'Exhale' spurs student discussion

The widely acclaimed film Waiting to Exhale has got everyone from Oprah to The New York Times talking. And when Penn students heard that Terri McMillan, author of the novel the film is based on, will be speaking here on January 31, many were quick to add their own voices to the chorus. Waiting to Exhale is the story of four professional African American women and their relationships with each other and the men in their lives. Some students related to the movie's interpretation of racial issues, while others found that it hit home in a psychologically empowering way. Engineering senior Ingrid Austin said she really enjoyed the movie. "I didn't see it as a male bashing movie as much as it was a movie about relationships," she said, adding that she viewed the movie as an eye-opener. "A lot of women tend to be attracted to men who aren't good for them," she said, explaining that she felt it was a major problem for many female Penn students as well. College sophomore Nansubu Mubirumusoke, also viewed the movie in a somewhat positive light. "I was glad to see women getting rid of problem men," Mubirumusoke said. "But it did make me question why they chose those men to begin with." Along with many of the movie's critics, Wharton sophomore Brandale Randolph had a slightly different take on the situation. "I don't think that any black man could feel proud while watching this movie," he said. Randolph explained that while he did see the film as a somewhat realistic portrayal of African American males, he felt it did not emphasize enough of their positive character traits. "It did make me think about the obstacles black women face when looking for love among black men," he added. He also said he found the nature of the sexual scenes in the movie to be slanderous. College freshman Sarah Gleit said she did not feel that the movie categorized people. "I saw it as a couple of people's experiences, not a universal comment about certain groups," Gleit said. David Magid, a College senior, said he did not dwell on the racial themes of the movie, but rather saw it as a scenario that all Penn students could relate to at some time in their lives. "I thought the movie did a great job at portraying the everyday lives of sophisticated women who were going through their individual hardships," Magid said. "Bad things can happen to all women -- black or white." He explained that for him, the film represented people learning to assert themselves. "I think that the movie conveyed the idea that we're not helpless," Magid said. "I left the movie theater inspired by the notion that we all have the ability to take control of our lives and not let others treat us poorly."