One of the most moving scenes in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. They were a series of stories of several colorful characters living in San Francisco in the 1970's later turned into a book then into a mini series in the 90's
"Being gay has shown me the limitless possibilities of living." OMG, how powerful is that statement.....between the tears I fall in love with this letter each time I hear it.
Carlos Chavarin Jr. Actually it was real life this letter. It was directed at the author’s own parents. He has said himself it was his way of coming out to them.
These books fell into my lap and encouraged me to leave little England in the rear view window and travel back in the 1990s. I feel in love with America and travel. I knew back in 2015 when I finally made. Roots in another part of Europe I would never had made it if it were not for those books....
I had a friend who worked in a bookstore who introduced Armistead Maupin to the crowd at a reading. My friend read Mouse's letter to his parents aloud from the book and the result was that it affected Armistead Maupin to tears. That was very touching to witness.
William: Through the years, I have read the first six Tales Of The City books (25 years ago), the two additional books, "Michael Tolliver Lives", and "Mary Ann in August" (10 years ago), and the final volume (2 years ago). This particular section is the most emotional and personal of the whole series, although there are many other exceptional chapters. Bless you, Armistead Maupin !!!
That it does...but keep in mind that life gets better when you stand in your own truth. I came out in 1980, but I know so many men who remained in the closet for many years. They are forever saddened that they waited so long. As the saying goes: "We don't regret the things we've done. It's what we don't do that can break our hearts." I wish you all the best.
@@jimsatrom9535 I had several spots in The Days of Anna Madrigal where I was openly weeping, having to stop and wait for my eyes to dry enough to see the letters.
In the documentary "The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin" Maupin admits he wrote "Mikey's Letter to Mama" as his way of coming out to his own parents. His father mentioned it once and never spoke of it again.
It takes a single thread of empathy to tie people together and to understand someone, you have to see your reflection staring back from someone else's eyes. That's what made this letter so powerful.
I'm glad people are finding this again over 20 years after the miniseries and nearly 40 years after the book. It is nearly impossible not to grow to love Michael Tolliver. (I say nearly, due to an unfortunate choice of audiobook narrator for "Michael Tolliver Lives." He played Michael as Blanche DuBois and it is jarringly different than the other depictions, almost turning him into a caricature of a gay man and not the character we love.)
This is one of the most powerful scenes from a series of books that have become a part of my life. I discovered them accidentally nearly 30-years-ago, and they've been my constant companion ever since. Thank you for posting this video.
I only know Mouse from the original "Tales of the City." Seeing Paul Hopkins in the role takes some adjusting, but I have to say that he does a fine job in this key scene.
@@glamerboy It's not a remake, but a "next chapter" starting with Anna Madrigal's 90th birthday. They have Laura Linney and the guy who plays her ex-husband, and an 87 year old Olympia Dukakis reprising Anna, but the Michael "Mouse" character is a different actor. It's really good, on Netflix. Highly recommend.
@@lindamerrill928 Michael is Murray Bartlett in this version, I like him so much from 'Looking' and 'August'. even I recognize Marcus and Paul also did the job
@@glamerboy The new miniseries seems to pull some characters from the last three books but the plot is quite a bit different. I'm not sure I like the direction they went with it, though it was great to see 28 Barbary Lane again.
I was there. Just got there fall of 1982. AIDS was just more than a rumor. I was mostly on the peripheral since I was new to all of it. Still lost some Very important people. Not like some lost. Rarely think about it all. Back in my small minded small town. Sure Somewhere it's 2019 just Not here. Met Army.
Mona had previous worked as a secretary in the 1970s, so she must have known shorthand. Which means -- as I always thought -- that she would have had to "translate" the letter later on into longhand (or type it) in order to send it to Mouse's mother. If written, I wonder how it was explained that the letter was not in Mouse's handwriting.
Lawrence C Actually most women at that time had to know office work: shorthand in terms of dictation, and typing. And you also had to know cooking as they were all prerequisites for being a woman in the work field ,which means that’s all you could do back in the day. So yeah I’m sure she could speed right through dictation.🤷♀️🙈
@@LindaLaurenPsychicMedium I read the books a LONG time ago and watched the first series. If I remember correctly she worked in an office until she quit so, yeah, she probably knew shorthand.
I've forgotten why Michael is in the hospital in this scene. Please refresh my memory. I read the original serial in the Chronicle and the books a few years later. Thanks.
The actor who played Mouse in the first series was fantastic. He radiated warmth and love. It was impossible to dislike him. The actor in the second and third series turned Mouse into a sleazy creep.
I totally agree! But we forget how professionally suicidal it was to play a gay character back then was. Mona in season one was also lovely... I wonder why she was replaced!?
The actor Marcus D'Amico who played Mouse/Michael was cute,handsome,warm,and had a vulnerability about him.Yes,it was easy to love himHe was also a great actor in that role just watch his scenes with Mona,Mrs.Madrigal,and his parents and Dr. Jon.
Marcus left for reasons I've never been able to find out. Was it money or he didn't like the way Michael was being written, I don't know. We all have reasons for liking certain actors, so I'm just curious what you have against Paul Hopkins? Marcus D'Amico was really cute in the Endup underwear contest, but I'd rather cuddle with Paul Hopkins any day, lol.
@@williamsnyder5616 I just thought that Marcus had this playful, super handsome quality about him-but not in an intimidating way-(see Billy Campbell, who is flat out drop dead gorgeous) that made him the perfect Mouse, and I still have difficulty accepting (Mark) Hopkins in the role. He’s not bad looking…..he’s just not Marcus Mouse. I heard that D’Amico just wasn’t interested in returning to the role and that it was a money issue for Chloe Webb in choosing not to return. That entire first miniseries gets my vote for the most perfectly cast adaptation of any literary work. There was absolute magic in both Maupin’s words and in the brilliance of that ensemble cast. I’d never been to SF (native New Orleanian here) until 1993, when my first trip there was absolutely inspired by the Tales miniseries. I’ve been 50 times (yes, I count) in the subsequent 30 years, and it’s kind of become my “second city” so to speak ever since.
@@paulvoorhies8821 Perhaps, I'd have trouble accepting Mark Hopkins since I've never stayed in the hotel named after Mark Hopkins? I'd do double-saults for Paul. And, I'm 75 yo, lol. To each his own.
