Free Republic

"Brokeback Mountain" and a slew of other arty, less-widely seen Oscar-nominated flicks are expected to take the polish off ABC's ratings for the Academy Awards this year. With no big-budget films like "Titanic," "Gladiator" or "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" in this season's crop of nominees, ABC may be staring down the barrel of one of the lowest-rated Oscar telecasts in recent memory when it airs on March 5, say TV-industry analysts.

"Brokeback Mountain," the story of two male ranch hands who become romantically involved, led all films with eight nominations for the 78th annual Academy Awards. "Brokeback," based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx, picked up nods for best picture, best director (Ang Lee), best actor (Heath Ledger), best supporting actress (Michelle Williams) and best supporting actor (Jake Gyllenhaal). Its screenplay adaptation, by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, also received a nomination.

LOS ANGELES — It may have "Crashed" at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but "Brokeback Mountain" is back in the saddle as the lead contender for Tuesday morning's Academy Award nominations. "Brokeback Mountain," the story of two cowboys in love, has dominated earlier Hollywood honors, earning best dramatic film and three other prizes at the Golden Globes and winning top awards from key critics groups. However, at Sunday night's Screen Actors Guild Awards, the ensemble drama "Crash" pulled off an upset win over "Brokeback" for the overall cast award. But experts believe the film is still positioned to become the...

Officials: Film’s absence due to timing, not subject matter “Brokeback Mountain,” the movie about a gay cowboy love affair that recently won four Golden Globe awards and is expected to be in the Oscar hunt, will not play in any U.S. military theaters in Europe. And not because it’s a gay cowboy love story. The movie, which has received almost universally glowing reviews and was the nation’s top grossing film per theater last week, suffers from the same problem that kept many of last year’s Academy Award winners — “The Aviator” and “Sideways” among them — out of AAFES theaters:...

West Hollywood -- I am a gift. A prize. After years of difficult repression, men with a secret seek me out as a reward for their good behavior. I make a living having sex with these closeted married men. I'm an "escort," to use the euphemism, which gives me a unique perspective on a potential, and particular, cultural fallout as "Brokeback Mountain" widens out not just to Britain but to every remaining crumb in America's breadbasket. Much has been made about the "turning point" effect Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee's Oscar-jockeying film could force upon Hollywood. The movie is based...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Brokeback Mountain," once ridiculed as "the gay cowboy movie" but now the front-runner in Hollywood's Oscar race, gets its first major awards show test on Monday night -- in prime time with millions watching. The gay romance goes into the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Monday with the most nominations -- seven -- of any film and with a favorite status that many in the industry think could be unshakable in the buildup to the March 5 Oscars. The Golden Globe Awards are an only-in-Hollywood tradition. They are given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,...