First, Ann Tyler is one of my favorite authors, and I have enjoyed all of her books from the decades-old ones to her most recent ones and she may be retired now. "Breathing Lessons" is one I read at least twice, and one of her best. When the VHS of the Hallmark adaptation showed up at the local thrift store I just had to buy it and spend a quiet Saturday evening viewing it.
For anyone who'd never read the book this movie would come across as a less-sacharine-than-usual Hallmark movie with stronger acting. Joanne Woodward was a great choice for the Maggie character and it's also a pleasure to see James Garner in a leading role as her not-quite-henpecked husband. Most viewers would probably find the subject matter to be just a series of vignettes about a couple going through late middle age.
However, huge liberties were taken with the story to shoehorn it into a 90-minute Hallmark format. Without giving too much away for anyone interested in reading the wonderful book, it has way more scope and follows an arc lasting months instead of just chronicling a couple of days in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Moran.
The significance of "Breathing Lessons" becomes a throwaway line from Fiona, when in the book it's way more relevant and standout. Of course, if the movie had truly followed the book all the way it would have been a mini-series and not just a Hallmark movie. Still, it's enjoyable and heartwarming and does manage to pull together a nifty little ending.
