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Gay viewers' take on "Brokeback": It's really just a simple love story
Seattle Times ^ | Friday, December 23, 2005 | Jose Antonio Vargas

Posted on 12/23/2005 5:39:51 PM PST by presidio9

When word got around among gay people that Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, hunky Hollywood hotties du jour, were set to play ranch hands who fall in love in the idyllic mountains of Wyoming, there was a certain giddiness: Tight Levi's galore! The homoerotic Abercrombie & Fitch catalog writ large! A mainstream, romantic, holigay cowboy movie!

Then a herd mentality started to sink in, like a gay church praying at the altar of "Brokeback Mountain." There's a countdown on Gay.com ("It's finally here!"), E-vites are landing in in-boxes ("Let's watch it together!"), and blogs are keeping tabs on the film's awards, including seven Golden Globe nominations — the most of any film this year. The message is: If you're a self-respecting homosexual, you had better see this film, pronto.

Yet what's most surprising about "Brokeback" is that it's not a gay film. Not in the way gay films, especially those about gay men, usually are.

This is not a film about gay men and AIDS, à la "Philadelphia," which won Tom Hanks an Oscar, or "Love! Valour! Compassion!," the film version of the Terrence McNally play. It's neither comedic nor campy, nothing like "In & Out" or "The Birdcage." It's no "Kiss Me, Guido" or "Trick" or "The Broken Hearts Club," all set in big cities, with stereotypical gay characters — a thespian with the perfectly decorated Greenwich Village apartment, a West Hollywood muscle queen hooked on drugs — trapped in flamboyantly worn-out narratives.

Love repressed

Based on a spare short story by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Proulx and directed by Taiwanese American Ang Lee ("Sense and Sensibility," "The Ice Storm," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), it tells the story of Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Ledger), two vagabonds whose lifelong affair begins in Brokeback Mountain on a chilly night in 1963.

They part ways, marry women who don't know their secret and have children, only to reunite four years later with a deep, fiery, longing kiss that is arguably the most passionate man-on-man kiss to have been put on screen.

"Theirs is a story of a love that was repressed," Lee, who is married and has two kids, says in an interview. "That's really what drew me to the story."

Year after year, spanning two decades, Jack and Ennis reunite at Brokeback Mountain, frustrated, scared, still in love — and giving new meaning to "goin' fishin'," the excuse they tell their wives.

There is one sex scene in the movie, which Lee describes as "animalistic," "spontaneous" and "aggressive"; it stands in stark contrast to the kissing scene, which is meant to be "sexy." If you don't buy that kiss, Lee adds, then you won't buy the love affair.

"It's not about sex"

The film's old-fashioned romanticism wasn't what some early viewers had expected. "It doesn't fit into the current gay culture as we know it. It's not about sex; I was actually surprised that there wasn't that much sex in it," says Jonathan Rosales, 21, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California who saw "Brokeback" in Los Angeles.

Joseph Wiedman, a 31-year-old lawyer who saw the film in San Francisco, adds, "The big thing is: The movie is really well done and really accessible, for gays and straights. It's not preachy, as one of my friends pointed out, and not at all political. It's very personal."

"Brokeback" pushes the boundaries on two fronts: It's a Hollywood romance, but with gay men; it's a gay film, but with broader, more universal themes.

"They can call it whatever they want to call it; just don't call it a 'gay cowboy love story.' That's upsetting to me," says Paul Pecoriano, 35, an actor and waiter in Manhattan.

"It's a love story, period," says Pecoriano.


TOPICS: Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: barf; brokeback; hollyweird; homosexualagenda; humpbackmounting; moviereview; notgayenough; pudding
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To: Casloy

LOL. I think that's spelled Mountin or is that too subtle?


81 posted on 12/24/2005 3:41:50 PM PST by bigsigh
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To: Nick5; All

"And Brokeback Mountain is a work of art that your grandchildren will be watching."

Homo troll. No doubt about it. One page of comments in the last several years, many of them supporting the homosexual agenda.

I'm sure there's child pornography that's artistically done as well. For him to say that our grandchildren will be watching this is a key here. So Brokeback Mtn is not just a good film, it's one of those all time classics like "It's a Wonderful Life" or something.


82 posted on 12/24/2005 3:53:55 PM PST by little jeremiah
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To: Nick5
The movie's great


So, Paul Pecoriano...


Is it really of love story, or...


Just another sick gay cowboy movie of homo's eating puddin' off of big sticks on the range?
83 posted on 12/24/2005 4:14:43 PM PST by dagoofyfoot
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To: Nick5
It's a masterpiece which is going to be seen and talked about, which is going to move people to tears for many many years after we are all gone. I think that I can be a conservative and support small government, a strong defense policy and the power of the free market without losing the ability to be moved by a work of art like Brokeback Mountain

???? ROTFLMAO!!!!!

84 posted on 12/24/2005 4:21:24 PM PST by DBeers (†)
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To: little jeremiah; DirtyHarryY2K
poing!

The Natural Laws Can Not Be Denied
- Resistance Is Futile!

85 posted on 12/24/2005 4:30:54 PM PST by DBeers (†)
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To: EdReform; backhoe; Yehuda; Clint N. Suhks; saradippity; stage left; Yakboy; I_Love_My_Husband; ...

Homosexual Agenda Ping.

Here we are having a heated discussion about the merits and demerits of the homosexual lust story and we didn't even ping it out to the list!

Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas Eve, and if any of you have time for scanning this thread, chime in.

Freepmail me and DirtyHarryY2K if you want on/off this pinglist.


86 posted on 12/24/2005 5:10:29 PM PST by little jeremiah
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To: DBeers

I'm moved, kind of like Mr. Pumpkin on the right.


87 posted on 12/24/2005 5:13:16 PM PST by little jeremiah
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To: little jeremiah

You know who's grandchildren won't be watching this movie? The one million gay men who live in this country and ran out to see this movie the week it came out. They won't be reproducing.


88 posted on 12/24/2005 5:13:17 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam Is As Islam Does)
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To: little jeremiah
I'm moved, kind of like Mr. Pumpkin on the right.

LOL - the moving story of adultery and homosexual activity -love, as defined by the morally devoid crowd.

Movie profit like morality is not defined by homosexual activist cheerleaders...

89 posted on 12/24/2005 5:23:30 PM PST by DBeers (†)
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To: little jeremiah
This <s>crosses out</s> and produces

This crosses out

Happy Holidays Merry Christmas :)

90 posted on 12/24/2005 6:29:58 PM PST by freedumb2003 (American troops cannot be defeated. American Politicians can.)
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To: Gordongekko909
Man alive, they want to cram this movie down our throat."

Don't think this isn't true.

What they're gonna do, they're gonna shower this movie with awards and accolades. Given enough time, it will evolve into an "art" film.

I was telling my son-in-law the other day, father of my precious 2 yr old granddaughter, that "Brokeback Mountain" wasn't going to go away soon.

He shrugged and laughed, derisive to the movie in that way of normal people. He said he could care less about the movie.

I asked him what he was going to think when his daughter gets to be in about, oh say 6th grade, and they show this movie to the class under the guise of introducting them to good cinema. After all it won lots of awards and also teaches "diversity".

Because that's the plan for this movie as I see it. You watch. This movie was produced for the homosexuals of today but it was also meant to serve as propaganda for the children of the future. This movie will get so many awards, mark my words. Oscar, Golden Globes, Peoples' Choice...anything and everything. Reviewers will write glowing reviews, liberals will gush over the film's beauty.

And when my granddaughter is about 12 or so, she'll be watching it in school. She will have been raised in such a politically correct society by that time and her teachers will admonish any reaction that isn't full of praise.

My son-in-law shut the joking when I said all this.

Because THAT is the plan, ladies and gems. THAT is the plan.

91 posted on 12/24/2005 7:54:54 PM PST by Fishtalk (Pop Culture and Political Pundit-http://patfish.blogspot.com/)
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To: Nick5; ImaGraftedBranch
And Brokeback Mountain is a work of art that your grandchildren will be watching.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

92 posted on 12/24/2005 7:56:55 PM PST by Ultra Sonic 007 (The opposite of Progress is Congress)
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To: freedumb2003
Hmmmm - Happy Holidays WOW! Thanks, Friend! And a blessed and happy Christmas to you, too!
93 posted on 12/24/2005 9:45:36 PM PST by little jeremiah
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To: Nick5
One of Omni-One's abilities is to read minds, and know what people will do next. And he can see RIGHT through your little facade, with your Homo, liberal tripe, trying to be a sleeper troll. Well, you've been uncovered.

ZOT time!!
94 posted on 12/24/2005 9:57:51 PM PST by Rca2000 (I am Omni-one. I see all, hear all and know all, I can read your mind. You cannot stop me.)
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To: little jeremiah; All
Shouldn't this be called "fudgepack" mountain?
95 posted on 12/24/2005 10:01:49 PM PST by Rca2000 (I am Omni-one. I see all, hear all and know all, I can read your mind. You cannot stop me.)
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To: Fishtalk
So right you are. It is definitely all part of the big plan.
96 posted on 12/24/2005 10:02:35 PM PST by Rca2000 (I am Omni-one. I see all, hear all and know all, I can read your mind. You cannot stop me.)
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To: Rca2000

I came to this site to exchange ideas because the liberals around me weren't interested in dialogue, just in standing around agreeing with each other that Stanley Williams is a hero, or guns weren't to be trusted in the hands of the common man. And so I came to freepublic.com, where I embraced much of what was being said about faith in the individual. I only posted on threads where I wasn't in agreement with the majority--where I felt that the majority was moving toward its own kind of reverse political correctness--because where's the fun agreeing? Now I'm finding that once again it's all about standing around agreeing with each other. Has freerepublic changed in the last few years? Does anybody else feel like the dialgue has gone out of it?


97 posted on 12/24/2005 10:59:46 PM PST by Nick5
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To: freedumb2003

Actually, it's not about "sheep herders" either since neither of the two characters does any of that (I read the story, haven't seen, won't be seeing, the film).

The entire story is just about two homosexual males who betray everyone in their lives, including themselves, their families, their employer (who spies on their evil deeds from another hilltop), their job duties...

There's nothing in this story about "love." There is only the reinforcement for homosexuals that ethical betrayals and homosexual deviance as to sexuality is the thing to watch and contemplate.

That is literally all that the film and the disgusting and digustingly badly written story from whence the film has been adapted are about.

Don't even get me started on author Proulx and the awards she has received for butchering and deviant abuse of the English language.


98 posted on 12/25/2005 12:30:21 AM PST by MillerCreek
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To: Nick5

"It's a drama about an aspect of the human experience which is, like it or not, real. Everybody walking out of the theater when I saw it was crying or stunned--old people, young people, straight couples, gay couples. It's about loss and regret and the choices we make which spread ripples of unhappiness through our lives and the lives of people raound us. Has anybody else who has posted on this thread seen it? It's a masterpiece which is going to be seen and talked about, which is going to move people to tears for many many years after we are all gone. I think that I can be a conservative and support small government, a strong defense policy and the power of the free market without losing the ability to be moved by a work of art like Brokeback Mountain."

NAMBLA members make the same claims. Try changing the age of one of the "actors" to a 10 year old boy and the same male actor. Hollywood could manipulate your emotions similarly, but that doesn't make it right. Hollywood is not reality nor is homosexual behavior anything but perversion and a huge public health issue costing lives and wasted billions. It is indeed a masterful product of a very sick mind.


99 posted on 12/25/2005 8:16:37 AM PST by Neoliberalnot
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To: presidio9
""self-respecting homosexual""



Can't say I EVER met one. One thing they all seem to lack is self respect. Anyone who thinks that a self respecting heterosexual will go to see this movie, is nuts!

And one more time, they are not cowboys, they are shepherds! Who selfishly dishonor, dismiss and deceive their wives and children.
100 posted on 12/25/2005 9:27:02 AM PST by gidget7 (Get GLSEN out of our schools!!!!!!)
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