Waiting to Exhale

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2:39

Waiting to Exhale

R

1995

2h 1m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Navigating through careers, family and romance, four friends bond over the shortcomings in their love lives -- namely, the scarcity of good men. Both as the "other woman," Savannah (Whitney Houston) and Robin (Lela Rochon) carry on relationships with married men, each believing their lovers will leave their wives for them. On the flip side, Bernadine (Angela Bassett) ends up alone when her husband divorces her for his mistress. Meanwhile, Gloria (Loretta Devine) finds love with a new neighbor.

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Critics Consensus

Waiting to Exhale looks at life's ups and downs from an underseen perspective -- albeit one that's poorly served by uneven acting and a sporadically interesting story.

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Geoff Brown

The Times (UK)

The film, based on Terry McMillan's novel, no doubt began with higher ambitions than magazine fiction to be read under a hairdrier: but its development is so bald and the colors so glossy that magazine fiction is the result.

Dec 20, 2023

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Hugo Davenport

Daily Telegraph (UK)

It comes across as a bland buppie soap opera, with scant storyline outside the shortcomings of a series of more or less useless, unattractive, unreliable or married men.

Dec 20, 2023

Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

Glutinous but pseudo-feminist.

Dec 20, 2023

Full Review

Sheila Reid

Women in the Life

Director Forest Whitaker deserves a huge round of applause for bringing this overbloated story to the big screen screen in a succinct yet heartwarming manner.

May 13, 2022

Full Review

Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

I did enjoy watching this. It wasn't painful.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 31, 2020

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Tatiana Albandos

Medium Popcorn

This soundtrack is bomb.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 31, 2020

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Geoff M

There's less context than in McMillan's novel, and more lingerie. But the theme of (black) women searching for acceptance and empowerment is equally strong, especially in Angela Bassett's gale-force performance as Bernadine.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Funny in 2 hours and 1 minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $64,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

Full Review

terraingirl

This movie is not for kids. If you are not smart, mature and have experienced real life you will feel out of place. Absolutely love this movie. Get your friends together and sit down for a heartwarming in your face fun time with dangerous love, betrayal and acceptance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/28/22

Full Review

Audience Member

A great classic film

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/20

Full Review

Audience Member

Love, love, love this movie! I would watch it a couple times a month if I owned it. Love Loretta Devine!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

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Forest Whitaker

Director

Whitney Houston

Savannah 'Vannah' Jackson

Angela Bassett

Bernadine 'Bernie' Harris

Lela Rochon

Robin Stokes

Loretta Devine

Gloria 'Glo' Matthews

Gregory Hines

Marvin King

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Waiting to Exhale: Trailer 1

2:39

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Synopsis

Navigating through careers, family and romance, four friends bond over the shortcomings in their love lives -- namely, the scarcity of good men. Both as the "other woman," Savannah (Whitney Houston) and Robin (Lela Rochon) carry on relationships with married men, each believing their lovers will leave their wives for them. On the flip side, Bernadine (Angela Bassett) ends up alone when her husband divorces her for his mistress. Meanwhile, Gloria (Loretta Devine) finds love with a new neighbor.

Director: Forest Whitaker
Producer: Deborah Schindler, Ezra Swerdlow
Screenwriter: Terry McMillan, Ronald Bass
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.2M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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