Honestly, I didn't hate this movie as much as most others on here, but it does have some considerable flaws. Now first off, I'm usually not one of those race baiting affirmative action types. But it struck me about half way through this movie that nobody we've met is Hispanic. Hello! Not even any minor characters. Seriously even in 1995 at least half of Arizona was Hispanic. Had to be. All of the main characters in this film however are black, and a few of the supporting cast is white, but that's it! And of course, the white people are generally bad, inconsequential, or not to be trusted. Anyway, about the plot....The story deals with four 30 something black women who cannot find a good man who isn't already married. Three of them at one point or another sleep with married men, two of them hoping that the married man will one day divorce their wives. Another woman's husband leaves her on New Year's Eve to be with his mistress after openly confessing the affair and his desire for their marriage to be over. But apparently the worst thing about that is the fact that his mistress is (gasp!) a white woman! In fact the wife (Bassett) seems more upset about that fact than anything. Since the concept of black men sleeping with and or settling down with white women is brought up more than once during the film in a negative way, one wonders how many men chose white women over author Terry McMillan. Maybe some of these black women might broaden their horizons and perhaps look for love outside their own skin color once in a while. Yet this film never even presents that as the slightest possibility for any of these characters.The film is never boring though, and has strong acting performances from most of the characters. The cast is full of easily recognizable faces and names. Even Leon from Madonna's Like a Prayer video has a role as one of the men in these women's lives. The film shows many different potential suitors for these ladies, but also gives most of them a fatal flaw why he cannot be husband material. 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. These women are very attractive, and the whole production feels like a big budget soap opera. Whitney Houston looks especially fine as this was made before Bobby Brown had her all strung out on crack. Antoine Fuqua's wife Lela Rochon is quite a site as well. Angela Bassett looks better in how Stella Got Her Groove Back. Her hair is just too short here after she cuts if off in a rage. And for all you in the audience who like a woman with meat on her bones, you'll love Loretta Devine. And her character seems the most grounded of the four. She doesn't chase after married men. She has enough trouble looking after her son. The film isn't great but I was never bored. And that isn't bad considering it lasts for two whole hours. Not a bad feature debut from director Forrest Whitaker. 6 of 10 stars.

Simply fabulous.I thought it was a great movie. I was completely empowered! It made me want to start my exes car on fire.Embrace your independence – watch this movie. (is great to watch with the scorned over glasses of wine and bon bons) It'll make you laugh, cry, get mad, and then plot getting even.I can waste a lot of your time telling you to see it, defending it from what others say about it, or just generally talking it up. But haven't you always wanted to see Angela Basset throw a fit? How bout cut her hair off?And who wouldn't want to watch Whitney act with humility. This is by far my favorite movie with Whitney - second, The Bodyguard - third, The Preachers Wife.

This is an absolutely wonderful movie. Waiting to Exhale stars Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon. This movie is about four women who find strength through their rare and special friendship. 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!! He told her this on New Year's Eve!! He's no gentleman there!), and got back at him. When I first saw the scene where she cleans out her husband's clothes closet (while throwing a screaming fit) and burns them in his car, I thought it was so funny. She really got back at him. There was another scene where she went to his workplace to talk to him by interrupting a meeting he was conducting, walking up to the white gal he's seeing, asks her if she can have a few minutes alone with him, and slapping her in the face in everyone's presence without waiting for an answer, and then goes off on him. Talk about getting revenge; she had guts!!! Gloria (Devine) was so sweet as the lady with her hairdressing place and trying to deal with her teenage son, and getting romantically involved with a man that moved in across the street. Robin and Savannah (Rochon and Houston) were the ones successful in business, but their love lives were down to almost nothing. I don't care what anyone thinks of this movie. It is truly worth watching. I think Whitney Houston was marvelous in her role as Savannah. 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. I DO NOT like the track done by TLC (Track 6: This is How it Works). That is an inappropriate song to listen to. I know what the lyrics of that song describe, and I won't get into it. Anyway, get this movie and prepare yourself for some laughter and a few tears here and there. If you want to get the soundtrack, too, that is fine. But don't try to get hooked on the TLC track, though!

I was actually an extra in this movie and had a quite a fun time hanging out w/the cast/crew. I had an opportunity to be at several of the locations for days of filming and it was a lot of work. You don't realize what a day of filming entitles until you actually do it and I was just an extra. I was more interested in the process of the film making than being on camera so it was a great opportunity. I even got "spoiled" and met a lot of the cast and drove around in the SUV's that are for the main cast...fun stuff! I think over all the movie was to enjoy for fun. I think the basis of the friendships were the most important aspect of the film. That through all the craziness of men in their lives they were still there for one another.