How Stella Got Her Groove Back

Burnt out from her high-finance job, and in need of fun (and groove), Stella (Angela Bassett) and best friend Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg) head to Jamaica on a whim vacation. There Stella's fling with a sexy Jamaican named Winston turns into something more serious -- hello groove. Unfortunately, Stella's 40 years old, Winston's 20, and everyone around them (Stella included) is raising an eyebrow.

Although Terry McMillan's novel was a bestseller, his tale was neither insightful nor intense. And director Kevin Rodney Sullivan remains all too faithful to the original. Bassett is stunning (fortunately for Stella, she could pass for 30), and McMillan does offer a view of African-American life minus the usual issues of gangs and poverty and racism. But his film is far too long, and though the age difference between Stella and Winston creates a plausible tension and the female banter can be catchy and fun, the soft plot (which Sullivan turns melodramatic by throwing in tragedy) drags. Maybe age shouldn't matter in a relationship, but in a film, time does. At the Holiday, Showcase, and Tri-Boro cinemas.

-- Rachel O'Malley