The film, based on Terry McMillan's novel, no doubt began with higher ambitions than magazine fiction to be read under a hairdrier: but its development is so bald and the colors so glossy that magazine fiction is the result.

| Dec 20, 2023

It comes across as a bland buppie soap opera, with scant storyline outside the shortcomings of a series of more or less useless, unattractive, unreliable or married men.

| Dec 20, 2023

Glutinous but pseudo-feminist.

| Dec 20, 2023

Director Forest Whitaker deserves a huge round of applause for bringing this overbloated story to the big screen screen in a succinct yet heartwarming manner.

| May 13, 2022

I did enjoy watching this. It wasn't painful.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 31, 2020

This soundtrack is bomb.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 31, 2020

The editing effects were kind of weird...It was fine. How come none of the men wore sleeves?

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 31, 2020

There's less context than in McMillan's novel, and more lingerie. But the theme of (black) women searching for acceptance and empowerment is equally strong, especially in Angela Bassett's gale-force performance as Bernadine.

| Dec 12, 2017

It takes its old-fashioned soap-opera formula and refurbishes it for the age of Oprah. What that means is that while the script by McMillan and Ronald Bass serves up moonstruck romantic fantasies, it speaks in the language of self-empowerment .

| Mar 31, 2008

Stylish but shallow melodrama, based on McMillan's best-seller.

| Original Score: B- | Sep 19, 2006

Whitney Houston's alleged dramatic acting and dull, uninvolving storyline weighs down the virtues of the film.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 21, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 20, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 24, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 18, 2002

Offers a winning portrait of sassy black sister solidarity.

| Aug 29, 2002

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 22, 2002

There are some humorous observations, irrefutable truths and good performances that make this movie worthwhile to those in a man-bashing mindframe.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 5, 2002

Is there a woman alive who hasn't demanded an explanation from the Almighty about the losers that she keeps getting?

| Apr 17, 2002

Never escapes the queasy aura of Melrose Place: just another story about beautiful people with small problems.

Full Review | Apr 12, 2002

A pleasant if undemanding piece of work that is diverting to sit through though it won't stand up to any kind of rigorous examination.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 13, 2001