Brokeback Mountain at 20

[PeterRS]

Hard to believe that nearly 20 years have passed since this iconic movie hit theatres around the world starting in December 2005. It was re-released in certain territories last week.

Less hard to believe even today are the difficulties the film makers endured in getting Annie Proulx's short novel on to the screen. Director Ang Lee was on board from the start. The story about ordinary American cowboys who fall in love despite the serious reservations of one of the pair, however, was not popular with studios or with certain well known actors. Jake Gyllenhaal liked the script immediately. Other actors were approached about the role of Ennis, some even accepting. But all eventually turned down the role. The late Heath Ledger was initially thought to be not macho enough, but got the part because he had appeared in an earlier gay movie. 

Nominated for Best Picture at the 2006 Oscars, the movie lost out to what was politely called a piece of cheap trash titled Crash. Several critics derided the selection and called out the Academy for being homophobic. Hardly surprising as there had been many instances of Hollywood actually being homophobic. But the movie was a popular hit grossing US$176 million worldwide on a budget of around $14 million - and that was before DVD sales which totalled one million in the first week of sales in the USA.

 

[joizy]

3 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Hard to believe that nearly 20 years have passed since this iconic movie hit theatres around the world starting in December 2005. It was re-released in certain territories last week.

Less hard to believe even today are the difficulties the film makers endured in getting Annie Proulx's short novel on to the screen. Director Ang Lee was on board from the start. The story about ordinary American cowboys who fall in love despite the serious reservations of one of the pair, however, was not popular with studios or with certain well known actors. Jake Gyllenhaal liked the script immediately. Other actors were approached about the role of Ennis, some even accepting. But all eventually turned down the role. The late Heath Ledger was initially thought to be not macho enough, but got the part because he had appeared in an earlier gay movie. 

Nominated for Best Picture at the 2006 Oscars, the movie lost out to what was politely called a piece of cheap trash titled Crash. Several critics derided the selection and called out the Academy for being homophobic. Hardly surprising as there had been many instances of Hollywood actually being homophobic. But the movie was a popular hit grossing US$176 million worldwide on a budget of around $14 million - and that was before DVD sales which totalled one million in the first week of sales in the USA.

 

Personally, I had a hard time with Brokeback Mountain. I think I was influenced by the Celluloid Closet - a great documentary about censorship in film that basically made sure that gay characters did not exist, and if they did, they were portrayed as unhappy, in unfulfilling relationships, were suicidal or died before the end of the film. I saw Brokeback as fitting that pattern. I much preferred In and Out which got much less attention, but still featured some pretty big names. I made the mistake of seeing it at a theater in San Francisco and missed half of it because the laughter was so loud. It was much more positive and really about acceptance. And it was hysterical.