[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stella90.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Sad, huh?]]

''Stella'' is a 1990 drama film based on the novel ''Stella Dallas'', which was previously adapted as a film in [[Film/StellaDallas1925 1925]] and [[Film/StellaDallas1937 1937]]. This version is a SettingUpdate.

The film stars Creator/BetteMidler as Stella, Creator/JohnGoodman as Ed Munn, Creator/TriniAlvarado as Jenny, Creator/StephenCollins as Stephen Dallas, Creator/MarshaMason as Janice Morrison, Creator/EileenBrennan as Mrs. Wilkerson, Creator/BenStiller as Jim Uptegrove, and Creator/WilliamMcNamara as Pat Robbins.
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!!This film has the examples of:

* AdaptationNameChange:
** Stella never marries Stephen Dallas in this version, so her name never becomes "Stella Dallas." Additionally, her maiden name was "Martin" in previous versions, but now it's "Claire."
** Stephen and Stella's daughter is named Jenny instead of Laurel.
** Mrs. Morrison's first name is changed from Helen to Janice.
** Richard Grosvenor is renamed Pat Robbins.
* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: In all previous versions of the story, Stephen and Stella got married, with the marriage falling apart after their daughter's birth. In this version, they never get married in the first place, and the daughter is born out of wedlock.
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: Like in the previous versions, Stella drives Jenny away so that she'll live with Stephen and Janice.
* CharacterTitle
* FoodFight: Stella, Ed, and Jenny get into one.
* HonorableMarriageProposal: Stephen offers to marry Stella after he gets her pregnant, but she turns him down.
* {{Mooning}}: Some rowdy boys do this to Jenny on her birthday.
* OnePersonBirthdayParty: Like in the previous versions, no one attends Jenny's birthday party due to people disapproving of Stella.
* SettingUpdate: Set in the late 20th century (1960s - 1980s) whereas the novel and the previous film versions were all set in the early 20th century.
* TimeSkip: The film starts off in 1969, which is exactly fifty years after 1919, the year in which the 1937 version started. The majority of the film is set in TheEighties.
* UptownGirl: As always, this is a major issue in Stephen and Stella's relationship. Although they don't get married in this adaptation, Stephen later says that it wouldn't have worked between them, and the previous versions back him up on that.