Waiting to Exhale

Plot synopsis:
"Friends are the People who let you be yourself—and Never let you forget it"
Waiting to Exhale is a story about four African-American women—Savannah, Robin, Bernadine, and Gloria—who go through different stages of love and life.
Savannah "’Vannah" Jackson is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover will leave his wife for her. She later comes to find that he will never leave his wife and she must find her own man who will love her for her.
Bernadine "Bernie" Harris abandons her own career dreams and desire of having a catering business to raise a family, and support her husband, who leaves her for a white woman.
Robin Stokes is a high-powered executive and the long-time mistress of married Russell. She has problems finding a decent man of her own after dumping him.
Gloria "Glo" Matthews is a beauty salon owner and single mother. After years alone, and finding out that her ex-husband, who is also the father of her son, has come out of the closet as bisexual, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King.
The four friends get together to provide support, listen to each other vent about life and love, and have fun, as they go through life's trials and tribulations.
Savannah ends up dumping her married lover for good. Bernadine gets a large divorce settlement from her ex-husband and moved on to a single father who lost his wife. He encourages Bernie to pursue her catering dreams
Robin ends up pregnant by her married lover, but dumps him and decides to raise the baby on her own.
Gloria lets her son go on the "Up With People" trip to Spain and apologizes to her neighbor for snapping at him when he suggested that she should let her son grow up and experience the world.

Tags: revenge

Review:
This movie (while have some "man-bashing" elements) is more about the friendship of four strong real black women who represent a little part of most women in society.
It's nice to see that black women had a movie about them, and thanks to the star power of Whitney Houston it became no.1 and was a big hit.
I am actually tired of reading little comments saying that Whitney isn't that good of an actress because all of those comments are based on the fact that she's a singer.
While this movie truly is bound to be more appealing to women than men, it is a touching story of four best friends.
So all I know is I love this movie, and every time I watch it, it gives me great pleasure.
It's not a great movie but it is enjoyable and as has been pointed out by others, it feels good to see a movie about women of color for a change.
Angela Bassett as Bernadine, Lela Rochon as Robin; Loretta Devine as Gloria; could not have been better casted, if the movie were done over a thousand times!Unfortunately Terry MacMillan allowed the project to get too commercial, thus compromising her craft!
(Maybe I should watch 'Homeward Bound' again, as I LOVED that movie the first time I saw it) The only actress really to impress in this movie is of course the amazing Angela Bassett who growls and hisses every chance she gets!
The other character I liked was the one played by Loretta Devine, who was cute as the overweight mother who unexpectedly falls in love.
This film brought me to tears not because it was so emotional I had to cry but being a Black man and a working actor making a living for 20 + years, It was the first time a big budget, well shot, well acted (Whitney is still weak at times), well directed film about "most" black lives got a big theatrical release.
It's nice to know that someone has made a movie with four strong, independent African-American women.
Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine, as well as the supporting cast, are all talented and do commendable jobs.
However, as Leonard Maltin said it so beautifully, this film ultimately reminds one too much of the easy listening jazz that plays under nearly every scene."Waiting To Exhale" had the potential to be an interesting movie.
Unfortunately, in the end, the movie is a repetitive drone.It tells the story of four African-American females (played by Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Loretta Divine, and Lela Rochon) as they struggle to find the men in life that can satisfy there needs.
The only problem, in the world of this movie, men are nothing but complete ass-holes who wouldn't know the word "feelings" if they looked it up in the dictionary.
It's not great, it's not bad, but it's frustrating to watch, and the fact that I'm of the male persuasion undoubtedly had something to do with it.Now, let me be the first to say that I did enjoy seeing a group of strong black women portrayed onscreen.
Both Savannah and Robin manage to find themselves involved with the most shady characters (a married man and a dope fiend, respectively), yet they complain about the lack of good men out there.
The sad thing is that there are fellas out there who have little to no regard for women ("the scum of the f__king earth", to quote Savannah), and women who fall for fellas like that for the most silly, shallow reasons.If it wasn't for Bassett, Devine, and Babyface's score, this movie would barely be watchable.
Angela Bassett was brilliant in her portrayal of an angry, heart broken wife, whilst Whitney Housten seems rather emotionless throughout the film- and no i'm not only saying this because she's a singer.Furthermore, i don't understand why all black movies have to include such explicit sex!
However, unlike the book which also deals with the sisterhood of Black women, the movie becomes a long "Men are pigs" tirade that gets weary after a while.
Overall, Waiting to Exhale, is basically a sorely-needed bonding movie for African-American women that, while a little biased, is good escapist fun..
This film is simply about a bunch of women who pick men who's behaviors they claim to hate & then spend the rest of their time complaining about them.
It feels good to see a movie about women of color for a change.
His character was a decent, good man and I'm glad this was addressed in the movie.Angela Bassett has always been one of my favorite actors.
His character was a decent, good man and I'm glad this was addressed in the movie.Angela Bassett has always been one of my favorite actors.
She was so much better off without that reprehensible excuse for a husband in her life - she could now start her catering business, she had a possible new love in her future and she had good friends that would always be there for her.
She was so much better off without that reprehensible excuse for a husband in her life - she could now start her catering business, she had a possible new love in her future and she had good friends that would always be there for her.
I was as happy for her as if I were really one of her girlfriends when things turned out well for her in the end.Lela Rochon didn't display any acting talent here and wasn't quite up to the job of conveying Robin's vulnerability and immaturity.
I was as happy for her as if I were really one of her girlfriends when things turned out well for her in the end.Lela Rochon didn't display any acting talent here and wasn't quite up to the job of conveying Robin's vulnerability and immaturity.
In the book, you realized that Robin had a lot of love to give a man and didn't seem to know how to choose a good one to bestow it on.
In the book, you realized that Robin had a lot of love to give a man and didn't seem to know how to choose a good one to bestow it on.
Every character she attempts to portray is exactly the same -- Whitney Houston being well groomed, pretending to be well spoken and classy, and looking cow eyed at whatever male actor she is paired with.
Every character she attempts to portray is exactly the same -- Whitney Houston being well groomed, pretending to be well spoken and classy, and looking cow eyed at whatever male actor she is paired with.
She deserved to be by herself at the end.This movie might have been better with a female director, as Forest Whitaker didn't "tell this story" properly at all.
We ended up not liking or caring about the characters because we really didn't get a strong sense of who they were.Also, was it me, or was everything in this movie either orange or blue?.
We ended up not liking or caring about the characters because we really didn't get a strong sense of who they were.Also, was it me, or was everything in this movie either orange or blue?.
this movie and its story are quite good on the whole..........Ms Bassett is the leading and the best actress,for sure.I get her character.she's beautiful and I guess she's blown people away with her beauty and the EASE WITH WHICH SHE FASCINATES.Ms HOUSTON IS NOT TO NEGLECT NEITHER.She looks natural in this one.And despite her little experience as far as her actress career is concerned,she is good even though her story is a bit common .Loretta is divine!Anyways,this motion picture is merely good.There's nothing amazing.And it don't stand out from all the other movies.the only thing that makes me stick to the screen is the complicity and the crude humor on men of the four ladies!.
In the end, as became my lesson in life, the movie is about four different women dealing with male problems in different ways.
So, watching this movie some two decades after going through a healing process, I could laugh at the realities that were portrayed while celebrating that being alive leads us through various situations because we are indeed different as men and women.
What some fail to realize is that although this seems to be a "Male Bashing convention", it in fact accurately portrays what has become very common outcomes of a lot of relationships now-a-days.Now, I don't say that just men cheat or are all in all bad people, but the fact remains that there are a ton of situations just like the ones in this movie.
I feel that these situations are very well shown in this movie.The movie in my opinion shows motivation and support to those that are in situations like these, that you don't have to be miserable and you CAN be strong and pull yourself together and "Exhale" instead of putting yourself in a stressful environment feeling unable to take another breath.Yes, there may be characters that may are a bit extreme, but there are also plenty of people in this world the exact same way.I do agree with ones previous comment portraying the image that if it were a black woman he cheated on her with, it would be OK was a bit too far, but then again, there are still those that still to this day are against other races.
I thought it a very good movie and motivational to people on the outside in these types of situations..
It is a non stop male bashfest.Wear a fire proof suit to this drivel guys.The acting was bad.The story was ludicrous.Every scene was basically the same.A conversation among several women about how bad men suck.So, if you're feminist or a man hater you will love this gem.Whitney Houston was my favorite plastic statue in this one.I like Hale Berry but she never should have got roped into this.I'd love to have those 90 minutes back of my life.Please..
Her first thought was probably to burn him, but she felt that burning his things would be better, particularly since he'd be alive to suffer.I was generally disappointed by the film and frustrated by the characters.
The plot is pure soap opera, the lives and loves of our 4 women, however it is still involving as the four stories all have strengths as well as weaknesses.
I watched the movie before i read the book and it may be the reason why i loved the movie so much.Sure Whitney's acting could have been better but she managed to do a pretty decent job overall.
The image of Black men in the movie is very negative but in a sens it pushed to be the exact opposite so it kinda shaped my vision and my life, and "deepend" my love of black women.Some parts of the movie are just so classic like the break up between Robin and troy on the balcony and the soundtrack at that moment was some kind of a symphony..anyways great great movie ..
Directed by Forest Whitaker and adapted from a smash best selling novel by Terry McMillan, WAITING TO EXHALE is a glossy, but one-sided look at the relationship between four strong black women and the various men in their lives.
Whitney Houston made an impressive film debut as Savannah, an ambitious television executive caught in a dead-end affair with a married man (Dennis Haysbert).
Angela Basset does Oscar-worthy work as Bernadine, a woman who has spent her life being the best wife and mother she knows how to be, who has her world rocked when her wealthy husband (Michael Beach) calmly announces one night before a formal dinner party that he's in love with someone else and wants a divorce.
If you can accept the fact that in the world of these four women, all men are pigs, then this film can be very entertaining but the top-notch performances by the cast cannot be overlooked..
While the movie is supposed to highlight the women, and have males as supporting characters, the plot so demonized the men that even the "nice" men such as Gregory Hines and Wesley Snipes seem entirely out of place and more token goodness than believeable characters.
Why the director didn't see this, I don't know.Weak film, waste of acting talent by wonderful actresses like Angela Bassett, and a brutal waste of an excellent soundtrack by Babyface.4/10.
I thought that Savannah (Whitney Houston - THE BODYGUARD), Bernadine (Angela Bassett - WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT), Robin (Lela Rochon - BOOMERANG), and Gloria (Loretta Devine - THE PREACHER'S WIFE) looked very beautiful in their fancy dresses.
I thought that Angela Bassett's performance was just as good as it was in WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT.
Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say, "When I said that this was a sweet, funny, tear-jerking, heartwarming, touching, and romantic movie, I only cried on the inside." Now, in conclusion, if you are a fan of Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, or Loretta Devine, I recommend this movie.
All of the main characters in this film however are black, and a few of the supporting cast is white, but that's it!
Anyway, about the plot....The story deals with four 30 something black women who cannot find a good man who isn't already married.
By the end of the film, only two of the four seem to have found good men, while the other two have at least come to their senses about the men they liked best.
The acting in this film is phenomenal, especially on the part of Angela Bassett who always does an amazing job (see What's Love Got To Do With It).
Looking for love in all the wrong places"Waiting to Exhaled" depicts four black females who have special friendships.
The movie shows each one of the women trying to find true love.
Each character has a different situation going on in her life as they are trying to find true love and happiness.
The first character named Bernadine (Angela Bassett) was married until her husband left her for his white secretary.
Robin (Lela Rochon), the third character, has a relationship with a married man.
Savannah (Whitney Houston), the last woman, had a mother who was trying to make sure her daughter's life is not without a man.
I did not like that these women seem to have to think that married men were the answer to finding happiness.
This film used very beautiful black women as their characters.
It covers every situation: The unworthy co-worker, The drug-addict boyfriend, the gay husband, the cheating husband, the married man, the New Years fling, the sweet attractive neighbor, the teenage son....but most importantly, it show how women react and deal with the lies, the cheating, and the friendships between both men AND women...and how to survive from that.Any woman who has ever gone through a relationship can relate to this movie, regardless of race, situation, or age.
You will want to scream, cry and laugh throughout the whole movie, and I can guarantee that every woman has got a little Angela Bassett in her, especially when she rips through her ex-husbands belongings.Two thumbs up...A definite must-see for any woman with a wounded heart..
Well, what a nice way to put a movie together about the lives of four African-American Women.
With Whitney's business minded and Basset's strong, no mess taking characters, you can't help but to love the movie.
This is probably Whitney's best performance, and I recommend this movie to anyone, male or female of age.
The movie is not focused on bashing on degrading men, but on the empowerment of women.
Many women can use a movie like this to give them the strength to leave unhealthy situations, such as cheating husbands..
I read the book when I was about 15 or 16 and I liked it, but I really love the movie, maybe because I see it less as a reflection of the book and more as a kind of extension.
The next time you watch it, just look for the humorous aspects (even in the serious scenes) and believe me, you will better appreciate this movie..
If you know black people, especially black women, this is a very entertaining, realistic and adult movie.
So I finally got around to watching "Waiting to Exhale" on Encore the other night and I don't understand why this became a hit.(Note: spoilers ahead) As far as I can tell, the basic premise of this film is that all men are insensitive, callous and unfeeling; especially towards women.Okay, well and good.
Of course all the women are fantastically beautiful; you wouldn't put up with this movie if they looked like real, every-day women.
The saddest thing about the movie is how beautiful Whitney Houston used to be before drugs and her husband ruined her..
I thought It was a great movie, although it is a lot of sleeping with other women husband that are taken, we all have to be honest, this goes on a lot in reality.
One fairly long scene in one of the characters' living room in which they all state their opinions of men flabbergasted me; why would any self-respecting man WANT any of these whining, narcissistic victims in the first place?
It's interesting to me that when films like this come out portraying women in the same way, there's quite a brouhaha; when the tables get turned, it's "groundbreaking.".
Waiting to Exhale stars Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon.
One woman, Bernadine (Bassett) thought she had love in her life until she found out from her husband that he was leaving her for a white woman (Whoa, hello!!
The soundtrack album to this movie is okay; I only like the Whitney tracks, especially the first one Exhale (Shoop, Shoop), which has a neat easy listening sound to it.