Barnes & Noble

Fastidiously adapted from Terry McMillan's bestselling, award-winning novel, Waiting to Exhale is the quintessential African-American "chick flick." It revolves around four reasonably well-to-do southwestern suburbanites (Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon) afflicted with the same malady: an inexplicable inability to attract male partners willing to commit to long-term relationships. Exhale interweaves the stories of its quartet of protagonists as they unfold over a year's time. Pop diva Houston, not surprisingly, plays the film's most glamorous character, but her thesping is easily surpassed by that of Devine, whose earthy charm provides a welcome counterpoint to Whitney's theatricality. The meatiest role goes to Bassett, who displays considerable range under the direction of Forest Whitaker (Hope Floats). The male cast members, including Gregory Hines, Dennis Haysbert, Mykelti Williamson, and an unbilled Wesley Snipes, are equally effective, though not nearly as sympathetic. Whitaker disdains flashy narrative technique but painstakingly delineates his principal characters -- and makes us care about them. Attesting to the success of his approach was the subsequent appearance of several similarly themed imitations, none as popular (or as accomplished) as Waiting to Exhale. Kryssa Schemmerling

Barnes & Noble

Squabbling sisters Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox, and Nia Long supply dynamic performances to Soul Food, a heartwarming drama celebrating family values in the African-American community. At the film's emotional core is strong-willed Chicago matriarch Mother Joe (Irma P. Hall), whose extravagant Sunday dinners have been uniting family members for decades. But a long-simmering feud between oldest daughter Teri (Williams) and youngest daughter Bird (Long) flares up dramatically, threatening to split the clan apart. Then Mother Joe falls ill, and grandson Ahmad (Brandon Hammond) takes it upon himself to ease tensions by continuing the family tradition. First-time writer-director George Tillman Jr. juggles multiple subplots with admirable dexterity, and brings a wealth of keenly observed psychological detail to his characterizations of Mother Joe, the sisters, their respective spouses, and offspring. His facile manipulation of a multilayered story, coupled with the winning performances of a richly talented ensemble, makes Soul Food a particularly tasty dish. Tillman discusses the film in an audio commentary recorded for this Director's Edition DVD, which also includes a behind-the-scenes featurette and several music videos produced under the supervision of hip-hop impresario Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

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

Product Details

• UPC: 024543020165
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Time: 2:04:00
• Sales Rank: 6,657

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• It's a Love Thang

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