A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Based on the 2002 novel by Waiting to Exhale author Terry McMillan, this Lifetime-aired adaptation stars Whoopi Goldberg as sassy Viola Price, the family head. Stubborn about everything from her fed-up husband (Ving Rhames) to her struggles to manage severe asthma, Viola gets the most out of meddling in the lives of her four adult children (Tichina Arnold, Mekhi Phifer, Kimberly Elise, and Anika Noni Rose), who are each going through trials and tribulations. Compacting the near-500-page book—which isn't one of McMillan's best—into 90 minutes didn't help this dramatic tale, which seems to opt for a lighter note in movie format (probably due to a cast often involved in comedy, especially Goldberg and Arnold). A middling family-oriented dramedy with a Tyler Perry flavor, this is an optional purchase. (J. Williams-Wood)