Waiting to Exhale made history when it premiered on Dec. 22, 1995, ushering in a cultural shift with its all-Black female ensemble cast starring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon. Directed by Forest Whitaker, the groundbreaking film followed four close friends as they navigated careers, family, and romance while bonding over the shortcomings in their love lives, most notably the scarcity of good men.
Savannah (Houston) and Robin (Rochon) both find themselves involved with married men, each believing their lovers will eventually leave their wives for them. Meanwhile, Bernadine (Bassett) is left devastated when her husband divorces her for his mistress. On a more hopeful note, Gloria (Devine) finds love with a new neighbor after losing her husband.
As the film celebrates its 30th anniversary, Bassett reflected on the powerful bond formed among the cast, both on and off screen. Looking back, she told People on Tuesday that she was deeply moved by the relationships they built during filming.
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“Just the camaraderie with the other ladies. Absolutely. That it was a first of its kind,” Bassett, who portrayed the iconic Bernadine Harris, told People ahead of the anniversary.
Angela Bassett says the film’s representation of Black women at the time was legendary.
At the time of its release, seeing Black women fully centered on screen—living rich, complicated lives filled with both triumphs and heartbreak—was rare in Hollywood. According to Bassett, Waiting to Exhale helped change that narrative.
The 67-year-old star described the film as a turning point in cinema, calling it a “landmark” project because it was “a story that centered women and Black women at that.”
Representation is one of the main reasons Bassett remains proud to have been part of the film.
“I mean, I think we were the first sort of chick flick, if you would. We were the first film that featured four women. Usually, it was you got the male lead, and he has his wife, his lover, his paramour, whatever.”
She added, “I’m very proud of that. It was very successful. And then you began to see more of that genre.”
Audiences were equally captivated by the on-screen chemistry of the four women. Upon its release, Waiting to Exhale debuted at No. 1 at the North American box office, earning $14.1 million in its opening weekend, according to Vocal Media. The film went on to gross $67.05 million domestically and $14.4 million internationally, for a total worldwide gross of more than $81.45 million, Box Office Mojo notes. It played in over 1,400 theaters at its widest release and ranked as the 26th highest-grossing film of 1995.
Reflecting on the power of the Forest Whitaker-directed film 30 years later, earlier this month, Devine told Gayle King during a Dec. 11 interview on CBS Mornings that she was amazed at how the film transcended time and touched so many people far and wide, especially Black women.
“It makes Black women feel good about themselves,” Devine told King. “But that movie? Says, ‘You can be and do just about anything you dream of.’ And so that’s why it’s such a good movie for all young women, because all women need to feel like that.”
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