this film is just so bad i felt the need to place a vote to spare others having to go through it -what is surprising is that it gets 3/4 from beradinelli -he either was not feeling well at the time or invested money in it! it follows the other woeful pictures in this series i.e. waiting to exhale and brown sugar. The film has some pathetic effort as well to develop the characters and storyline. Basically a rich well to do 40 year women (bassett) goes off on holiday to jamaica with her best friend (whoppi Goldberg) and falls in love with a 20 year old. Not sure what whoppie goldberg is doing in the film as her character is not developed at all apart from trying to get us to feel sorry for her as she dies of cancer -poignant not!...Bassett character as well is poorly developed and basically everyone falls victim to a bad script.

It's typical of IMDb to have mindless action films earn an average of 7 or better, but for some reason a light film like this suffers from anti-romance, anti-female-lead bias that permeates this site. It is an enjoyable film with good music and the usual good acting from Angela Bassett. There are some good comedic moments, and good dialogue among the female friends in the movie. If you put aside the baggage of what happened with McMillan's real life marriage, you should like it.Now that I've gotten my review out of the way, I have to say the one thing that bothered me about the film is that it makes Jamaica look like a great place to visit--when in fact it is an island guilty of gross human rights violations, where gay people live in fear for their lives and sexism is de rigeur. I cannot get past that simple injustice even when watching a movie, especially this one where a woman who could afford to go anywhere in the world chooses to give her travel dollars to the place that deserves them the least!

On a rainy, dreary day recently I popped this movie in looking for light and comedic entertainment. I was disappointed. The movie starts with Stella in a bad mood, with a magnificent job and a home that I noticed was so nice, it had a reflecting pool. I watched as Stella moaned and complained about her ex, her job, her life, ad nauseum. Angela Bassett's portrayal of Stella was one of anger however I admired her buff physique, left over from her Tina Turner portrayal which was excellent. So I tried to find sympathy for Stella. However, the director never gave we, the viewers, any reason or background to feel any sorrow or empathy for Stella. She had it all. When Stella takes her vacation to Jamaica and meets William Shakespeare (Taye Diggs), it was hard to work up any enthusiasm because she was so angry, angry at the world. However, the scenery in the film was breathtaking and the age difference between the two seemed a bit much but did not interfere with what could have been a great love story. It bothered Stella more than it did me. Still Stella remained ungrooved.Caution ***Movie Spoiler*** Upon returning home from a dream vacation, Stella loses her job and upon the advice of her good friend Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg), goes back to Jamaica which told me that losing her job did not affect her high-flying lifestyle. If only Stella appreciated her circumstances as much as I did. In summary, I saw Stella as not having a "groove" and Bassett carried her character through the movie with such anger, I felt myself recoiling from her verbal barbs and angry displays toward William, his parents, and all those around her. Only when she finds out Delilah's secret, does she drop the angry attitude and pity party to help someone else. Because we were never given a reason to feel any compassion or sympathy with Stella, it is my opinion that Stella Never Had a Groove to get back. Bassett stomped her way through this role as if Ike were chasing her in that other movie; and I would have much rather had more access to Delilah's world. Taye Diggs did what he does best which is to look great. All in all, How Stella Got Her Groove Back is less that what I expect from actress Angela Bassett.

Stella gets her groove back, alright, but the film is still in need by the time you get to the end credits. Angela Bassett gives a kick-ass performance in the title role as a fortysomething woman who can't decide what to do when she falls in love with twenty-one year-old Taye Diggs while on vacation at a resort in Jamaica. Do 'im is what I say: if a woman like Bassett looks that good at the age of forty she deserves the best of everything. Besides, Diggs doesn't look nearly young enough for the part, and that keeps reality at bay for the two and some odd hours that the film runs at. The scene where teenage girls get in line behind the couple at a movie theatre and give Stella dirty looks for robbing the cradle always puzzles me; if I were that young an age and found myself standing behind Angela Bassett I'd be asking her what kind of skin creams does she use and does she work out and maybe there might be a portrait hidden in her attic that has all her sins hanging off it? Whoopi Goldberg gives the best and funniest performance in the film, but even she can't prevent the script by Ronald Bass and Terry McMillan (upon whose novel this is based) from seeming like it's two or three drafts short of being finished. Watch it if only for a great soundtrack and some beautiful photography of Jamaica's beaches.