Breathing Lessons

Though pretty faithful to Anne Tyler's Pultzer Prize winning

novel, and despite the excellent Joanne Woodward & James Garner

in the leads, this TVM adaptation is disappointingly bland. What

was hilarious in the book is only mildly funny, and what was

abrasive and infuriating is all too cosy.

So it was TV movie - I only saw it fairly recently but feel I must write something about it. Some of the comments on here indicate that the viewer has never read anything by Ann Tyler (my favourite writer). She writes about ordinary people who have their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and dreams. And that's what this couple were like. One viewer found the Joanne Woodward character irritating - and so one might if you view her out of context. The wonderful thing about Ann Tyler is how she gets into the heads of ordinary men and I presume women. The Joanne Woodward character brings an optimism and 'romance' to the relationship with the Garner figure. I enjoyed the movie - just like I enjoy Tyler's novels - I'm always disappointed when I get to the last page, just want to know more. If you've not read her stories give her a try. The movie is a reasonable introduction.

This movie is hilariously funny. I was on the ground laughing through most of the movie. But it's not a pointless kind of hilarious. I'm a big fan of both Joanne Woodward and James Garner so this movie was heaven for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. Woodward and Garner were great together! Almost every word out of Woodward's mouth had me in hysterics, and every look and reaction of Garner's was equally as funny. And the scene when Woodward sings "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" at Serena's husband's funeral is a CLASSIC! And, ofcourse, the scene on the road where Woodward pops her head out of the window and tells some old guy his tire's falling off...now that is funny. She feels so bad after seeing who was in the car that she makes Garner turn back.

This movie is everything you could want in a movie- a ton of comedy, a tad bit of drama to give the movie some meaning, and even a little bit of suspense. Not to mention high class performances by Garner & Woodward. See this movie!!!!

As this is one of my favorite Anne Tyler novels and movie adaptations are usually disappointing, i was pleasantly surprised by this one. It's a cliché of movie promotion but Joanne Woodward IS Maggie Moran - from her somehow busybody-ish walk to her expressions of quizzical dismay, hopeful desperation etc. when her well-meaning plans for fixing someone's life go awry. Like rain and sun alternating as her mind races trying to save the situation; "...Maggie always trying to patch patch patch..." says Fiona.

James Garner* is OK as Ira; he greets Maggie's foibles with attitudes ranging from fond acceptance to dyspeptic irritation. Maybe it's just because i like Eileen Heckart but if anything her take on Mabel is better than the original character. Same for Debra Mooney as Mrs. Stuckey; her sidelong squinty-eyed dislike for all things Moran is something to see. And Delphi Harrington's brief appearance as Sugar; "Boys had always been fascinated by Sugar." - and i can see why. Maybe it's unfair to judge by my personal reading of Tyler, but some of the other characters seem to diverge farther and farther from the story; i just don't see Joyce Van Patten as the former bohemian bad girl of Maggie's & her youth, and what happened to the Barley twins? - they're now the Barlow twins and totally unrecognizable.

Then there's the music; it has a kindly naivete, a homey, ambling feel, a bit of whatever it is about Tyler's novels that i'm so enamoured of. The Moran house is very Tyler/Baltimore and the Stuckey place engagingly trashy; that hanging rain lamp is perfect. In this case i think it helps to have read the book for the background and history that wouldn't fit into a movie; how LeRoy's very existence is a consequence of Maggie's meddling for instance. For whatever reason i think this movie has more of that distinctive Tyler something than "The Accidental Tourist" or "Earthly Possessions".

* Search james garner ira on youtube for his take on Ira.

I enjoyed this Hallmark TV presentation when it first aired back in 1994 and I have enjoyed it just as much upon repeat viewing on video. The work of veteran performers Woodward and Garner is always a joy to watch , and the pacing and story are enjoyable to watch! I think this is a great piece of work from all involved.