Who directed the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale?

Who directed the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale? Forest Whitaker directed it. The romantic comedy-drama marked Whitaker’s feature-film directorial debut and starred Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon.

The film adapts Terry McMillan’s 1992 novel about four women living in the Phoenix metropolitan area and navigating friendship, romance, marriage, and independence. Whitaker directed the project while also helping shape a film centered on four Black women, an unusually prominent ensemble for a major studio release at the time.

Waiting to Exhale opened on December 22, 1995, through 20th Century Fox. It became a box-office success despite mixed critical reviews. Houston’s role as Savannah Jackson was especially notable because it expanded her screen career after her debut in The Bodyguard.

A common mix-up is confusing the director with the film’s music contributors. Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds composed the score and produced the soundtrack, while Terry McMillan co-wrote the screenplay adaptation. The soundtrack became a major success in its own right, featuring Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” and reaching number one on the Billboard 200.