diggs' Jamaican accent was that good. It wasn't that convincing to me.
00:07:26:04 - 00:07:32:23
Hadley
It pops up on the 13 times Jamaican accents have been horribly done in films. I think you're on the right track there.
00:07:33:10 - 00:07:44:14
Sarah
Safe to say it was not a good accent. Winston asks Stella how her first morning here is going, and she says, I could have been here for two weeks already. He says, no, I would have noticed you.
00:07:44:16 - 00:07:47:17
Hadley
He says, she looks amazing. I was like, he's right. She does look amazing.
00:07:47:20 - 00:07:58:12
Sarah
I know that this movie is about an age difference love affair, but they look exactly the same age to me, like there is no difference in their age. They are both beautiful.
00:07:58:12 - 00:08:12:23
Hadley
They are. I think they're 13 years apart. They're just some actors that look amazing at any age that you can never tell how old they are. Paul Rudd is one that's notorious for that and I think Angela Bassett is one of those people too.
00:08:13:08 - 00:08:18:04
Sarah
Winston says there's a pajama disco tonight, which sounds so fun.
00:08:18:12 - 00:08:19:12
Hadley
It really does.
00:08:19:16 - 00:08:21:15
Sarah
And says he wants to dance with her.
00:08:21:16 - 00:08:25:12
Hadley
She's trying to run out of there as fast as she can. And she's like, okay, maybe.
00:08:25:21 - 00:08:29:09
Sarah
She says she's old enough to be his mother and he does not care at all.
00:08:29:16 - 00:08:43:02
Hadley
I appreciate how little he cares about age, but I also think men get to care about age less than women in our society. If her ex had come to that barbecue with a younger woman, people have been like, Oh, he brought a younger woman. But then they would have let it go.
00:08:43:05 - 00:08:51:23
Sarah
Yeah, women are not allowed to age like men are. Typically men date women that are younger than them because of the whole maturity thing.
00:08:52:03 - 00:08:55:20
Hadley
I could see that. Or maybe it's the women that want to date older men to.
00:08:55:22 - 00:09:01:21
Sarah
True, also because of maturity. She's really concerned about what other people are going to think about it.
00:09:02:04 - 00:09:05:02
Hadley
Yeah, because when they're alone, she thoroughly enjoys it.
00:09:05:05 - 00:09:12:09
Sarah
I don't think she personally cares about the age difference. It's just how it's going to appear to others that is making her concerned.
00:09:12:14 - 00:09:15:16
Hadley
Same. I think she's so nervous about what people will say.
00:09:15:23 - 00:09:19:20
Sarah
Stella is at the beach and she looks amazing in this black bikini.
00:09:19:20 - 00:09:21:00
Hadley
She does.
00:09:21:00 - 00:09:25:02
Sarah
Like at 40 she has an amazing body.
00:09:25:05 - 00:09:27:21
Hadley
She does. She's got a six pack, too, doesn't she?
00:09:27:22 - 00:09:30:02
Sarah
Yeah, she has nice abs.
00:09:30:03 - 00:09:40:06
Hadley
She has achieved some peak physical fitness. She got married about a month into shooting. It sounded like she was excited to get in shape for the movie, but also for her wedding.
00:09:40:08 - 00:09:49:04
Sarah
Stella decides that she's going to ditch Delilah's evening plans with the two guys and is going to this PJ disco instead.
00:09:49:09 - 00:09:53:00
Hadley
I don't blame her. Those guys are...interesting.
00:09:53:06 - 00:10:01:15
Sarah
When she arrives at the party, Winston says she's late and she says, How can I be late for something I never said I was coming to? She has a point.
00:10:01:22 - 00:10:09:02
Hadley
She's wearing the most beautiful pajamas ever. Just like I think I'm overdressed. Like, you look the best out of everyone here. You're good.
00:10:09:06 - 00:10:22:04
Sarah
Some guy leers at her and she's clearly bothered by it, but stares him down. I loved that she did that. She starts dancing with Winston. He is mesmerized by her. And like, who wouldn't be?
00:10:22:06 - 00:10:23:16
Hadley
They're really cute together.
00:10:23:19 - 00:10:26:19
Sarah
I love that he brings out this fun side of her.
00:10:27:03 - 00:10:32:18
Hadley
Me too. He's really what she needs it seems to open up and have more fun in her life.
00:10:33:01 - 00:10:35:01
Sarah
He helps her get her groove back.
00:10:35:04 - 00:10:45:23
Hadley
They dance a lot and she seems so happy. Delilah shows up with her men. She seems a little grouchy that Stella ditched her, but seems pretty happy that Stella is doing this.
00:10:46:00 - 00:10:51:22
Sarah
I really liked when Stella and Delilah were dancing together and doing like a head Bob thing while they were arguing.
00:10:52:17 - 00:10:56:22
Hadley
I did too! They stayed in the moment and Delilah finds someone else to take over to one of the guys.
00:10:57:02 - 00:11:03:19
Sarah
Then the M.C. says, take it off, and all of a sudden there are just titties everywhere.
00:11:04:03 - 00:11:06:04
Hadley
Stella's like, I think it's time for me to go.
00:11:06:04 - 00:11:19:08
Hadley
Buddy, one of Delilah's men, strips in front of Stella. Down to a banana hammock. So she and Winston run away. Delilah comes to visit Stella at her hotel room and is giving her shit.
00:11:19:08 - 00:11:21:19
Hadley
She says you've been trolling the kindergarten yards.
00:11:21:19 - 00:11:27:13
Sarah
Stella says, what would I even do with a 20 year old? And Delilah's like, fuck him.
00:11:27:17 - 00:11:37:07
Hadley
I love how she gets in the bed and she's like, Winnie, Winnie. She's so encouraging for Stella. The next day, Stella shows up at the pool and Winston's there.
00:11:37:09 - 00:11:58:10
Sarah
Stella's wearing a blue bikini. I'm going to keep bringing up her outfits. She just looks great in all of them. I love her style in this movie. I wonder who did the wardrobe for the movie cause whoever it was did a good job. Stella dives in the pool and Winston joins her. She asks him to save her from this old man who's trying to hit on her.
00:11:58:13 - 00:12:18:14
Sarah
And then she's super straight forward and asks Winston if he's trying to be intimate with her, which he is. And she says, okay, which shocks him. She's going on and on about how much older she is than him. And he says, get it all out now so I don't have to hear it for the rest of our lives. But then corrects himself and says the rest of the week.
00:12:18:20 - 00:12:21:22
Hadley
She looks at him funny and says, what makes you think you're going to last a week?
00:12:21:23 - 00:12:23:21
Sarah
He says, I was just hoping.
00:12:24:03 - 00:12:25:13
Hadley
I like how they talk with each other.
00:12:25:15 - 00:12:27:02
Sarah
They've got some pretty good banter.
00:12:27:05 - 00:12:31:09
Hadley
They do. And then we jump to them on Stella's balcony.
00:12:31:09 - 00:12:34:03
Sarah
For a sunset champagne picnic.
00:12:34:09 - 00:12:37:08
Hadley
Yes. She has a really nice room.
00:12:37:11 - 00:12:39:23
Sarah
They have a steamy little makeout sesh.
00:12:40:00 - 00:12:42:03
Hadley
He tries to cool her down with the ice,
00:12:42:03 - 00:12:43:01
Sarah
Totally ruins it.
00:12:43:01 - 00:12:47:01
Hadley
And then he panics and runs away to the bathroom to regroup.
00:12:47:04 - 00:13:03:20
Sarah
She looks really good in this yellow dress, too. At this point, I was like, Damn, I have a crush on both of them. They are both so sexy in this movie. When Winston comes back from the bathroom, they have sex in the mosquito net and then some moonlit pillow talk. Winston's parents want him to go to medical school, but he's not ready.
00:13:03:22 - 00:13:07:08
Sarah
Stella talks about how she wanted to make furniture.
00:13:07:08 - 00:13:09:16
Hadley
She says now she makes money instead.
00:13:09:21 - 00:13:14:12
Sarah
It was sweet, though, listening to her talk so passionately about making furniture.
00:13:14:17 - 00:13:22:12
Hadley
It seems like he's able to bring out this side of her that's not just her career. She's able to talk about her dreams and her passions with him.
00:13:22:17 - 00:13:29:15
Sarah
The next day, Winston gets a job and starts immediately so they won't be able to see each other much for the rest of her trip.
00:13:29:18 - 00:13:39:03
Hadley
She thinks he's playing games with her. I got my one night stand. I'm out of here and he's like, no, I have 2 hours free here and I could come see you then. He's like, I want to see you before you leave.
00:13:39:07 - 00:13:45:02
Sarah
Stella and Delilah go sit by the water. I really love their outfits here with their sun hats.
00:13:45:03 - 00:13:55:12
Hadley
Delilah encourages Stella to return Winston's phone calls and maybe give this a chance. When Delilah stands up and she says, God's here. I was like, is she going to die?
00:13:55:15 - 00:14:01:14
Sarah
I did not see that coming at all. I was just thrown off when she said that because it seemed very random.
00:14:01:14 - 00:14:06:08
Hadley
Stella tries to call the restaurant and Winston isn't there so she goes home.
00:14:06:09 - 00:14:14:01
Sarah
Yeah, that was like rapid fire. She called him one time and then went home and they didn't even say goodbye.
00:14:14:06 - 00:14:16:05
Hadley
I think she's got big feelings and is scared.
00:14:16:14 - 00:14:23:17
Sarah
She arrives home and her sisters are there. Angela calls her a slut and also a cradle robber. Angela is not very nice.
00:14:23:21 - 00:14:31:13
Hadley
She is not at all. Stella stands up for herself and her choices, which I was very happy she did because someone needs to shut Angela down.
00:14:31:20 - 00:14:44:01
Sarah
Vanessa borrowed Stella's car and got a few scratches on it, but Stella is surprisingly chill about it. She says it's just a thing. It can be fixed, which is not what her sister was expecting.
00:14:44:08 - 00:14:47:09
Hadley
No, they're like, What happened? You must be in love.
00:14:47:20 - 00:14:55:03
Sarah
Angela judgingly says, how could you stoop so low? And Vanessa is like, I want to know how low did you go.
00:14:55:13 - 00:15:00:22
Hadley
When she gets back at work, no one's told her that they did some trade deal and took away her position.
00:15:01:04 - 00:15:07:06
Sarah
I liked that she told off her boss when he was letting her go. I was like, yes, stand up for yourself.
00:15:07:15 - 00:15:18:05
Hadley
I'm glad she's taking legal action on this because what they're doing is very wrong. The next morning, Stella and Quincy have breakfast together. He's so happy that she had a good time. And now he wants to go to Jamaica, too.
00:15:18:14 - 00:15:40:17
Sarah
When he asks if they can go to Jamaica instead of Africa this summer, Stella very calmly explains to him that although they're not broke, so he doesn't need to worry, she does have a lot on her plate that she needs to figure out. I thought that was like a really great way to handle that situation. I think more people should talk to their kids like they're adults. I think she's such a good mom.
00:15:40:17 - 00:15:44:01
Hadley
This is a great parent child dynamic movie.
00:15:44:01 - 00:15:45:12
Sarah
Winston calls.
00:15:45:12 - 00:15:47:04
Hadley
Delilah gave him her number.
00:15:47:10 - 00:15:49:16
Sarah
She's very excited that he called.
00:15:49:19 - 00:15:52:04
Hadley
She's like, hang on one second and she squeals about it.
00:15:52:10 - 00:15:53:11
Sarah
That was so cute.
00:15:53:11 - 00:15:55:17
Hadley
He's like, I can take sick leave in three months.
00:15:55:20 - 00:16:13:16
Sarah
Quincy overhears they might go to Jamaica and he's so excited. Winston requests some junk food when she comes back. When he was listing off these junk food requests, I was like, is this going to be a trope that he's like another child for her to take care of? And it is.
00:16:13:16 - 00:16:15:09
Hadley
Then we jump to them in Jamaica.
00:16:15:14 - 00:16:26:11
Sarah
Quincy and Chantelle are in the pool watching Stella and Winston. And Quincy says his mom couldn't find a boyfriend in America, which is why they had to come to Jamaica.
00:16:26:15 - 00:16:33:04
Hadley
Quincy's like, He's young. Chantelle says how young? And Quincy goes, He's not even 30. And she goes, Oh, that's not young,
00:16:33:04 - 00:16:41:07
Sarah
Quincy doesn't seem too sure about Winston. But then Winston jumps in the pool and plays Marco Polo with them, which was adorable.
00:16:41:15 - 00:16:44:09
Hadley
I love the relationship that Quincy and Winston build.
00:16:44:10 - 00:17:00:12
Sarah
Me too. Nothing is more sexy than a man who enjoys spending time with your kid. Winston and Stella go to the bar and the bartender is hitting on Winston, thinking that Stella is his mom, and then he makes out with her.
00:17:01:03 - 00:17:26:12
Hadley
They play into it so much, he's like, let me show you how happy I am to see her. Winston and Stella talk about jobs and she talks about how she lost hers and he is asking, are you okay? And she's like, yeah it'll be fine, we'll be able to support ourselves. He's like, no, are you okay? I really like how he checks in with her emotionally throughout so many things and makes a space for her to feel what she wants to and needs to feel.
00:17:26:16 - 00:17:32:15
Sarah
There are some parts of their relationship that aren't great, but he is always very emotionally supportive of her.
00:17:32:22 - 00:17:49:23
Hadley
He is. Delilah calls and is encouraging Stella to pursue Winston. But Delilah's in the hospital and never mentions that fact to Stella. Winston takes Stella to go surprise meet his parents, which never surprise somebody to meet someone important in your life.
00:17:50:03 - 00:18:05:19
Sarah
They show up at Winston's parents' house, and Stella did not know that's where they were going. At first glance, they look pretty conservative. His dad is friendly, but his mom is a little cold. Honestly, at first I thought she looked younger than Stella.
00:18:06:00 - 00:18:06:17
Hadley
I did too.
00:18:06:19 - 00:18:13:03
Sarah
The mom asks how old Stella is and then calls her desperate and says she should be ashamed of herself.
00:18:13:03 - 00:18:14:15
Hadley
The mom is very rude.
00:18:14:16 - 00:18:29:16
Sarah
Stella gets upset with Winston. Understandably so. Says she's humiliated and Winston says she's overreacting, which when he said that, I was like, Oh, no, that is not the response. Don't ever tell a woman that she is overreacting.
00:18:29:18 - 00:18:33:19
Hadley
You put her in a bad situation. She has every right to be upset with you.
00:18:33:22 - 00:18:53:10
Sarah
He does eventually apologize on behalf of his mom, but like don't start it out by saying she's overreacting. In this conversation, Stella calls him out for handling this immaturely, which is accurate, and he gets upset saying she's treating him like a child. I was like, then maybe don't act like one.
00:18:53:10 - 00:18:54:03
Hadley
Yeah really.
00:18:54:05 - 00:19:02:22
Sarah
It is not an unreasonable request to be given a heads up about meeting your boyfriend's parents and asking if your partner is even okay with that.
00:19:02:23 - 00:19:10:09
Hadley
She doesn't even seem to be 100% okay with them dating outside of their little bubble. So don't introduce new people.
00:19:10:16 - 00:19:16:13
Sarah
Stella got a phone call from Delilah's doctor and finds out Delilah has cancer.
00:19:16:16 - 00:19:18:11
Hadley
And that's progressed pretty badly.
00:19:18:16 - 00:19:27:08
Sarah
I thought it was sweet, though, that Winston could immediately tell that something was wrong and is at her side in a second, even though they had fought earlier.
00:19:27:16 - 00:19:35:18
Hadley
They seem pretty good at being able to put their fights aside for important things. So Stella flys back to New York immediately.
00:19:36:00 - 00:19:38:02
Sarah
And visits Delilah in the hospital.
00:19:38:02 - 00:19:39:14
Hadley
It's such a beautiful scene.
00:19:39:18 - 00:19:45:12
Sarah
Stella offers Delilah a shopping spree while also giving her a foot massage, which was very sweet.
00:19:45:12 - 00:19:53:09
Hadley
They reminisce about all their times when they were younger and all the people they've known. And Delilah asks Stella to sing to her.
00:19:53:14 - 00:20:08:11
Sarah
I was dying over their conversation about Cassandra the ho, cockeyed Charlie, and funky Johnny. This hospital scene is like chosen family goals. Their friendship is so caring. I love it.
00:20:08:11 - 00:20:15:19
Hadley
I do too. They really seem to have found the right person to have in their life. And she sings, Delilah, Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
00:20:15:23 - 00:20:18:04
Sarah
This hospital scene was ad libbed.
00:20:18:10 - 00:20:25:09
Hadley
I am surprised. But with the, like, powerhouse of talent between the two of them, I'm not surprised it came out so well.
00:20:25:18 - 00:20:35:07
Sarah
It was hilarious. Then Delilah dies and we see her funeral where Stella is wearing a periwinkle suit.
00:20:35:15 - 00:20:44:09
Hadley
She looks beautiful. When she goes up to the microphone she seems nervous, like she's not ready to talk. Winston shows up and she's like, okay I got this.
00:20:44:12 - 00:20:49:04
Sarah
I cried during her speech. I love their friendship. I'm so sad for Stella.
00:20:49:12 - 00:20:52:10
Hadley
Me too. It's going to be really hard to not have Delilah around.
00:20:52:11 - 00:21:03:18
Sarah
After the funeral. Winston says he loves Stella. He goes back to San Francisco with her and they're dropping off Chantelle, but there's a family cookout and everyone's insisting on meeting Winston.
00:21:04:02 - 00:21:15:04
Hadley
Vanessa comes out to the car, sees Winston and Stella, and then Stella rolls up the window and Vanessa is like, I know you're talking about me in there. Just come out. And then everyone from the barbecue comes out and surrounds the car.
00:21:15:06 - 00:21:19:20
Sarah
Her ex-husband is there, too. Who is from Gray's Anatomy.
00:21:19:20 - 00:21:27:06
Hadley
James Pickens, Jr. And they seem to have a pretty solid relationship, so that was nice. I think they probably co-parent well.
00:21:27:13 - 00:21:31:04
Sarah
It was nice to see them portray pretty friendly exes.
00:21:31:07 - 00:21:33:17
Hadley
And he seemed to take Winston under his wing a little bit.
00:21:33:22 - 00:21:36:19
Sarah
They even danced together, which was cute.
00:21:36:22 - 00:21:39:02
Hadley
Angela's so negative about everything.
00:21:39:07 - 00:21:49:20
Sarah
We find out Angela is having twins, and I would be fucking miserable if I was in her position so I can understand her not being super nice right now.
00:21:50:01 - 00:21:54:09
Hadley
But I do like that people shut it down because you don't always need people's negativity.
00:21:54:12 - 00:22:01:08
Sarah
Vanessa says, I don't care how old he is, if he's got her glowing like a nightlight. Stella tells Winston that she loves him, too.
00:22:01:09 - 00:22:05:20
Hadley
Quincy looks a little worried when he's looking at them from across the yard.
00:22:06:02 - 00:22:12:06
Sarah
I feel like Quincy is happy for his mom, but kind of hesitant about Winston.
00:22:12:13 - 00:22:15:15
Hadley
Yeah, I think he's nervous about his mom getting hurt.
00:22:15:21 - 00:22:23:19
Sarah
Her ex-husband, Walter, is giving Winston advice, telling him not to bow down to Stella. And Winston says, did that work for you?
00:22:23:20 - 00:22:24:17
Hadley
Walter's like, nope.
00:22:24:21 - 00:22:32:20
Sarah
I'd say, in general, maybe don't take advice from someone's ex about how to treat them because they're an ex for a reason.
00:22:32:20 - 00:22:45:19
Hadley
Unless it's like, I did this and it didn't work, so don't do that. They go back to Stella's house, and Quincy wants to give Winston the tour of the house. He also wants to have a little chat with Winston. He's like, can we have a man to man talk?
00:22:45:21 - 00:22:51:11
Sarah
Winston says, I don't see any kids around. Quincy tells him not to break his mom's heart.
00:22:51:18 - 00:23:04:14
Hadley
If Winston breaks her heart, he'll have to deal with Quincy. At night, Winston sees Stella crying about Delilah. He's great emotional support for her. She says that forever is a long time to forget. And he's like, You don't have to forget it.
00:23:04:22 - 00:23:13:01
Sarah
Stella and Winston go to see a movie together and some girls are checking him out in line, which makes Stella a little insecure.
00:23:13:03 - 00:23:14:23
Hadley
After the movie, they run into Angela.
00:23:15:05 - 00:23:28:08
Sarah
Her sister is on a double date with the judge that she tried to set Stella up with. And the judge says the offer still stands if she wants to go running. I thought that was so inappropriate. But Winston handles it very maturely.
00:23:28:19 - 00:23:39:17
Hadley
Yeah, he does. Stella then goes over to Angela's house to stand up to Angela for being so rude about Winston. And they have some talks that need to be had about how she could get hurt from this whole situation.
00:23:39:22 - 00:23:52:13
Sarah
Stella and Winston then go out to an expensive dinner and he wants to pay. She says he can't afford it, which is rude. Let him decide what to do with his money and they start to fight again.
00:23:52:14 - 00:23:55:13
Hadley
I am curious how he can afford it because I don't think he has a job.
00:23:55:15 - 00:24:00:20
Sarah
Yeah, I don't think he can afford it. It's just not really her place to point that out.
00:24:00:21 - 00:24:06:04
Hadley
They get into a huge argument about age and control and how she always needs to have control of things.
00:24:06:10 - 00:24:18:03
Sarah
She apologizes later that night and he shows her that he cleaned up her workshop for her. This pink slip dress that she is wearing, her lingerie even is so beautiful in this movie.
00:24:18:11 - 00:24:26:01
Hadley
Stella's company wants her back and they offer her what nowadays would be almost $500,000 a year.
00:24:26:08 - 00:24:35:19
Sarah
My notes during this scene was, girl, forget them. Start your furniture business. I was happy to find out that she did turn them down.
00:24:35:21 - 00:24:40:04
Hadley
Me too. It sounds like she's starting her own brokerage firm, which is cool.
00:24:40:05 - 00:24:47:04
Sarah
I like that when she's talking to Winston, he says he's just dreaming out loud for her about selling her furniture.
00:24:47:10 - 00:24:54:00
Hadley
He's so supportive of her when she tells him about all this, and he just wants her to be happy and have fun and enjoy life.
00:24:54:07 - 00:24:57:09
Sarah
And then he proposes. I was not expecting that.
00:24:57:10 - 00:25:00:07
Hadley
I wasn't either. She wants to think about it, which is fair.
00:25:00:14 - 00:25:07:17
Sarah
She says her heart says yes, but asks for some time to think about it, which he gracefully accepts.
00:25:07:20 - 00:25:12:14
Hadley
I can understand why he gets a little frustrated later with not having heard anything for over a week.
00:25:12:21 - 00:25:20:03
Sarah
Yeah, but he's a baby about it. Like, talk about your feelings. Don't just sulk in the corner until she asks you what's wrong.
00:25:20:07 - 00:25:26:16
Hadley
I felt like the school thing, though he felt really out of place in too. So I feel like he's lashing out even more because of that.
00:25:26:19 - 00:25:35:09
Sarah
He's very immature sometimes and I would be annoyed dealing with him. I would feel like I had a second child. So I can see how she feels that way.
00:25:35:10 - 00:25:46:06
Hadley
I did really like that when he lashed out at Quincy, he immediately apologized. He and Stella clearly have more things to work through, but it's really important that he apologizes to Quincy right away.
00:25:46:18 - 00:26:00:18
Sarah
Well, he was getting worked up and Quincy steps in and tells him not to talk to his mom that way. Then he snaps at Quincy and Stella's like, don't talk to my son that way. I like that they're standing up for each other.
00:26:00:20 - 00:26:01:08
Hadley
Me too.
00:26:01:10 - 00:26:03:06
Sarah
But yes, he is quick to apologize.
00:26:03:09 - 00:26:16:09
Hadley
It's good for him to maintain that relationship with Quincy. Then they're back at home getting ready for bed, and Winston's in the shower. Stella's brushing her teeth and she hops in the shower with him in her clothes, which I thought was interesting.
00:26:16:10 - 00:26:20:19
Sarah
I had heard that Taye Diggs got naked in this movie. He looks really good.
00:26:21:00 - 00:26:30:17
Hadley
He does. I wonder if they had her keep her clothes on so there wouldn't be any nudity shots for her. They have sex, but they look super disconnected afterwards.
00:26:31:04 - 00:26:32:09
Sarah
She cries.
00:26:32:12 - 00:26:34:22
Hadley
He looks like he's thinking, this isn't going to work.
00:26:35:05 - 00:26:44:02
Sarah
They have some seriously hot sex scenes and that's great and fun, but that doesn't mean they should get married or be in a relationship together.
00:26:44:07 - 00:26:45:03
Hadley
No, it doesn't.
00:26:45:03 - 00:26:46:18
Sarah
Then they break up in a hammock.
00:26:47:01 - 00:26:59:01
Hadley
Yeah. I thought it was good, though what they talked about in the hammock. They bring up really real issues that will be a problem for them when they get back together in the end. He decides to go to medical school, which made me sad because I was like, you didn't want to go to medical school.
00:26:59:10 - 00:27:15:20
Sarah
Stella says money is a sad reason for folk to be together or apart. And I agree. It sucks that our society and capitalism prevent people from being in relationships that would work if we didn't have to worry about making money.
00:27:16:09 - 00:27:19:09
Hadley
It's smart that he's leaving right away because he thinks it's easier.
00:27:19:13 - 00:27:34:20
Sarah
At this point, I was happy about their amicable breakup, where they can both see that this isn't going to work out. They clearly love each other, but they want different things in life. I was like, You guys are making the right decision here.
00:27:34:22 - 00:27:41:22
Hadley
I don't know what causes them to change their mind. I mean, besides the whole, oh, suddenly they're gone and I miss them.
00:27:42:05 - 00:27:47:00
Sarah
It feels like they just get back together for happy ending purposes of the movie.
00:27:47:00 - 00:27:49:07
Hadley
It would have been nice if they had just stayed apart.
00:27:49:12 - 00:28:04:02
Sarah
As he was climbing out of the cab at the airport. I was like, is she going to show up? I could feel it coming. Then we see her on the stairs in a red trench coat. She asks if he'd consider Stanford, and she says yes to his proposal.
00:28:04:06 - 00:28:09:04
Hadley
I think it's kind of funny that she's wearing Stanford's color red when she asks that.
00:28:09:04 - 00:28:30:11
Sarah
I'm happy that they're happy. I know it's preferred for rom coms that have happy endings where they end up together, and this is based on a true story where they did end up together. But I needed another scene after this where they have a conversation addressing all the issues they discussed during their breakup and how they're going to resolve this to make their relationship work.
00:28:31:05 - 00:28:34:11
Hadley
This seems like a really forced back together scene.
00:28:34:14 - 00:28:36:23
Sarah
It just did not make any sense to me. Hmm.
00:28:37:02 - 00:28:43:04
Hadley
I would have loved it if they ended it with, like, him looking out in the cab in the rainy night. Called it a day right there.
00:28:43:10 - 00:29:00:17
Sarah
Or even if they were going to do a happy ending with each other, because I understand that love can sometimes change what plans you had for your life, I just want to know how they're going to resolve that issue. What are they going to compromise on to make this work? Because they want vastly different things.
00:29:01:01 - 00:29:06:19
Hadley
Yeah, I don't understand how they can make this work without a lot of work put into it.
00:29:07:00 - 00:29:15:01
Sarah
They're like some big deal breakers, though. He wants to have kids and she's done with that part of her life.
00:29:15:02 - 00:29:19:10
Hadley
Maybe helping raise Quincy would be enough. I don't know. I didn't love the end of it.
00:29:19:10 - 00:29:27:18
Sarah
It was such a good movie up until the end. I really wish that they had just broken up. Like we can have a rom com with a melancholy ending.
00:29:27:23 - 00:29:33:11
Hadley
Exactly. There are quite a few out there like this one would have been fantastic with out that.
00:29:33:11 - 00:29:44:19
Hadley
It would be a sad ending for them to realize they aren't right for each other, but it would eventually be happier because it would allow them to move on and find people that are right for them.
00:29:44:23 - 00:29:45:09
Hadley
Right.
00:29:45:14 - 00:30:04:19
Sarah
Relationships are still important, even if they don't work out. It doesn't mean that anybody wasted their time or there was like less love there. They clearly love and care about each other. Some relationships are only for a season, and I feel like this was a season relationship, not a lifetime relationship.
00:30:05:00 - 00:30:07:10
Hadley
Loved you know, 90% of the movie.
00:30:07:10 - 00:30:15:16
Sarah
It was gonna be one of my top rom coms, but that ending ruined it. If they had cut off the last, like, 5 minutes, they would have been good.
00:30:15:19 - 00:30:26:19
Hadley
They should do a rerelease without the last 5 minutes. I read a little bit about how it's based off the author's real life and how that went down. Now I have a sour taste in my mouth about this movie.
00:30:26:22 - 00:30:28:00
Sarah
What's the hot gos?
00:30:28:05 - 00:30:52:08
Hadley
The movie is based on a book that Terry McMillan wrote about her own life, and she did marry Jamaican man, Jonathan Plummer, who was in his early twenties when she was in her late forties. But in December of 2004, Jonathan Plummer told her he was gay and she filed for divorce. She felt that he married her to leave Jamaica and gain American citizenship. There were lawsuits.
00:30:52:10 - 00:30:54:13
Sarah
Oh, my God. Wow. Okay.
00:30:54:17 - 00:30:59:17
Hadley
This movie was made right around the time they got married. They were still in, like, a happy place.
00:30:59:20 - 00:31:06:03
Sarah
Now that you've told me the real life story, I want to see a sequel of them getting a divorce because he's gay.
00:31:06:07 - 00:31:27:10
Hadley
In March 2007, Terry McMillan sued her ex-husband, Jonathan Plummer, and his lawyer for $40 million, citing an intentional strategy to embarrass and humiliate her during the divorce proceedings. She eventually won a judgment of intentional infliction of emotional distress, but had withdrawn the suit before the case went to trial. And Plummer was never ordered to pay the intended amount.
00:31:27:15 - 00:31:38:00
Hadley
Then they went on Oprah in 2010 to discuss their post-divorce relationship and partial reconciliation. They both acknowledge that he fulfilled the role of boyfriend and husband before his coming out.
00:31:38:11 - 00:31:53:13
Sarah
Well, I'm glad they're able to have some sort of reconciliation. It seemed like a genuine relationship from the movie, I mean. I'm wondering what was different about their real life relationship that made her feel like he was just doing it for a green card.
00:31:53:19 - 00:31:58:14
Hadley
Same. I love the cast that they had in this. Everyone played their roles really well.
00:31:58:20 - 00:32:00:08
Sarah
It was really funny.
00:32:00:12 - 00:32:03:04
Hadley
It was full of so many back to back one liners.
00:32:03:07 - 00:32:05:08
Sarah
Overall, very good movie.
00:32:05:10 - 00:32:09:17
Hadley
Yes, I would highly recommend it. But you can turn it off before the last 5 minutes if you want.
00:32:09:18 - 00:32:13:01
Sarah
When he gets in the cab to leave, just shut it off then.
00:32:13:07 - 00:32:22:06
Hadley
Yeah. Stella went off and led a wonderful life with whoever she ends up with, if she ends up with anybody. And Winston went off to be a surgeon and be happy in his career.
00:32:22:07 - 00:32:25:12
Sarah
It was funny when Quincy was like, should I call you Dr. Shakespeare?
00:32:25:17 - 00:32:27:00
Hadley
I like their little goodbye.
00:32:27:02 - 00:32:34:16
Sarah
They're so cute. I was happy that they were going to continue to have a friendship, even if Winston didn't end up with his mom.
00:32:35:01 - 00:32:40:16
Hadley
Yeah. I feel like Stella ends up with the judge. Winston comes over to play video games with Quincy.
00:32:40:19 - 00:32:46:08
Sarah
Winston is closer to Quincy's age than he is to Stella's, so they probably have more in common.
00:32:46:11 - 00:33:05:15
Hadley
Taye Diggs and Angela Bassett are the same age difference as Taye Diggs and the kid playing Quincy in real life. So he's like, right in the middle. I love getting to see Angela Bassett as a lead character. I haven't seen her in things where she's the lead and it was wonderful. I'm going to go watch more of her movies now.
00:33:07:03 - 00:33:11:00
Sarah
Our song pairing for this movie is Miss Independent by Ne-Yo.
00:33:11:06 - 00:33:16:23
Hadley
It's all about a strong independent woman this man falls in love with and doesn't want to change anything about her.
00:33:17:00 - 00:33:25:01
Sarah
He says she walks like a boss and talks like a boss. And that definitely describes Stella. I could totally see Winston singing this song.
00:33:27:15 - 00:33:44:00
Hadley
That's it for How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Make sure to subscribe so you can travel to Rome with us next time. As we rewatch The Lizzie McGuire Movie. See you next time. Lovebugs.