The Boys In The Band
NETFLIXIn 2018, The Boys in the Band was brought to Broadway to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mart Crowley’s play. The piece was originally written in 1968 and had a film adaptation by William Friedkin made in 1970. The 2020 version lifts the entire cast of actors from the 2018 stage, with Joe Mantello in the director’s chair. The film is also dedicated to Crowley who passed away earlier this year. With familiar faces like Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer, this version of The Boys in the Band boasts a cast of entirely-out gay actors and is a look back at a different time in the LGBTQ+ community.
Michael (Jim Parsons), along with a few other friends, is hosting a birthday party for his friend, Harold (Zachary Quinto) at his New York City apartment. Donald (Matt Bomer) is the first attendee to arrive and quickly notices Michael’s decision to quit drinking and pokes fun at his receding hairline. As former lovers, Michael and Donald harp on at each other but it’s clear that the two still share a friendly bond. Michael struggles to cope with the scourge of growing older, combing his hair forward and trying to act youthful, while the beautiful Donald complains about money and working too hard, shocked at the expensive shirts Michael leaves crumpled on his bedroom floor. They are soon joined by the rest of the party’s guests, including the mega-flamboyant Emory (Robin de Jesús), the quiet yet comfortable Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington), along with Larry (Andew Rammells) and his soon-to-be-divorced partner, Hank (Tuc Williams).
The first half of The Boys in the Band is dedicated to exposition, taking the time to introduce each of its characters. Zachary Quinto’s Harold is fashionably late to his own party, spouting off cynical remarks and shade when he finally arrives. Quinto plays Harold so well; he is always in the background of the party and comes out to bite when the time is finally right. Two uninvited guests also arrive at Michael’s home, Cowboy Tex (Charlie Carver), a hustler dressed as a midnight cowboy who stupidly arrives too early and is Emory’s birthday present for Harold, along with Michael’s very straight college friend, Alan (Brian Hutchison). It’s Alan who brings the tense conflict to the little shindig. Viciously heterosexual, Alan happens to be that certain brand of homophobe that claims he’s fine with gay love as long as he doesn’t see it but, when push comes to shove, he happens to have some violent outbursts. Prior to Alan’s arrival and knowing how uncomfortable he can get, Michael urges the other to act as straight as possible. Back in college, Michael hid his true sexuality, choosing to act like a typical girl-crazy young man for his own safety.
This is what The Boys in the Band comes down to: the self-hatred, the fear of being oneself and the internalised homophobia. The play and film both take place in an early time in the gay community, a time prior to the Stonewall Riots when gay men posed as roommates, hiding their sexual orientation and only revealing it in safe spaces. Michael is the poster boy for the closeted gay man. Michael’s self-hatred is present in his deep care for his appearance and, when confronted with a threatening figure, he reverts back to hiding his true self and urges the others to do the same. All of the characters freely use that F-word to refer to themselves and each other, implying that they too feel like their behaviour is wrong and immoral. Alan’s arrival also drives Michael back to the bottle, and this is where Michael and the rest of the gang reveal that Alan is surrounded by gay men as they play a game of telephone, calling up the people they loved the most.
As the night continues, Alan squirms around his company; his discomfort shifts to anger and confusion. There’s the implication that Alan may not be so sure about his own sexuality. He calls up Michael out of the blue and invites himself over before breaking down into tears and telling Michael to forget the entire conversation, and shows up at the party anyway. When Emory confronts Alan’s homophobia, he responds with violence. Because of the time period of The Boys in The Band, it seems that Alan is yet another gay man who is too afraid to live his own truth, covering up his true feelings with rage.
The film completely encompasses the groovy aesthetic of the 1960s, with Michael’s apartment being rife with far-out decor and old records. The characters’ wardrobes also beautifully reflect the decade while also showing each man’s distinct personality. For example, Emory is dressed in floral button-downs and Bernard wears a high yellow turtleneck. The Boys in the Band reflects on an early period of the LGBTQ+ community, an important time to remember. The all-gay and out cast is more reflective of present times and a more accepting society. While some of the material does feel pretty dated, by keeping this film’s time period the same as its older counterpart, The Boys in the Band is meant to be representative of times gone by and shows how far the LGBTQ+ community has come.