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Waiting to Exhale
1995 127 min United States of America R 16+
★6.2
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: Forest Whitaker
🎭 Based on
«Waiting to Exhale»
byTerry McMillan
Trailers
Description
Cheated on, mistreated and stepped on, the women are holding their breath, waiting for the elusive "good man" to break a string of less-than-stellar lovers. Friends and confidants Vannah, Bernie, Glo and Robin talk it all out, determined to find a better way to breathe.
Budget:
$16M
US Gross:
$67.05M
Worldwide:
$81.45M
Starring
Whitney Houston
Actor
Angela Bassett
Actor
Loretta Devine
Actor
Awards
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1996
— Breakthrough of the Year
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1996
— Best Original Song
Key opinion
Waiting to Exhale is a character-driven drama that offers a refreshing, dignified portrait of Black womanhood, diverging from stereotypical cinematic depictions of poverty and violence. While some viewers praise its emotional depth and relatable performances, others find the production quality and thematic focus on romantic conflict to be reminiscent of a polished soap opera.
| Acting | Angela Bassett delivers a powerful performance that stands out as a focal point of the film's emotional intensity. | |
| Theme | The film succeeds as a sophisticated departure from common genre tropes by centering on the personal growth and ordinary burdens of its four female protagonists. | |
| Direction | Forest Whitaker's directorial debut avoids becoming tedious, maintaining enough engagement to hold the viewer's attention throughout. | |
| Production | The aesthetic presentation and focus on complex romantic entanglements lean heavily into the tropes of a high-budget soap opera. |