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IMDbPro

Waiting to Exhale

  • 19951995
  • RR
  • 2h 4m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
11K
YOUR RATING
Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Theatrical Trailer from 20th Century Fox
Play trailer2:43
1 Video
37 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
Based on Terry McMillan's novel, this film follows four very different African-American women and their relationships with men.Based on Terry McMillan's novel, this film follows four very different African-American women and their relationships with men.Based on Terry McMillan's novel, this film follows four very different African-American women and their relationships with men.
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
11K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Forest Whitaker
  • Writers
    • Terry McMillan(novel)
    • Ron Bass(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Whitney Houston
    • Angela Bassett
    • Loretta Devine
  • Director
    • Forest Whitaker
  • Writers
    • Terry McMillan(novel)
    • Ron Bass(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Whitney Houston
    • Angela Bassett
    • Loretta Devine
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 62User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 10 nominations

    Videos1

    Waiting To Exhale
    Trailer 2:43
    Watch Waiting To Exhale

    Photos37

    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Whitney Houston at an event for Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)
    Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale (1995)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Whitney Houston
    Whitney Houston
    • Savannah
    Angela Bassett
    Angela Bassett
    • Bernadine
    Loretta Devine
    Loretta Devine
    • Gloria
    Lela Rochon
    Lela Rochon
    • Robin
    Gregory Hines
    Gregory Hines
    • Marvin
    Dennis Haysbert
    Dennis Haysbert
    • Kenneth
    Mykelti Williamson
    Mykelti Williamson
    • Troy
    Michael Beach
    Michael Beach
    • John, Sr.
    Leon
    Leon
    • Russell
    Wendell Pierce
    Wendell Pierce
    • Michael
    Donald Faison
    Donald Faison
    • Tarik
    • (as Donald Adeosun Faison)
    Jeffrey D. Sams
    Jeffrey D. Sams
    • Lionel
    Jazz Raycole
    Jazz Raycole
    • Onika
    Brandon Hammond
    Brandon Hammond
    • John, Jr.
    Kenya Moore
    Kenya Moore
    • Denise
    Lamont Johnson
    • Joseph
    Wren T. Brown
    Wren T. Brown
    • Minister
    Theo Mizuhara
    • On Air D.J.
    • (as Theo)
    • Director
      • Forest Whitaker
    • Writers
      • Terry McMillan(novel) (screenplay)
      • Ron Bass(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the car burning scene, Angela Bassett's monologue was completely improvised.
    • Goofs
      Gloria's right earring appears and disappears during her conversation with her ex-husband about their son.
    • Quotes

      Fireman: Ma'am, were you aware that your car was on fire?

      [Bernadine nods her head while smoking a cigarette]

      Fireman: Ma'am, did you start this fire?

      [she puffs smoke and plainly looks at him]

      Fireman: You know, it's against the law to burn anything except trash in your yard.

      Bernadine Harris: [flicks off ashes from her cigarette] It is trash.

      Fireman: Look, this is a nice area. Luckily, a neighbor cared enough. Listen, the next time you want to burn something...

      Bernadine Harris: It won't happen again.

      [she shuts the door in his face]

    • Connections
      Featured in Whitney Houston: Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
      Performed by Whitney Houston

      Written by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds (as Babyface)

      Produced by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds (as Babyface) for Ecaf Productions

      Whitney Houston appears courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

    User reviews62

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Don't Exhale Just Yet
    I have the video of this movie and it grew on me as time passed. 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. However, the movie would not have been watchable without the formidable talents of Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine. I felt that they really were Bernadine and Gloria -- even their smallest gestures were in tune with their characters. I don't have the words to describe what fine actors these ladies are and their skills are right up there with Debra Winger, Holly Hunter, Alfre Woodard and others.

    Gloria seemed to be the only moral woman in the lot. She was adorable as an overweight, insecure no-nonsense business woman and mother. She didn't think she was worthy of love because of her weight, but she was the only one who found it (and deserved it). She was the only one who didn't sleep around, wasn't a man basher, set a good example for her son, and gave good advice to her girlfriends. The other three could learn a lot from her. Loretta Devine has a really beautiful face -- look past the weight and for those of you who judge people by such things, her skin color. She has wonderfully expressive eyes and attractive features. I think it was noteworthy that Gregory Hines' character saw her real beauty and responded to it. 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 is the total package --- beauty and talent. Her character wasn't perfect but Bernadine did take responsibility for the mistakes she made in her life. 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. She was little more than a tearaway that slept around and made dumb choices. 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. She was obviously beautiful and decently educated but she lacked common sense and had never really gotten over her betrayal by a man she had really loved. Her mother was a cancer survivor and her father suffered from advance Alzheimer's disease. I don't feel they rounded out this character at all and she didn't seem like an actual person. Just a cute slut who wondered why she got used by men.

    Poor Whitney has no acting skills whatsoever! 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. Its a shame because Savannah should have been played by someone like Angela Bassett or Kimberly Elise (although she might have been too young). The character had to tell us she was smart -- in a phone conversation with her mother she said "I'm smart, I'm a good person and I work hard." Thank goodness she told us because we sure wouldn't have known otherwise. She has sex with a man she doesn't like at all and doesn't even know well and then has an affair with a married man and calls him scum! She has poor conversational skills, doesn't really seem interested in her friends'problems and preferred to roll her big eyes and act as if she were so above whatever little difficulties they were going through. Savannah would be such a waste of time for any man unless she took a long hard look at herself. 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?
    helpful•17
    8
    • gwitherspoon
    • Jul 27, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 1995 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bir oh desem
    • Filming locations
      • Hermosa Inn - 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $16,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $67,052,156
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $14,126,927
      • Dec 25, 1995
    • Gross worldwide
      • $81,452,156
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 4 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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