Cheated on, mistreated and stepped on, the women are holding their breath, waiting for the elusive "good man" to break a string of less-than-stellar lovers. Friends and confidants Vannah, Bernie, Glo and Robin talk it all out, determined to find a better way to breathe.
The male-bashing taken to an extreme in Waiting to Exhale is starting to seem a little like crack for the female psyche, exhilarating in the short term but ultimately crippling and dangerous.
– Joan Walsh,
Salon.com,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
This sister-celebratory adaptation of Terry McMillan's best-selling book is frequently delightful.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
You want the movie to stomp and rejoice and cry like a fool; instead it meanders and lollygags, occasionally flaring up, then sputtering again.
– Edward Guthmann,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
A pleasant if undemanding piece of work that is diverting to sit through though it won't stand up to any kind of rigorous examination.
– Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb 2001
rotten:
Never escapes the queasy aura of Melrose Place: just another story about beautiful people with small problems.