The Boys in the Band. Poster of the 2020 movie and cover of the 1968 book
VS3
The Boys in the Band
Mart Crowley, 1968
movie vs book
Joe Mantello, 2020

In 1968 New York City—when being gay was still a secret best kept behind closed doors—a group of friends gather for a raucous birthday party hosted by Michael, a screenwriter who spends and drinks too much. What begins as an evening of drinks and laughs gets upended when Alan, Michael’s straight-laced college roommate, shows up unexpectedly and each man is challenged to confront long-buried truths that threaten the foundation of the group’s tight bond.