Waiting to Exhale (1995)
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Four friends in Phoenix navigate the complexities of love and life while supporting one another.
The story
The story centers on four women living in the Phoenix metropolitan area and their relationships with men and one another. The four friends—Savannah, Robin, Bernadine, and Gloria—get together frequently to support one another and listen to each other vent about life and love. Each woman desires a romantic relationship but faces unique obstacles in finding a suitable partner. Savannah is a successful producer dealing with a married lover, Bernadine is a mother struggling with a crumbling marriage, Robin is a high-powered executive who is a mistress, and Gloria is a single mother trying to balance her personal life with her business.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Four friends—Savannah, Robin, Bernadine, and Gloria—living in Phoenix support each other while navigating their respective romantic struggles. Savannah, a television producer, eventually realizes her married lover will not leave his wife and decides to find a man who loves her for herself. Bernadine, who sacrificed her catering dreams for her husband, is devastated when he leaves her for a coworker; she eventually wins a divorce settlement and finds a new path. Robin, a high-powered executive and mistress, ends her affair and faces the challenges of finding a new partner, eventually becoming a single mother. Gloria, a single mother, navigates the revelation of her ex-husband's sexuality and finds love with a new neighbor, Marvin, while learning to be less protective of her son. Ultimately, all four women find resolutions to their personal conflicts and move forward in their lives.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Forest Whitaker
- Writers
- Terry McMillan · screenplay; Ronald Bass · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Whitney Houston · Savannah "Vannah" Jackson; Angela Bassett · Bernadine "Bernie" Harris; Loretta Devine · Gloria "Glo" Matthews; Lela Rochon · Robin Stokes; Gregory Hines · Marvin King; Dennis Haysbert · Kenneth Dawkins; Mykelti Williamson · Troy; Michael Beach · John Harris Sr.
- Genres
- romantic comedy-drama
- Themes
- female friendship; romance; self-discovery
- Tone and mood
- romantic; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- ensemble cast; female-led
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan
- Reception
- The film was a box office success but received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its portrayal of African-American women and others criticizing its pacing and script.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 56% · scale: percentage · review count: 34
- Production trivia
- The film was a box office success, opening at number one at the North American box office.; The soundtrack was certified 7x platinum by the RIAA.; The film was compared to Sex and the City in a 2025 review.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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