The Midnight Star

Stella - iPad with Procreate

The world is what you make of it, friend. 

If it doesn't fit, you make alterations. 

- Stella, Silverado, 1985

This week's portrait features another strong lady, a fictional one from the 1985 film Silverado.

I saw it when it first came out in theaters. It was a fun homage to the popcorn Westerns of the past, with all the traditional elements - corrupt lawmen, outsider heroes and the final showdown shootout. It wasn't a movie that was out to blaze any new trails, proudly serving up every cliché in the genre. But I loved it anyway and thought Kevin Costner was the cutest thing in a fancy two-gun rig I'd ever seen.

The most impressive supporting character was a diminutive barkeep named Stella, played by the always impressive Linda Hunt, currently of NCIS: Los Angeles fame.

Stella sits in the eye of a storm of evil swirling around Silverado. She runs the Midnight Star Saloon with a calm demeanor and has the townspeople's respect. My favorite scene is when she first meets Paden, a luckless wanderer. He stays mostly on the sidelines as events unfold until Stella says the words he needs to hear to help him choose a direction:

Some people think because they're stronger, 

or meaner, that they can push you around. 

I've seen a lot of that. 

But it's only true if you let it be.

That's a statement worth raising a glass to.