Waiting to Exhale

Waiting to Exhale follows four African American women in Phoenix whose friendships sustain them through repeated disappointment with the men in their lives. Savannah is a television producer involved with a man who will not leave his wife; Bernadine has devoted herself to her family and is blindsided when her husband leaves her; Gloria runs a hair salon and raises a teenage son while doubting her own appeal; Robin is the attractive, perpetually hopeful one, entangled with a man who keeps postponing their future. Their conversations, spread across several New Year's Eves, tie the stories together as each woman weighs what she wants against what she is offered.

The film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel, with McMillan writing the screenplay alongside Ronald Bass. It was the second feature directed by Forest Whitaker, following Strapped, and it arrived before Hope Floats and First Daughter. Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon lead a cast of 47 credited performers, among them Gregory Hines and Dennis Haysbert.

Made for a modest 16 million dollars, the film took about 81 million worldwide, a strong return. Audiences give it 6 out of 10 on IMDb, based on roughly 14,000 votes, and 6.2 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller sample. A critics' rating of 5.8 out of 10 from 34 reviews is close to the audience scores, suggesting broad agreement about the film's merits.