Sunday, August 31, 2008

Movie-More Tales of the City

More Tales of the City (1998)is a sequel to Tales of the City, a series based on Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series. And I loved the series. I am a pretty jaded reader, but that series made me laugh out loud, and shed a tear or two also.

The TV shows made out of it make the stories a little campier than they are on the page. Just the medium I think. But I have to say I still enjoyed every minute of it. Starring Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis, it is quirky and accepting, ridiculous and happy.

The series is about a woman from the mid-west (Linney) who comes to vacation in San Fransisco during the 70's. And she loves it and decides to stay. She finds an apartment at 28 Barbary Lane, a address that is run by the enigmatic and toking Mrs. Anna Madrigal. The landlady leaves as house warming gifts some nice joints, and grows premium stuff in her yard. The residents of 28 Barbary, soon become their own little family. Michael (Mouse) Tolliver, the flaming and totally sweet man, who is searching for his Mr. Right. Brian, the hunky non-gay man who they all have a thing for. Mona, the hippy dippy woman who is searching for who she is, and the straight-laced Mary Ann Singleton, who finds her own mind and heart opening to all these, and more.

Maupin weaves in truths and myths about San Fransisco. We see Jim Jones and his cult start out. We see urban legends and urban truths play out in the pages of witty dialogue. This books were originally columns Maupin wrote (for the Chronicle I think) that were later brought together in book form. Very Dickensonian.

While the TV shows are not as good as the books I still enjoyed them very much.

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