I wanted to post something about this movie, which I went to see on Sunday with some friends from work.

If you haven't heard about it, it's a new movie just released in limited markets (mostly big cities in the USA) about two cowboys in Wyoming who fall in love and then about how they deal with their relationship through the years from about 1963-the late 70's. It stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal and you can read about the movie, see the trailer and the release cities at http://www.brokebackmountain.com .

In my humble opinion, this is one of the most remarkable movies I've ever seen.

Let me warn you though, the story is incredibly intense and the story is over-the-edge heartbreaking. As a friend said afterwards, it's as if you're lying on a table with water slowly dripping on your forehead and you can't get it to stop and before you know it, you're sort of drowning in the story and the emotions of these two guys.

I know that many of you perhaps will not get a chance to see it because it'll probably not be shown in wide release because already so many theater owners and managers think (probably without having even seen it) that it's not appropriate for their local markets. Hockey Puck! Everyone who can should see this movie!

I think the appropriate thing for us at gf.com with regard to this movie is that both of these men fall in love, they marry, have children and families yet know what they really want. Well at least one of them does and the other only realizes later.

The scenery is amazing (I think it was filmed in Alberta, Canada). The acting is perfect.

If anyone else has seen it, I was wondering what thoughts and reactions you had to the movie. For me it was hard to even sleep (not because it was like a horror movie).

If you subscribe to netflix.com, you can add it to your queue and it'll be sent to you once it's released on DVD.

An amazing movie and I highly recommend it to all of you!


Jim

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We saw the previews when we went to see Rent. I'm hoping some place here in the hills of PA will be showing it soon.

I watched the trailer again on the website you linked to, Jim. There's a cool feature on the site where you can "share your story" about seeing the movie.

Good news here in WNY! I read in the paper that it will be showing in Buffalo and Rochester in the beginning of January. We are looking forward to see it!

HI All,

This film really has provoked alot of time/space/words/drivel...etc online in so many blogs on the net. I was reading a thread today where they were moaning about the lack of happy ending gay story lines in films and books.

Firstly it is clear that alot of gay men have never read the book, if so they would know the authors style and have an understanding of the characters and the plot....it is only a teenweeny volume so I am sure even the most cliched of queer boy could manage that, but so many seem unable to complete that task....lol. I do hope I haven't offended anyone here, just my personal ramblings.

HOWEVER...this idea that there are few and far between happy gay themed endings ..characters etc is something of interest...!! Now a sad tragic ending is of course more memorable...dramatic...perhaps true to life etc, but do we have examples of a happy gay ending??

I go to see Brokeback M at the weekend when it is released here in the UK...looking forward to that immensely.

Cheerio for now...Vincent..xx

With all the pro and con rhetoric being thrown about on various websites and periodicals I decided to read the story that inspired the film. I ordered the book and read it in one sitting about three months ago. Tremendously heart-wrenching. But written in a style that's never preachy, never cloying. It's not Hardy. It's just gritty humanity.

My partner took longer to read it. He's a different man. He struggled with the difficult circumstances in which the characters found themselves. But once he got past the emotional brutality, he found himself as drawn into their lives as much as I did. We can't wait to see it.

I think we're fortunate in the UK. There's a greater acceptance of gays in mainstream entertainment which means that even if it's not screened in every town with a small cinema, it will be at least in every multi-plex. Very few folk should have to drive 50 miles to see it.

Yeah, I'll have to drive just over fifty miles myself. It's showing south of here, in Harrisburg on Sunday the 17th.

As for Happy endings... It's an interesting question. I've read a book or two with "Happy" gay endings, though I cannot recall a title off the top of my head.

Nope, you haven't offended me in the least, Vince. I've heard a lot of the whining as well, and chuckled to see you getting gruff and defending a work that means something to you. I guess a few years back, after "Jeffery," "It's My Party" and several other such movies, I myself had bitched that there wasn't a gay story that didn't include an AIDS tragedy. Not that I thought the subject wasn't worthy of attention, just that I thought there was also more to being a gay man than HIV. On some level though, I was probably missing the point.

There have been hetero tragedies aplenty. So here finally we have one that speaks to the hearts of many of us who have had to hide our true feelings, had to love in secret. Life is not all as fun as Karen and Jack in Will and Grace, nor is it as fabulous as Queer Eye. God only knows, we wish some days it were as glamorous as Queer as Folk!

So, people maybe we just need to quit bitching and moaning, and acting like grumpy movie critics (remember, no one really likes Siskel and Ebert anyway). But then maybe that's the only lives some have, vicarious ones? (oooh... now who sounds catty here, Vincent?)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Son of Walt,

I think it is a never-mind whether the story ends on a positive or a negative note. In this case, although the ending is not positive, it is what it is and I think it's perfect.

David said it best that real life is not as fun as Karen and Jack in Will & Grace or any other TV drama portraying gays positively. Yes of course it's beautiful to see their happy lives and glamorous characters.

I work with a (straight) guy who saw the movie this past weekend with his wife. They were stunned by the movie. My guess is that as time goes on and more people see this movie, it's impact will grow.

As soon as it's released on DVD, it's going to be in my collection.

Cheers,

Jim

Saw the movie last night with friends in a packed cinema at 1030 on a Sat night!!! Met friends there who tried to go see it earlier in the evening in Belfasts main city centre cinema and found it was booked out!!!!!!!! The crowd was very mixed...fair share of gay couples and groups but loads of, well what I assume were young straight couples too....yahoooo.

The film was very good..true to the book in detail and essence, the acting was smashing, the scenery fantastic, cinematography gorgeous and it didn't try to hide from the fact that two young men did fall for each other, have hard rough sex as well as gentle intimate loving relations....and develop a type of relationship in the context of the sixties religious conservative America...which ultimately was unfulfiling and tragic for both of them but was full of joy and love too. I used to say the Pearl by J Stienbeck was one of the saddest books I ever read, well Brokeback matched that when I read a couple of years ago. I felt a deep sense of sadness towards the end of the film but also took away a message that life is for living, love is to be experienced, risks taken and I am so grateful that I have the choice and opportunity to love a man...any man as I want to today in relative freedom and without significant dire consequence.

I know that is not the situation for all...but we are getting there. Go see the film for many reasons, and lets hope some Americans in particular will see this genre for what it truely is and not some dire tale that will lead to an end to marriage and the American way of life. No insult intended friends, just reading some of the press and other stuff said over there...ok...xoxoxo

Cheerio for now...Vincent...xoxo

Saw it last night, too. As Tim mentioned, it opened here in Buffalo this weekend. I found myself absorbed in the calm, steady pace of the film and development of the characters. I had skimmed the short story when the NY Times had it online temporarily, and have read quite a bit online, so there were no real surprises. Just a beautiful, sweet love story with a sad ending. I will likely see it again while it's in the neighborhood.

After the movie, my partner and I had 41 guys over to the house for dinner. I'm not kidding. The house isn't all that big, so we were really squeezed. Most had just come from the movie - others had seen it earlier in the weekend - so it was great to hear the converstaions about the film while impressions were fresh.

Saw the movie last night. Good entertainment -definite worth seeing. There is a lesson in the movie that I missed in life... read on!

I'm not sure I was moved as much by the movie as other people here were, maybe because I have a similar guy from my past... met him one summer spent in the woods when I was 20. Best summer of my life. I think my story would actually make a better movie - if I knew how to turn myself into a novelist! LOL I was supposed to join my guy after graduation from college... but things changed. I was afraid to to take risk and move accross the country without a job. He found somebody else, I found somebody else. Then I got married. We stayed in touch regularly for about 5 years, and still have common friends. So I heard about him over the years. Then 4 years ago, just as I knew my marriage was likely to end, I felt a strong need to see him to be sure I was heading down the path I was heading down for the right reasons... and not for some latent desire for him. I wasn't ending my marriage for him. We missed out time... he is settled and happy.

So... the lesson of the movie, don't pass by an opportunity, if can affect you for a life time! I will always have my memories, and my feelings... but also the wonderment of: WHAT IF? Amazing how similar my post-40 life is to the surviving character, Ennis, in the movie.

David

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

I keep getting the run-around from all the major theatres here in Saskatoon. I believe tho' that as soon as Cineplex-Odeon is finished with the limited release, our local Rainbow theatre will pick it up. It is owned by a gay couple in Regina, and I think they will show it... but they are a second run movie theatre, so will have to wait till it finishes elsewhere.

Possibly, after the Oscars, as I was told by Famous Players that it would most likely be re-released sometime around then, depending upon the results of the Academy Awards, which will further delay the showing in Regina and Saskatoon.

Can't wait!

Here is a funny!

http://othersiderainbow.blogspot.com/2006/01/pokeback-mountain.html

and here is a post I made on 'OZ':

http://othersiderainbow.blogspot.com/2006/01/brokeback-leads-golden-globe.html

Hi there,well there certantly is a lot of hype over this one isn't there. Here in the land of OZ, Australia that is.(not to be mistaken with the wizards magical place) Sydney to be precise we have yet to have it released. 3 days time I think? Like the UK we are a bit lickier here with acceptance. However, in saying that it has been banned in some of our shall we say 'less openminded' cities and towns here too.

By all accounts though I think this could be the film we have been waiting for. Sure, I need to see the film first to comment first hand but I have a good feeling about the shift in attitudes this film with enact.

Can't wait to see it either, I'm sorry for those of you who are directly effected by the banning in certain areas

Let you know what reactions are like here in OZ after it's release..

S

I saw the movie a couple of weeks ago and it really had an affect on both my partner and myself. I was drawn into the movie by the characters, the scenery, and the parallels to our own lives. The Ennis character reminded me of my partner....practical, dutiful, realistic. Jack remeinded me of myself in some respects (Looks not being on of them!).

I am going to see it again tomorrow night to absorb some of what I probably missed the first time around. I was happy to see that it won 4 Golden Globes. I know that it's up for other honors at the various other Hollywood award shows. Apparently, Gene Shallit is the only person on the face of the planet who didn't like it. I thought he was out there when he referred to Jack as being a sexual preditor! I couldn't believe it!

Well! Finally!! Brokeback is playing in ToonTown! Can't wait to go see it! I already bought a Brokeback coffee mug and a ball cap. My partner bought a couple of 8X10 stills from the movie as well. Can you say that "We're excited?" You betcha, eh?

Here is a small portion of a review written by a well known gay commentator in the UK www.marksimpson.com he writes for Gay Times etc. Not certain what he was trying to say to be honest, just interested in someone else's interpretation of this guys attempts at being clever and being seen to be clever!!! Essentially the piece in total indicates he was hoping for gay cowboy full on porn and therefore was a little dissappointed. Any way read this and see what you make of it!!!

'Brokeback' is not a serious exploration of rural retrosexuality and its discontents, and certainly not a love story, but rather it’s feature-length propaganda for contemporary, metropolitan metrosexuality. It is an attack on retrosexual repression in general and old-style, ‘outmoded’ stoic masculinity in particular. This is the real reason for its tremendous, zeitgeisty popularity

Mmmmmmmh well what did you get from that?

Cheerio for now...Vincent...xx