Tales of the City (1993) (Collector's Edition, 3 DVDs)

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Taken from Armistead Maupin's endearing and popular novel, this boldly original and faithful adaptation follows the interconnected lives of a group of San Francisco eccentrics (both gay and straight) during the 70s. This six-part miniseries centers around exotic Earth Mother Anna Madrigal (Dukakis), landlady of 28 Barbary Lane. Her colorful extended family of tenants includes innocent Mary Ann Singleton (Linney), a recent arrival from Cincinnati; bisexual/fag hag Mona Ramsey (Webb); the swinging single Brian Hawkins (Gross); and Michael 'Mouse' Tolliver (D'Amico), a hopeless romantic eternally searching for Mr. Right. The lives of these people and others come together in an amazingly complex series of eye-opening episodes which involve marital infidelity, child pornographers, ribald sexuality, recreational drug use, a wet underwear contest and even a scene shot in a gay bathhouse. Tales... is funny, provocative and totally unpredictable. Cameos include Edie Adams, Lance Loud, Paul Bartel, Rod Steiger, Karen Black, Mary Kay Place and Ian McKellen.