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Video Trailer: Bette Midler As “Stella”
By Mister D
May 23, 2026
Video Trailer: Bette Midler As “Stella”
The story in simple terms
- Stella, a barmaid with a big personality and zero pretension, has a brief romance with Dr. Stephen Dallas, a wealthy, polished man from a different world.
- She becomes pregnant, refuses his half-hearted marriage proposal, and decides to raise their daughter, Jenny, alone.
- As Jenny grows up, she’s torn between her mother’s rough?around-the-edges life and her father’s privileged world.
- Realizing Jenny could have opportunities she herself never had, Stella makes a selfless, heartbreaking choice to step aside for her daughter’s future.
What makes it memorable
- It’s a classic mother-daughter melodrama—sentimental, emotional, and proud of it.
- Bette Midler brings humor, grit, and warmth to Stella, making her both flawed and deeply lovable.
- The film is a modern retelling of the 1923 novel Stella Dallas and earlier film versions, but with a twist: Stella never marries the father, emphasizing her independence.
