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I first 'met' Anna Madrigal and her tenants in the PBS American Playhouse mini-series and fell in love with this remarkable group of characters. I wanted to read the book prior to doing a review of the film adaptation and now that I have I realize that the screen rendition is so true to the book that I can safely combine them both here. Thus, if you have come to this page via either the Book Reviews Index or the Movies Index, you needn't visit from the other.
Mary Ann, tired of her meddling parents and Cleveland, decides to take an extended 'vacation' in San Francisco and is soon charmed by they city's ambience and, in spite of her mid-west upbringing, it's decadence. At 28 Barbary Lane, she finds a new home complete with benevolent landlady Anna Madrigal, Adverstising Executive Mona and Womanizing Waiter Brian. They represent a remarkable cross-section of 'real-life'. From Mary Ann's naivety to Mrs. Madrigal's pot-smoking excentricity, they are both larger than life and true to life. Maupin has drawn on everything that is San Francisco to create characters that will mean something to every reader/viewer.
As she sets up house and finds work, Mary Ann becomes involved with the city's elite, it's not so elite and it's very troubled. She becomes a close friend to both Mrs. Madrigal and Mona, who is not only her neighbor, but also a colleague when Mary Ann finds a job at the same advertising agency. Mona's best friend is Michael (she calls him Mouse, he calls her Baby Cakes) who, having been turfed by his lover, takes up residence at Barbary Lane as Mona' roommate. Everyone has secrets here and Mary Ann soon learns that it's very hard to have a private life in this communal atmosphere. It's like living in a soap opera and Mary Ann is soon swept into it's maelstrom by her boss's son-in-law, Beauchamp (pron. Beecham) who is perpetually cheating on his wife Dede (pron. Deedee). (Are San Franciscans really hung up on never spelling names the way they sound?) Her boss, Edgar, is soon romantically involved with Ms. Madrigal as he escapes his alcoholic wife and a terminal illness. Mouse becomes involved with a hunky gynechologist, who winds up as Dede's doctor when she becomes pregnant by the grocery delivery boy. Amongst the paradoxical who's sleeping with whom, a mystery begins to unfold. Norman, the man in the roof apartment is stuck on Mary Ann, but she eventually learns that he's really out to blackmail Edgar. And what about Mona's mysterious model friend D'Orthea, newly returned from New York? Like I said, everyone has their secrets.
Tales of the City is a great read. Or a great watch. It is fast-paced, witty, amusing, startling and thought-provoking. It will leave you wanting to know more about these people, especially Michael...will he ever get back with that gynechologist? Good news...there is a sequel...I guess I'm back off to This Ain't the Rosedale Library*!
*This Ain't the Rosedale Library is a bookstore on Church Street, in the heart of Toronto's Gay Village.
The mini-series stars: Olympia Dukakis, Donald Moffat, Laura Linney, Marcus D'Amico, William Campbell, Thomas Gibson, Paul Gross, Barbara Garrick, Stanley Desantis and Chloe Webb.
Teleplay by: Richard Kramer
Directed by: Alastair Reid
TALES OF THE CITY - by Armistead Maupin - Harper Perennial division HarperCollins Publishers ISBN: 0-06-092480-2
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