The Boys in the Band

The second film adaptation of Mart Crowley's landmark 1968 play - the first was directed in 1970 by a pre-Exorcist William Friedkin - provides a vivid reminder of just how much the gay community has transformed in the past 50 years. Director Joe Mantello shrewdly trims the seminal queer text, which is set during a Manhattan gay birthday party that descends into identity crises, heartache and friendship-testing outbursts, and the fantastic ensemble cast (including Jim Parsons and Robin de Jesus) mine considerable emotional resonance from the timeless source material. Though Mantello augments it with intros, flashbacks, nudity and a contemplative aftermath, The Boys in the Band remains a powerful piece of dramatic literature that zings with bitchy one-liners and camp hysteria.