A surprise Hollywood hit, this film is based on the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan and centers on four well-to-do African-American women and their relationships with men and one another. All of them are "holding their breath" until the day they can feel comfortable in a committed relationship with a man. Robin (Lela Rochon) is the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon), who keeps reneging on his promise to leave his wife for her. She dumps him to find a man she can have to herself, but her dates with a reliable but unattractive business partner (Wendell Pierce) and a drug addict (Mykelti Williamson) send her back to Russell. Savannah (Whitney Houston) is a successful television producer who also believes that her married lover Kenneth (Dennis Haysbert) will leave his wife. Bernadine (Angela Bassett) is a wealthy woman who abandoned her own career to raise a family. Her husband is now leaving her to marry a white woman. Gloria (Loretta Devine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin (Gregory Hines). The women share their stories over lunches and conversations at Gloria's salon. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Review
Forrest Whitaker's film version of Terry McMillan's best-seller about the romantic woes of four African-American women is an entertaining soap opera. Each of these middle- to upper-middle-class women (Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine) have reason to bewail the quality of men they've been involved with, and here they give vent to their anger. Whitaker's film gives these women plenty of room to stretch out, some might say too much. The film has some wonderful moments, such as Bassett burning her rich husband's clothes when he dumps her, and some hilarious riffs on their various boyfriends' sexual peccadillos, but there are also swatches of banality that could easily have been cut. None of the relationships of the women are probed in depth, and, appropriately, most of the male characters exist only to illustrate a point. Among the few exceptions is Gregory Hines, who has a nice turn as a laid-back handyman who hooks up with Devine. Despite their problems with men, the film is really a backhanded tribute to both the independence and sustaining friendship of these four women. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Marc Fisichella - Art Director, Caron K - Associate Producer, Jaki Brown-Karman - Casting, Judy Ruskin - Costume Designer, Joseph Ray - First Assistant Director, Caron K - First Assistant Director, Forest Whitaker - Director, Richard Chew - Editor, Ronald Bass - Executive Producer, Terry McMillan - Executive Producer, Kenneth Edmonds - Composer (Music Score), Tim Chau - Musical Direction/Supervision, Kirk R. Gardner - Camera Operator, David Gropman - Production Designer, Toyomichi Kurita - Cinematographer, Ezra Swerdlow - Producer, Deborah Schindler - Producer, Michael Foxworthy - Set Designer, Ronald Bass - Screenwriter, Terry McMillan - Screenwriter
The movie is notable for having an all-black cast. The success of the film proved that there is an audience for black movies. The LA Times called it a "social phenomenon".[2]
Savannah Jackson (Whitney Houston) is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover (Dennis Haysbert) will leave his wife for her. Bernadine Harris (Angela Bassett) abandoned her own career and desires of having a catering business to raise a family. Her husband (Michael Beach) is now leaving her for a white woman. Robin Stokes (Lela Rochon) is a high powered executive and the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon Robinson). After dumping him she has problems finding a decent man of her own. Gloria Matthews (Loretta Devine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son (Donald Faison). After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King (Gregory Hines).
The soundtrack to the film featured many African-American female artists. The #1 hit song "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", sung by Whitney Houston, is on the soundtrack to this film, as well as the Top 5 singles "Not Gon' Cry" by Mary J. Blige, "Sittin Up In My Room" by Brandy, and the Top 10 single "Count On Me" by Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans.
Houston's role in the film bore a resemblance to the character she played in the music video to her single "Saving All My Love for You" - a woman having an affair with a married man.
Forest Whitaker stated in an interview with Ebony Magazine that Robin Givens and Halle Berry were among the women who auditioned for the role of Robin. After casting Houston and Bassett, he decided to go with relative unknowns for the other two roles, and the role of Robin was subsequently given to Lela Rochon.[citation needed]
Although Whitaker had earlier directed an HBO drama called Strapped (1993) for which he received Best New Director honors at the Toronto Film Festival this film was his first job directing a full-length feature film.
The movie has been featured in the All Singing, All Dancing episode of The Simpsons, where the family were put on hold for it but were told "not to hold their breath".
The scene where Bernadine sets her husbands' personal belongings and car on fire was referenced in an episode of The Steve Harvey Show. Lydia's character becomes angry with "Bullethead" and throws his personal effects out of their shared locker. She is about to set them on fire with a lighter, and states "I'm about to go Angela Bassett and I don't have any lighter fluid."
The songs "It Might Be You" (by Roberta Flack) and "I'm Gonna Make You My Wife" (by The Whispers) were both played in the movie, but were not included on the soundtrack.
^ Dutka, Elaine. "The Money's Where the Action Is; Movies: Big budgets and special effects push the film industry to yet another record performance". Los Angeles Times. May 22, 2006. December 31, 1996.
