Waiting to Exhale (1995) A romantic drama film directed by Forest Whitaker and based on Terry McMillan’s best-selling novel. It follows the intertwined lives of four African-American women in Phoenix, Arizona, as they navigate love, heartbreak, friendship, and self-discovery. The story centers on Savannah (Whitney Houston), a successful TV producer waiting for the right man; Bernadine (Angela Bassett), who faces betrayal when her husband leaves her for a white woman; Robin (Lela Rochon), a beaut