Waiting to Exhale (1995)
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52% of critics liked it
(25 reviews) -
78% of users liked it
(37,820 ratings)
A surprise Hollywood hit, this film is based on the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan and centers on four well-to-do African-American women and their relationships with men and one another. All of them are "holding their breath" until the day they can feel comfortable in a committed… More A surprise Hollywood hit, this film is based on the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan and centers on four well-to-do African-American women and their relationships with men and one another. All of them are "holding their breath" until the day they can feel comfortable in a committed relationship with a man. Robin (Lela Rochon) is the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon), who keeps reneging on his promise to leave his wife for her. She dumps him to find a man she can have to herself, but her dates with a reliable but unattractive business partner (Wendell Pierce) and a drug addict (Mykelti Williamson) send her back to Russell. Savannah (Whitney Houston) is a successful television producer who also believes that her married lover Kenneth (Dennis Haysbert) will leave his wife. Bernadine (Angela Bassett) is a wealthy woman who abandoned her own career to raise a family. Her husband is now leaving her to marry a white woman. Gloria (Loretta Devine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin (Gregory Hines). The women share their stories over lunches and conversations at Gloria's salon. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Directed By
- Forest Whitaker
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
R,
- In Theaters
- Dec 22, 1995 Wide
- Studio
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Never escapes the queasy aura of Melrose Place: just another story about beautiful people with small problems.
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Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
A pleasant if undemanding piece of work that is diverting to sit through though it won't stand up to any kind of rigorous examination.
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Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
With one possible exception, none of its women is at all likable.
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Susan Stark, Detroit News
For all the pleasure there is in seeing effective, great-looking black women grappling with major life issues on screen, Waiting to Exhale is an uneven piece.
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James Berardinelli, ReelViews
With the exception of Bernadine, I never felt anything for the women populating this film, as they failed to capture my interest or sympathy.
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Cast
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Whitney Houston
as Savannah Jackson
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Angela Bassett
as Bernadine Harris
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Loretta Devine
as Gloria Johnson
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Lela Rochon
as Robin Stokes
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Gregory Hines
as Marvin
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Dennis Haysbert
as Kenneth
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Michael Beach
as John Sr.
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Wren T. Brown
as Minister
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Starletta DuPois
as Savannah's Mother
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Giancarlo Esposito
as Tarik's Father (uncredited)
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Donald Faison
as Tarik
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Leon
as Russell
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Wendell Pierce
as Michael
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Wesley Snipes
as James (uncredited)
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Mykelti Williamson
as Troy
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Lamont Johnson
as Joseph
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Ezra Swerdlow
as Wild Bill
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Graham Galloway
as Fireman
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Brandon Hammond
as John Jr.
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Jeffrey D. Sams
as Lionel
