by Pa Rock
Culture Vulture
Armistead Maupin began penning his classic fiction column, "Tales of the City," in the San Francisco Chronicle back in 1978, and for several years readers of that newspaper began their daily routines by catching up on the fictional goings-on of the quirky cast of characters who lived in and around Anna Madrigal's boarding house at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco. Maupin eventually wrote enough of the columns to fill six volumes, and later he even wrote a few follow-up novels tracking the lives of some of his more beloved characters.
I discovered "Tales of the City" in the early nineties, and quickly devoured all six volumes, developing strong ties to the characters and the unique community that they inhabited. It was a reading experience that I always intended to revisit, part of my literary bucket list, and now with a nudge from Netflix, I think that I will get to it.
At about the time that I discovered Maupin's "Tales of the City," PBS developed a six-part mini-series based on the first three books. I always considered it a crime against civilization that PBS then dropped the project without adapting the final three books in the set into the television series as well.
The PBS series was beautifully done and faithfully followed Maupin's fictional tales of life in San Francisco in the late 1970's. The shows, like the books, centered on Anna Madrigal, the pot-smoking landlady and mother figure to the diverse collection of characters who lived at 28 Barbary Lane. Mrs. Madrigal, who began life as a boy living in his mother's whorehouse in Winnemucca, Nevada, was skillfully and delightful portrayed by veteran actress Olympia Dukakis.
As the story opens, a young naive girl from the Midwest arrives at Mrs. Madrigal's boarding house looking for a room. The girl, Mary Ann Singleton, is an obvious fish-out-of-water in the worldly and flamboyant milieu of San Francisco, but Mrs. Madrigal sees her as a person who will fit in at 28 Barbary Lane. Mary Ann was played by Laura Linney in the PBS mini-series.
Now Dukakis and Linney are both back at Barbary Lane.
Netflix has released a ten-episode "limited" series that looks at the changes which have come to the residents and others associated with 28 Barbary Lane twenty years later. It is Anna Madrigal's 90th birthday celebration, and the neighborhood is planning a party. As a way of demonstrating Anna's commanding presence in the community, one scene shows two young community members going to a local bakery to pick up Anna's birthday cake - a huge, hand decorated sheet cake. When one of the youths reaches for his wallet, the bakery clerk hurriedly tells him that it is on the house. "Are you sure?" the perplexed boy asks. The clerk replies, "If it's for Anna Madrigal, I'm sure."
Mary Ann, with no advance notice to anyone, shows up as a guest at the enormous party that is being held in Anna Madrigal's honor. It is her first trip back to San Fransisco since she left two decades earlier. Mary Ann, who in now mired in an unhappy marriage, drags along her uncomfortable husband. But it's happy times as Mary Ann Singleton reconnects with Michael (a.k.a. "Mouse") her best friend from the earlier life, and Anna Madrigal whom she still instinctively calls "Mrs. Madrigal." Mouse has a new younger boyfriend who also folds in nicely with the group of old friends.
But then Mary Ann runs into Brian, her first husband - and he is not as pleased with her sudden reappearance. Mary Ann walked out on Brian and their adoptive infant daughter, Shawna, twenty years before to pursue a career in national television. To Mary Anne's surprise, Shawna (Ellen Page) is at the party as well. After an awkward encounter, both mother and daughter leave the party going their separate ways. Later that night as she processes all that had been said, Mary Ann realizes that Shawna has been raised believing that Mary Ann is her biological mother.
Armistead Maupin did not write the new shows that are being aired by Netflix, but the story lines and complications bear a strong Maupin feel. I've only seen the first episode, but I am pleased. It feels like a group of old friends has suddenly showed up on my doorstep with party fixings. I hope that Maupin is pleased as well.
Thank you, Netflix, for bringing my friends around for another visit!
Culture Vulture
Armistead Maupin began penning his classic fiction column, "Tales of the City," in the San Francisco Chronicle back in 1978, and for several years readers of that newspaper began their daily routines by catching up on the fictional goings-on of the quirky cast of characters who lived in and around Anna Madrigal's boarding house at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco. Maupin eventually wrote enough of the columns to fill six volumes, and later he even wrote a few follow-up novels tracking the lives of some of his more beloved characters.
I discovered "Tales of the City" in the early nineties, and quickly devoured all six volumes, developing strong ties to the characters and the unique community that they inhabited. It was a reading experience that I always intended to revisit, part of my literary bucket list, and now with a nudge from Netflix, I think that I will get to it.
At about the time that I discovered Maupin's "Tales of the City," PBS developed a six-part mini-series based on the first three books. I always considered it a crime against civilization that PBS then dropped the project without adapting the final three books in the set into the television series as well.
The PBS series was beautifully done and faithfully followed Maupin's fictional tales of life in San Francisco in the late 1970's. The shows, like the books, centered on Anna Madrigal, the pot-smoking landlady and mother figure to the diverse collection of characters who lived at 28 Barbary Lane. Mrs. Madrigal, who began life as a boy living in his mother's whorehouse in Winnemucca, Nevada, was skillfully and delightful portrayed by veteran actress Olympia Dukakis.
As the story opens, a young naive girl from the Midwest arrives at Mrs. Madrigal's boarding house looking for a room. The girl, Mary Ann Singleton, is an obvious fish-out-of-water in the worldly and flamboyant milieu of San Francisco, but Mrs. Madrigal sees her as a person who will fit in at 28 Barbary Lane. Mary Ann was played by Laura Linney in the PBS mini-series.
Now Dukakis and Linney are both back at Barbary Lane.
Netflix has released a ten-episode "limited" series that looks at the changes which have come to the residents and others associated with 28 Barbary Lane twenty years later. It is Anna Madrigal's 90th birthday celebration, and the neighborhood is planning a party. As a way of demonstrating Anna's commanding presence in the community, one scene shows two young community members going to a local bakery to pick up Anna's birthday cake - a huge, hand decorated sheet cake. When one of the youths reaches for his wallet, the bakery clerk hurriedly tells him that it is on the house. "Are you sure?" the perplexed boy asks. The clerk replies, "If it's for Anna Madrigal, I'm sure."
Mary Ann, with no advance notice to anyone, shows up as a guest at the enormous party that is being held in Anna Madrigal's honor. It is her first trip back to San Fransisco since she left two decades earlier. Mary Ann, who in now mired in an unhappy marriage, drags along her uncomfortable husband. But it's happy times as Mary Ann Singleton reconnects with Michael (a.k.a. "Mouse") her best friend from the earlier life, and Anna Madrigal whom she still instinctively calls "Mrs. Madrigal." Mouse has a new younger boyfriend who also folds in nicely with the group of old friends.
But then Mary Ann runs into Brian, her first husband - and he is not as pleased with her sudden reappearance. Mary Ann walked out on Brian and their adoptive infant daughter, Shawna, twenty years before to pursue a career in national television. To Mary Anne's surprise, Shawna (Ellen Page) is at the party as well. After an awkward encounter, both mother and daughter leave the party going their separate ways. Later that night as she processes all that had been said, Mary Ann realizes that Shawna has been raised believing that Mary Ann is her biological mother.
Armistead Maupin did not write the new shows that are being aired by Netflix, but the story lines and complications bear a strong Maupin feel. I've only seen the first episode, but I am pleased. It feels like a group of old friends has suddenly showed up on my doorstep with party fixings. I hope that Maupin is pleased as well.
Thank you, Netflix, for bringing my friends around for another visit!
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