The Boys in the Band

The first mainstream Hollywood film to offer a serious look at gay life, director William Friedkin's adaptation of the Mart Crowley play depicts a New York man's birthday party where casual exchanges of self-loathing by the guests devolves into bouts of merciless and uncomfortable truth-telling. Leonard Frey, Cliff Gorman, Laurence Luckinbill, and Peter White star in this controversial serio-comedy. 119 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; featurettes; audio commentary.

A sensitive yet humorous adaptation of the stage play, this 1970 film directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist) is one of the first films to openly address gay issues in a matter-of-fact style that largely avoids stereotyping. Shot on one set and featuring a birthday party as the festive setting, a group of friends assemble to celebrate, reminisce, and discuss their lives and the travails of being gay, even as one friend insists he's straight. The night turns from a light celebration to a sometimes-vindictive ordeal of revelation and betrayal, as each man in turn must confess his true feelings. Performed by the original cast of the stage production, the film may feel dated to some, but it still manages to be truthful and entertaining as it explores a subject that to this day is not often addressed. --Robert Lane