I did this play in 10th grade, and it was dreary, but content-wise, not experience-wise

Ah the old "he was queerin on me" defense.

Pretty heavy movie, good cast, Buscemi in the HBO film by default.

A lot of familiar faces and decent performances, but still feels like a TV movie and that doesn't do it justice.

Great subject, bad execution. This pseudo-documentary takes a subject that deserves serious treatment & attention, and turns it into melodrama. In spite of the big names, the acting is overdone and stilted. The actions of the "townsfolk", such as when they exit the courthouse and all halt in unison, is false and distracting. I wanted to really learn from and feel this film, but my attention kept being derailed. Tip for others: Rent it but consider looking away and just listening to the audio.