History Literature / WaitingToExhale

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: Justified almost every single time. Most guys are such assholes in this movie that it's a wonder why a sane woman would even bother give them any time of the day.

* LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek: A particularly egregious full-length example, but it still better than average.

* BreakUpBonfire: Bernadine gets dumped by her husband for another woman, despite the fact that she spent the last 11 years sacrificing her dreams of owning her own business to help him build his. Her reaction is to take his entire very expensive wardrobe, stuff it in his very expensive car, and set the whole shebang on fire. What she couldn't get in the car, she sells at a garage sale, at a dollar per item.

* BreakUpBonfire: Bernadine torching her husband's car that she filled with his expensive clothing is very extreme version of it. And a completely justified one.

* DefenestrateAndBerate: Bernadine gets dumped by her husband for another woman. This is after she's spent the last 11 years sacrificing her dreams of owning her own business to help him build his. Her reaction? Taking his entire very expensive wardrobe, stuffing it in his very expensive car and [[BreakUpBonfire setting the whole shebang on fire]]. And what she couldn't get in the car, she sells at a garage sale, at a dollar per item.

Also, Gloria's son Tariq. She is seen running from his room when Gloria catches them in a sexual act.

* SteppingStoneSpuse: Bernadine delays her own dreams to support John, working as his secretary even though she's way overqualified for the position. When the business finally starts to make good money, John refuses to hold up his end of the bargain (supporting Bernadine's start up venture), and instead leaves her for another woman.

* DefenestrateAndBerate: Bernadine gets dumped by her husband for another woman. This is after she's spent the last 11 years sacrificing her dreams of owning her own business to help him build his. Her reaction? Taking his entire very expensive wardrobe, stuffing it in his very expensive car and [[BreakUpBonfire setting the whole shebang on fire]]. And what she couldn't get in the car, she sold. For a dollar.

* ChickFlick: Subverted. The film is about women, but they are embittered, vengefu,l and disillusioned instead of all smiley and fluffy with BabiesEverAfter.

Savannah Jackson (Music/WhitneyHouston) is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover (Creator/DennisHaysbert) will leave his wife for her. Bernadine Harris (Creator/AngelaBassett) abandoned her own career and desires of having a catering business to raise a family. Her husband (Creator/MichaelBeach) is now leaving her for a white woman. Robin Stokes (Creator/LelaRochon) is a high powered executive and the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon Robinson). She has problems finding a decent man of her own, while waiting for Russell to leave his wife. Gloria Matthews (Creator/LorettaDevine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son (Creator/DonaldFaison) who is preparing to leave home and travel the world with Up With People. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King (Creator/GregoryHines).

* BreakUpBonfire: A very extreme version of it. And a completely justified one.
* BrosBeforeHoes: The whole [[AnAesop aesop]] of the film. Friendship and "sisterhood" are much better assets to a woman's life than being TheMistress of a married man who leads you on so as to have sex with another woman than his wife.
* ChickFlick: Subverted. About women but embittered, vengeful and disillusioned instead of all smiley and fluffy with BabiesEverAfter.

%%* DeathByWomanScorned: Almost all reactions to men's wrongdoings seem justified. But in all fairness, for some cases it is.%%% Nobody dies.

* TheFilmOfTheBook

Four Girl Ensemble: Savannah is the straight-laced, responsible one, Gloria is the Team Mom of the group, whom all the others come to for advice, Robin is the sexy, glamour-obsessed pretty one who Really Gets Around, and Bernadine is the Sweet, Naive One.
* HollywoodLaw: If you want to see how what Bernadine did to her husband's car would fly in real life, someone actually tried it a year later. Where Bernadine literally only got a verbal warning, the real incident resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in fines and five years of probation.

* KavorkaMan: Michael (played by Creator/WendellPierce) maybe an overweight, awkward, and nerdy looking fellow but he sure knows how to pull some attractive women. Managing to bed Robin, and is seen at the nightclub with another very sexy woman on his arm.
* LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek: A particularly egregious full-length example but it still better than average.

* NiceGuy: Marvin, especially compared to every other man in the story.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: A major part of Bernadine's rage is that her husband cheated on her with, of all people, a white woman.

Savannah Jackson (Music/WhitneyHouston) is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover (Creator/DennisHaysbert) will leave his wife for her. Bernadine Harris (Creator/AngelaBassett) abandoned her own career and desires of having a catering business to raise a family. Her husband (Creator/MichaelBeach) is now leaving her for a white woman. Robin Stokes (Creator/LelaRochon) is a high powered executive and the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon Robinson). She has problems finding a decent man of her own, while waiting for Russell to leave his wife. Gloria Matthews (Creator/LorettaDevine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son (Donald Faison) who is preparing to leave home and travel the world with Up With People. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King (Creator/GregoryHines).

Savannah Jackson (Music/WhitneyHouston) is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover (Creator/DennisHaysbert) will leave his wife for her. Bernadine Harris (Creator/AngelaBassett) abandoned her own career and desires of having a catering business to raise a family. Her husband (Michael Beach) is now leaving her for a white woman. Robin Stokes (Creator/LelaRochon) is a high powered executive and the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon Robinson). She has problems finding a decent man of her own, while waiting for Russell to leave his wife. Gloria Matthews (Creator/LorettaDevine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son (Donald Faison) who is preparing to leave home and travel the world with Up With People. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King (Creator/GregoryHines).

Savannah Jackson (Music/WhitneyHouston) is a successful television producer who holds on to the belief that one day her married lover (Creator/DennisHaysbert) will leave his wife for her. Bernadine Harris (Creator/AngelaBassett) abandoned her own career and desires of having a catering business to raise a family. Her husband (Michael Beach) is now leaving her for a white woman. Robin Stokes (Lela Rochon) is a high powered executive and the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon Robinson). She has problems finding a decent man of her own, while waiting for Russell to leave his wife. Gloria Matthews (Creator/LorettaDevine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son (Donald Faison) who is preparing to leave home and travel the world with Up With People. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin King (Creator/GregoryHines).

* DeathByWomanScorned: Almost all reactions to men's wrongdoings seem justified. But in all fairness, for some cases it is.

* KavorkaMan: Michael (played by Wendell Pierce) maybe an overweight, awkward, and nerdy looking fellow but he sure knows how to pull some attractive women. Managing to bed Robin, and is seen at the nightclub with another very sexy woman on his arm.

** James (Wesley Snipes) tells Bernadine that his wife is a white woman.