In 1989, the Hallmark Hall of Fame television series told the story of the man who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous. James Woods won an Emmy playing Bill Wilson in "My Name Is Bill W." JoBeth Williams played his long-suffering wife, Lois, and James Garner was AA co-founder "Dr. Bob" Smith.

This new Hallmark Hall of Fame focuses on "Bill W.'s" wife, Lois, played skillfully by Winona Ryder, who blames herself for her inability to keep her husband sober. As Bill W., Barry Pepper gives the role all he's got. Their performances are reason enough to see the movie, which, despite some powerful moments, seems disjointed and too familiar.

The movie gets off to a slow start. Bill and "Lo" ­-- not to be confused with Nabokov's "Lo" -- were childhood sweethearts in 1914. She went to college; he went off to fight in World War I.

They married in 1918. Throughout their relationship, Bill liked to drink -- too much. When he was working on Wall Street, including during the stock market crash, his drinking became unmanageable. Lois stuck by Bill the entire time, hopeful that her love could somehow cure him of his alcoholism.

These scenes are painful to watch -- Bill pledging to stop drinking, Lois crying, screaming and threatening to leave, Bill relapsing, falling down, setting things on fire, making a fool of himself, trying to detox at home, breaking every promise he's ever made to God and to Lois. If you've seen "The Lost Weekend," "The Man With the Golden Arm," "I'll Cry Tomorrow," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Leaving Las Vegas," et al., you know what to expect.

Then, in 1935, a chance encounter changed history.

Bill W. met Robert Smith, "Dr. Bob," a fellow alcoholic, in Akron. By talking to each other and offering each other support, they helped each other to stay sober. Eventually, Alcoholics Anonymous became a movement that transformed the world's understanding of alcoholism -- from a moral weakness to a illness.

As Bill W. invited alcoholics into their home for meetings and maintained his sobriety, Lois felt resentful, isolated, guilty and angry.

As AA meetings were going on in the parlor, Lois invited the alcoholics' wives into the kitchen for discussion groups of their own -- and thus arose the genesis of Al-Anon. Al-Anon (and now Alateen for younger members) offers strength and hope for the families and friends of problem drinkers.

"When Love Is Not Enough" is based on a memoir by William G. Borchert, who used materials from many hours of recorded conversations with Lois Wilson, who died in 1988. Her story is worth knowing, and the movie may be a step along the way for alcoholics and their families to get help.

To reach Alcoholics Anonymous in Pittsburgh: 412-471-7472 and www.pghaa.org; in Cranberry, 724-935-7238.

To reach Al-Anon Family Groups: 412-683-4279; www.pa-al-anon.org.

TV columnist Rob Owen's Tuned In+ is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.