Brokeback Mountain

[schoolboi]

Here is my press release:

Local Gay Activists Celebrates Brokeback Mountain's Potential to Change Hearts and Minds
Contact: Corey H
Phone: Email:

LYNCHBURG, Friday, January 20, 2006- Local gay activists hailed the opening of "Brokeback Mountain” in Lynchburg. The Focus Features film, directed by Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Sense and Sensibility") and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as cowboys whose love spans two decades, opens in Lynchburg on Jan. 20.
"'Brokeback Mountain' is one of the most poignant love stories I've ever seen committed to film," said Corey H. "This film has tremendous potential to connect with audiences gay and straight alike. People will relate to these characters and to the emotional authenticity of their story. What 'Brokeback Mountain' does is allow audiences to experience, on an intensely emotional level, how ignorance and intolerance can force people to deny their love and deny who they are," Corey H continued.
" 'Brokeback Mountain' is a love story -- a story about relationships that has a timeless quality and universal appeal," Corey H. said. "Critics are overwhelmingly embracing this film, and it's easy to see why. It's a magnificently-crafted love story that works on every level imaginable. It's exactly the kind of thing people go to the movies to experience in the first place."
"Brokeback Mountain" is a Focus Features production, directed by Academy Award-winner Ang Lee, written by Diana Ossana and Pulitzer Prize-winner Larry McMurtry, based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx.

[Jennifer5]

Well written... it sounds like everyone really needs to see this movie...

[NonLemming]

I feel the same as Nathan the day after, quite sad. It is a very good film and didn't know what to expect at the box office since I live in the "all-so-progressive" South. I was pleased to see a majority of married couples there as well as a lot of elderly people. Spoke with a single elderly lady next to me after the showing and she said she liked it but was surprised it was up for an Oscar. We both agreed that we wanted to brush our teeth after seeing almost every character smoking for over two hours. Heath Ledger is incredible in his role. He does more acting with his expressions that with his few lines.
Beautifully filmed, poignant, deep, disturbing, yet ultimately about love. A love that not all will be able to wrap their brains around, but a real love nonetheless.

[SolInvictus]

Agreed: I finally saw this film this afternoon & its a great film. Its very real & hopefully will help heterosexuals realize we are no different from then in regards to love. This film was a bit like a classic Greek tragedy: finding love & then having it taken away. Hopefully, people will also see that homophobia is a disease & a social evil - homophobia kills people, to put it bluntly.

[Zerbie]

It's a very tight movie and very well fleshed-out from the short story. The tragedy has many aspects, as it does in it's real life counterparts, and we are briefly shown how it begins for Ennis, with that episode where his dad shows him the body of that man they mutilated and murdered. Impressions made that young can shape people for life, and so we have Ennis discovering his sexuality and at the same time he has that ingrained belief that a similar fate can happen to him. So he walls himself off from everyone in his life, even from Jack in ways. Jack is the Only person he ever lets through those walls at times, but he never allows that relationship to grow, though Jack is willing to take a chance on following through and changing their lives to make it work.

Personally, it struck me as odd that I didn't cry a single tear at this movie. I was deeply drawn in, but didn't have any tears for it. I wonder why and postulate maybe I had my expectations too high, expecting to be devastated? Or maybe since I've cried over so many tragic stories like this in real life, I just don't have tears left over for a work of fiction. I don't know. I have a (gay male) friend who seemed amazed that I didn't cry. He related to this film so strongly that he went and saw it two nights in a row.

[JoeyNTerryLvJesus]

I have seen the movie Brokeback Mountain twice. First in Atlanta, and then in Chattanooga. I loved it! I can't wait until it comes out on DVD

Have a good evening,
Joey

[Jennifer5]

Does anyone know when it does come out on DVD? I would love to see it but I don't know if I'll get a chance to see it in threaters...

[JoeyNTerryLvJesus]

Jennifer I am not sure when Brokeback will come out on DVD. If anyone finds out anything about it, let me know.

Peace,
Joey

[SolInvictus]

Possible DVD release date (as found on amazon.com):
April 6, 2006

[Jennifer5]

Okay, Thanks ..... don't know if I can wait that long... this movie sounds really good.

[SolInvictus]

You're welcome & its a great film.

[Jennifer5]

Can't wait I'll just have to find time and money!

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,
I just went to Barnes and Noble and bought the little booklet that contains the original short story "Brokeback Mountain." It has the scene from the movie poster on the cover. I sat right down in the bookstore coffee shop and read the whole thing.

Wow! The movie really did follow the short story very closely! I think reading the short story does help clarify some of the message of the movie, and it confirms my understanding of what happened.

The shortstory actually begins with a little piece of Ennis' life that happens after the movie ends, and the story told in the movie is a "flash back" in the short story. This introduction to the short story confirms that Ennis continues to have a relationship with his now married, adult daughter (she obviously cared about him in the movie which ended as she plans to marry). It also confirms what is said by one of the songs in the soundtrack (my office mate and I at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Madison play the sound track over and over again!)--"I know a love that will never grow old."

It pisses me off that a review of the movie in a Methodist publication I just read simply dismisses it as a story about "adultery," and that discussion questions for viewers it suggests starts off with a discssion of the negative effects of "adultery" on families.

And, by the way, I heard Rodney Powell's ex-wife interviewed on a local radio station on the subject of the early civil rights movement--the interviewer, who is gay, brought up Brokeback Mountain and asked her about her experience as the former wife of a gay man. She had very good things to say. It obviously was difficult, but she feels now that it was very good that Rodney came to accept and to be the man that he is as a gay man.

Well, I could just go on and on, but I won't

Steven Webster

[Zerbie]

Hi Steven, go on as long as ya want. That's what the discussion board is for, and BB has so many layers, we could go on much longer than this talking about it.

Agreed. The movie follows the story script very closely. That struck me as I watched the movie - and imagine the difficulty, given the brevity of the story, of expanding that into 2 hours and filling it! Which they did, without boring the audience.

The movie is about so much more than just adultery. Omigosh - these people NEED to go see the movie! Presenting the story from the point of view of the 2 men does not make the movie an endorsement of adultery. It's just a movie!! A very good movie, but it's meant to be watched and taken as is, not as an endorsement (I believe). I think it's fantastic that we finally have a feature film reaching the mainstream audiences that depicts the kind of tragedy that ensues when we as a society force and pressure gay people to live up to a heterosexual "lifestyle" that is not consonant with their inner reality. Rather than blaming the guys for being "selfish", why don't these naysayers look to the forces that drive gay men into these painful and destructive relationships? Then the heartbreak would be averted for all. However obvious that may appear to us, there are so many gay/lesbian folks even now going through suffering much like the movie depicts. Still. When will it stop?

[tampabehrcub]

Me and my spouce went and seen it with a group of friends we all left the movie in tears most of us in the group were 35+ y/o men and woman after that we went to a local coffee house to discuss how we have not had very many changes in society from the way they look at us then and now we still have especially here in the tampa , florida are can not even express pride together because of our loved county commision forbiding gay pride events in all county buiesnesses and county property . the over all view of the movie for us was that it was very well done and had a lot of great moments of passion but would have been better if it would have ended with them both finally getting together and living life together most of the group here still remeber having to live their lives in secret and know they are being told that they must do this again

[keltic63]

I went to see it again last night and took my daughter because she wanted to see it. This time was tougher because I knew what was happening and could catch some things that I may have missed the first time. It really does leave me sad at the end. I find myself identifying with the characters because I too was in a straight marriage and felt trapped. I know that I am blessed to be able to live an open and honest life now; it's doubtful that Jack and Ennis could have done so, in that culture, in that time. It also makes me appreciate what I have with my SO.

[Vanessa White]

I have yet to see it. What did your daughter think of it, Keltic? I am not sure if I would rather go alone (my partner is not interested in it at all) or wait for the DVD release.

[keltic63]

Originally Posted by Vanessa White

I have yet to see it. What did your daughter think of it, Keltic? I am not sure if I would rather go alone (my partner is not interested in it at all) or wait for the DVD release.

my daughter liked it, but agreed that it's not the "feel-good movie of the year." I think she was able to see some of the things I've experienced and understand some of the emotions by watching the movie with me. She had a lot of questions about it afterward and said she'd like to read the short story now.

[Vanessa White]

That sounds like good use of your time with her. I am glad that you two could dialogue about it after. Peace.

[Jennifer5]

How old is she?