Travel back in time to that unfortunately brief time period when Angela Bassett was headlining movies. After the Oscar nomination for rocking that Tina Turner biopic and lending unforgettable fire (literally) to Waiting to Exhale she got her own picture to headline: How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The movie wasn't great but didn't it have one of the best titles of any book/movie/whatsit ever? The correct answer is yes.
To Shower or Not To Shower. That is the Question
How did Stella get her groove back, exactly?
Lots and lots of sex with Taye Diggs that's how! If that's how one does it, than singer/actress/wickedwitch Idina Menzel is possibly the grooviest chick on earth.
To shower or not to shower? They've just fought... again. These two are always arguing. But since getting her groove back in Jamaica, and returning to San Francisco with her studly groove-inducer in tow, she just can't resist his shameless display. Continued after the jump (mild nudity)
Here's what she sees that yanks her in there... Taye displaying himself in her ginormous transparent shower. You'd think Nancy Meyers directed this movie it's so real estate porny. But no.
The strangest thing about this particular shot is that the pose is so submissive; once he's wet he turns his back to her and leans against the wall, spreading his legs a bit like he's about to get frisked.
It works. She's watching and they're about to get frisky.
I don't remember this film well enough to comment on its gender politics but their relationship is obviously bucking the patriarchy: she's the bread winner -- at one point we hear that her salary is north of $250,000 before extras -- and he is a much younger student who some might label a gold digger.
Every fight has to have follow up sex.
Two beautiful actors beautifully shot by Jeff Jur. From here they seize each other to passionately kiss and *BAM* jump cut to Stella's orgasm in another room. (They're relocated to the bed.)
I'm always missing Angela Bassett. These bit parts and supporting roles just aren't enough. Look at that face. It screams Movie Star. How Stella Got Her Groove Back is unfortunately not her finest hour -- she's a bit stiffer in it than she had been onscreen up to that point -- but that wouldn't have mattered so much if Hollywood had given her the leading Star opportunities that she had so richly earned by this point.
The final shot of this scene is actually my favorite in the movie, (impromptu "hit me with your best shot" alert!) as its so ineffably sad. They're physically as intimate as you can get, and yet they're both suddenly miles away. Break up. Make up. Break up... again.
I used to think that Taye Diggs wasn't very good in this movie because I had trouble getting a bead on what he was feeling, as if he hadn't made up his mind whether the character was a romantic saint or a savvy opportunist or some mixture of the two and the happy-ever-after romantic ending felt a little oddly grafted on after their final breakup (the day after this scene).
In real life the author Terry MacMillan's young Jamaican boyfriend-turned-husband (who this character was based on) left her seven years ago, announcing that he was gay. Maybe Taye knew something we didn't while filming. Or maybe I'm just remembering the movie wrong.
It's a distant memory now but an oddly important one to me: it's the first movie I saw in New York City when I was here for a pre-move visit, believe it or not. Should I move or shouldn't I move. The correct answer was yes.
Does How Stella Got Her Groove Back or do Angela & Taye spark any memories for you?