Perfect cast and a good story

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

"Further Tales Of The City" is much darker than the first 2 installments of the series. It is the early 1980's, and Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney) is now a television personality, and is romantically involved with Brian Hawkins (Whip Hubley). One day, Mary Ann gets a call from Mrs. Halcyon, widow of her old boss. It seems that DeDe (Barbara Garrick) was presumed dead when she and D'ororthea moved to Guyana...with Jim Jones, the mad prophet of The People's Temple, in which nearly 1,000 followers killed themselves or were murdered. However, DeDe is very much alive and in fear of her life: she believes that Jim Jones is not dead, and that he is after her twin children). Knowing that this is the story that could advance her career, Mary Ann works with DeDe to solve this mystery. Meanwhile, newly divorced Prue Giroux (Mary Kay Place)meets the mysterious Luke Henry Czerny)in Golden Gate Park, and falls in love with him, not knowing the connection between Luke and DeDe. Meanwhile, Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis)is keeping Mother Mucca (Jackie Burroughs) company and keeping a nosy news reporter (Sandra Oh)from revealing the info about DeDe and Mary Ann.This is not as good as the first 2 of the series, and there is a lot of moments that can bring you down (One of the characters has signs that he has AIDS, which was just being discovered at the time). And the "Jim Jones isn't dead" storyline is an interesting nod to conspiracy theorists out there. Still, it is a good entry in the series.

I have previously seen both the Tales of the City and it's sequel Tales of the City 2.I did not expect to find a new or unique storyline, however, regardless of how far-fetched it may be, they came up with one, one that has twists and turns. I marvel at the entire series, including this part as to how the author has maintained an intertwined relationship between all of the characters, past and present.I realize that the author has not released any more stories related to these, but I would love to see another sequel, if only invented my Showtime.

You have to start at the beginning, so I'd suggest watching Tales of the City and More Tales of the City first. These mini-series are based on a six part series of books by Armistead Maupin. Maupin began writing these stories for a San Francisco newspaper in the 1970's. They became the Tales of the City book series. And in the early 1990's, he started serializing them for the small (TV) screen. I've watched all three of these films over and over again. They are (like the books) like getting a really juicy letter from an old friend you've been aching to hear from. This third installment is shorter than the previous, but packs in a great storyline and lots of fun. All of the actors from the 2nd Tales are back for more mystery and romance. The best thing about Maupin's stories for the new millennium is that he was the first author to integrate gay and straight characters into a novel and then watch them grow and age together as a family throughout the six books. For the cinema, this is still a HUGE leap. For those of us who've been living in reality, it's our world come to life. I'm anxiously awaiting the fourth book, Babycakes to be made into a mini-series, but in the meantime I watch Mrs. Madigal, Michael, MaryAnn, Brian and all their extended family look for love and excitement in late 1970's San Francisco.

What a disappointment and what a boring mini. Totally wasted the talents of Jackie Burroughs, Parker Posey, Joel Grey, Billy Campbell, and John McMartin. Hideous "happy" ending and quickly tied-up endings. There may have been a good story, but it didn't make it to the screen (and Maupin wrote the damned screenplay himself).