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      The Boys in the Band

      R Released Mar 17, 1970 2h 0m Drama LGBTQ+ List
      90% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 87% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings Michael (Kenneth Nelson) is hosting a birthday celebration for a pal when he gets an unexpected visit from old friend Alan (Peter White). The problem is, Alan is straight -- and extremely straitlaced -- and everyone else at the party is gay. Michael hopes to conceal his sexuality from Alan, but this charade doesn't last. After being outed, Michael turns on Alan, accuses him of being a closeted gay and forces him to partake in a revealing party game that has devastating consequences. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

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      Critics Reviews

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      Bill Weber Slant Magazine The sizzle of the bon mot%u2013tossing ensemble, intact from the stage original, is bracing and fuels the film's momentum. Rated: 3/4 Nov 10, 2008 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 5/5 Jul 25, 2002 Full Review Bruce Greenberg 5th Freedom (Buffalo) Even with certain expressed faults, Boys in the Band stands as quite possibly the most revealing portrayal of contemporary homosexuality ever to swish on center stage. May 3, 2023 Full Review Lloyd Steele Los Angeles Free Press Many lines, many characters skirt the edges of farce and never quite lose their balance because we can be convinced of their essential truth. Jan 14, 2020 Full Review Richard Schickel LIFE One leaves it exhausted, as one does all rubberneck excursions, but neither emotionally elevated nor intellectually enlightened. Oct 22, 2019 Full Review Penelope Houston The Spectator The combination of schoolgirl confessional... with a discernible element of holier-than-thou voyeurism does give off a certain sliminess. Feb 9, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Steve D Important and groundbreaking but I didn't find the script great. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/29/23 Full Review ben b Because of the historical value of this movie, it deserves nothing less than a…. 10 / 10 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A bit too campy and outdated and for that reason a bit unbearable sometimes. Nothing is subtle, all is loud at least coming from Michael, a gay man who hosts a birthday party for a friend. The party takes a turn when Michael's straight friend invites himself to the party. The party is full of shouting and screaming. again mostly coming from Michael who gets especially altered after his friend comes to the party. In all that shouting and screaming, we can hear struggles of being gay, and each one feels it differently. And most of all, we hear hate toward self and other- the internalized homophobia that few can escape from, particularly in the70s. It is an historic movie, but a bit campy for sure. Not just theatrical, but fairly campy. We can easily edited this movie... A diamond in the rough, truly. The roughness is not all bad. In fact, we get access to very deep and inner parts of those characters - very genuine parts. And there is something about the movie and the characters that seems real and contrasts with current life and current mainstream LGBTQ movies ... They are unhappy and not avoiding their unhappiness. - What a difference from now! Their bodies are not perfect and their faces are not perfect. The acting is raw... - What a difference from the current movies! I didn't watch the 2020 version, just the trailer, but it does not seem near the same thing . Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Yet another story about horrible people that never needed to be told Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/15/20 Full Review Audience Member Revolutionary in its time, it has been criticized because of offering a bad image and stereotypical image of gay community but, when you look at it, it is radically more positive than the previous ones in cinema, and also histrionical in some moments, other characters are quite balanced, showing a broad image with the positive and the negative (depending, of course, from the point of view). I had previously seen the 2020 version, and this one is more peaceful (in the rhythm and the level of noise; the strenght of the message is even more poweful), more solid in the interpretations, Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Brilliant adaptation of a classic! More nuanced and less theatrical than the original film based on the original off-Broadway play. Each actor gives a superlative nuanced performance, making old lines sound almost fresh and improvisational. I saw the 2018 Broadway revival 3 times and longed for a filmed version of the stage play. But with this adaptation, the audience gets so much more, allowing you to get up close and personal with each character. Bravo to director, Joe Mantello, producer Ryan Murphy, and to the entire openly gay cast for reviving and giving new life to this classic work by playwright and screenplay author, Mart Crowley. A+ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Boys in the Band

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Michael (Kenneth Nelson) is hosting a birthday celebration for a pal when he gets an unexpected visit from old friend Alan (Peter White). The problem is, Alan is straight -- and extremely straitlaced -- and everyone else at the party is gay. Michael hopes to conceal his sexuality from Alan, but this charade doesn't last. After being outed, Michael turns on Alan, accuses him of being a closeted gay and forces him to partake in a revealing party game that has devastating consequences.
      Director
      William Friedkin
      Producer
      Matt Crowley
      Distributor
      National General Pictures
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Drama, LGBTQ+
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Mar 17, 1970, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      May 25, 2021
      Runtime
      2h 0m
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.85:1)
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