Brokeback Mt.

[june]

Hello all,

Anyone seen this film? Is it "OSCAR" material?



june

[George Bellefontaine]

Is it "OSCAR" material?
june

Good question. The subject matter of this film will turn off many viewers but will that matter come voting time for Oscars ? I have heard good things about the acting of the two male leads. But I have to say I will be passing on this one.

[Shane Martin]

Did not play here. Should be out on DVD in March I hear.

The subject matter of this film will turn off many viewers but will that matter come voting time for Oscars ?

I think it will get nominated on the strength of the subject matter alone. Hollywood tends to do this.

[H.Donald]

I seem to have a problem with agenda films....be they,Fahrenheit 911,Passion of the Christ or Brokeback Mountian.So,that's a big Pass for me.

[purplepeople]

It's quite good actually. And beautifully shot. Really, though, how can they go wrong with big sky scenery?

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are much better actors than their previous material might lead one to believe. Ledger makes you really believe he is the tough and monosyllabic cowboy that he plays.

While there are scenes about choices and situations regarding families and work, I don't think it is an agenda film. Seems more like another Romeo and Juliet story where the two main characters can't be together for various reasons.

I, too, expected it to demonize society, but I'd have to say the presentation is more matter-of-fact. In fact, I found it a nice change of pace from the rah-rah patriotism that is so evident in many action films.

Moreso, I think the story shows how difficult life can be for people who live in the closet, especially a mid-western one. It's too bad more people won't see it because of pre-conceptions.

Anne Hathaway of Princess Diaries and Michelle Williams round it out and they are also surprisingly good. Especially Williams, who shows herself as much better than Katie Holmes, her colleague from Dawson's Creek.

If your lady makes you go, bring a thick skin... there will be a couple of Oscar moments. And whatever you do, don't go on a double-date. That makes it much more difficult to have an intelligent conversation about it afterwards.

ensen.

[cinema bob]

just thought i would point out that montana is about 1200 miles west of being midwestern.

[purplepeople]

Yeah.... when it's not either coast or south of the freezing lands where I live, it's all mid-west.

Seriously, though... I looked it up and there is no real place called Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming and the thing was filmed in Alberta, which one of our group thought was somewhere near Banff.

ensen.

[NMyTree]

I'm waiting for the DVD.

I tend to enjoy these type of movies at home, rather than a theater, where unfortunately, there seems to always be people yapping and creating distractions.

[june]

hello all,

we saw BBM last night. "HEATH LEDGER" will get the oscar. this film was awesome.





june

[Claude D D]

Good question. The subject matter of this film will turn off many viewers but will that matter come voting time for Oscars ? I have heard good things about the acting of the two male leads. But I have to say I will be passing on this one.

I agree with you George.

[Burke Strickland]

I won’t go see “Citizen Kane” because I dislike listening to untalented opera singers and I stay away from “The Sound of Music” since I hate Nazis and I refuse to subject myself to Brokeback Mountain because I’ve heard it’s a “gay movie”.

Whoops – too late. Already saw it. “Brokeback Mountain” is a moving story, beautifully produced and superbly acted. Dismissing it as a “gay movie” really misses the point. Like all great art, its message is universal beyond the plot outline.

Its theme of suppressed passion and alienation while trying to survive in a hostile social climate could have been about persecuted Christians in Cold War Communist countries, intellectuals among rednecks, ethical people in the Enron executive suite... good people whose existence is not readily accepted by the society they live in, leading to difficult situations and troubling choices.

If they had cut about a minute and 45 seconds of footage, the film wouldn’t have been any more “gay” than “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. Of course, those brief snippets help establish the characters’ dilemma and while the scenes may be a bit of a shock, they are a lot less challenging to watch than a lot of TV news footage.

Since some of you purposely plan to miss it in the commercial theaters, maybe they should program the DVD to allow going straight past the potentially discomfort-inducing sequences so you can safely catch up with the film after it wins a ton more of well-deserved awards.

[aud19]

I haven't seen it but....

Well said Burke :T

[George Bellefontaine]

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it, Burke. And now I may never watch Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid ever again.

[Alloroc]

Edit - I've edited my question, well removed it actually, as after re-reading it, it's an unfair question to ask and I apologise if I've irked anyone by asking it.....

I'll leave this in tho' - A 'bi-curious cowboy movie' would be more appropriate!

[George Bellefontaine]

I have nothing against gay cowboys or gay anything, I just have no interest in the subject matter, so I don't want to waste my time watching a movie about it. I also have no interest in butterfly collecting and wopuldn't watch a movie with that subject matter either.

Vincent, I saw nothing wrong with you post, otherwise as a mod, I would have removed it myself.

[David Meek]

Is that where the term "cowpokes" comes from? :gah:

[bigburner]

And now I may never watch Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid ever again.

Don't tell me that they're friends of Dorothy too?

[Alaric]

8x)....

[obiwan]

I'm a friend of Dorothy, I quite enjoyed it. I had friends who saw it out in the "burbs" and they said about 10 people up and left when things started to get raunchy in that short tent scene. One day we'll all grow up.

It didn't move me as much as The Family Stone where the 3 of us that saw it had to wait for most of the audience to leave so they wouldn't see our tears.

[George Bellefontaine]

Who the hell is Dorothy ?

[Alaric]

Dorothy is....

I have been told (strictly hearsay , no guarantee as to accuracy) the Dorothy ref. is a Judy Garland/show tune /stereotype thing.
As a heterosexual with a sensitive tummy , I take exception to the "We'll all grow up" comment. :blink:

[Needtawrite]

I was turned off by the subject matter but I agreed at the request of a relative. I was very surprised that is was a good movie. I would not be surprised if Heath Ledger gets an oscar.

I kinda cringed in a couple of places but thankfully, they didn't last long.

It was a lot more sad than I would like but the scenery was awesome.

[Burke Strickland]

Who the hell is Dorothy ?

The identity of "Dorothy" came out in the comedy movie "My Fellow Americans" where two ex-Presidents from opposite ends of the political spectrum are on the run from some bad guys out to kill them. Among the mildly amusing episodes where they have to work together to save themselves despite seeming to hate each other's guts, as camoflouge, they participate in a Gay Pride parade where a marching group refers to themselves as "Friends of Dorothy".

From the pictures the group carries, "Dorothy" refers to the character in "The Wizard of Oz" and as depicted in the movie, "friends of Dorothy" are definately gay and proud. I'm guessing the explanation of why "Dorothy" is what was suggested in the post above about the Judy Garland/stereotyped-fan stuff -- a case of where what some people might have intended as an insult is turned around and embraced as a postive.

In the movie, the "friends of Dorothy" end up saving the two ex-presidents in an unexpected way, (it could have been straight guys doing the same thing, but the presumed irony wouldn't have been there), which, on the outside chance that you will now see the film, I won't reveal here. I'm not recommending a purchase of "My Fellow Americans", but it was amusing enough to laugh through once. -- a rental would probably be sufficient.

The political satire and killer-thriller elements take up a lot more screen time than any other social commentary. While you don't need to see it just to be brought up to date on who "Dorothy" is, since you likely now have your curioisty on that fulfilled here, I can assure you it has NOTHING to do with butterfly collecting. :>)

Sorry if I BROKE the train of thought about the thread subject with a digression about another movie. Now BACK to our regularly scheduled programming before the thread subject takes home a MOUNTAIN of Oscars. :>)

Burke

[George Bellefontaine]

Well that explains it all, Burke.

[obiwan]

"As a heterosexual with a sensitive tummy , I take exception to the "We'll all grow up" comment"

Sorry no offense intended, perhaps I should have said that one day the people who need to grow up, will grow up.

[Alaric]

Exception , not offense! Just a difference in personal taste. I'm getting less likely to plunk down $30-$40 for a movie unless I'm somewhat confident I'll like it a lot.
Also , an apology for getting misinformation on the Dorothy thing-then posting it. I'm not much of a believer in stereotypes myself. As a middle-aged , white male I'm running the world and getting rich. Now THAT's a stereotype!
Finally , why in the heck would someone go see the movie and get up and leave? I thought everybody knew about that movie? Now I may have to see it just to see what all the fuss is about. So many avenues to explore in life....

[obiwan]

I thouught "everybody" knew about that movie too. But one of my new female staff also had absolutely no idea and would have gone to see it on the basis that Heath Ledger was in it. Anyway, we filled her, she went and saw it, and absolutely loved it.

[Alaric]

Hmmmmm

I guess I'll have to see it eventually. Probably not until I can rent it , though. Not a huge fan of the theatre experience. Probably why I keep getting bigger TVs! Thanks for the input , obiwan.
I love this forum-something new around every corner!

[purplepeople]

...why in the heck would someone go see the movie and get up and leave? ....

Interesting question.

Maybe in the first 6 weeks of it's release, this would have been a legitimate act by someone who didn't like the film, but after all the hype, to see it now and then leave mid-way would just be rude, like hurling epithets at the other movie patrons.

ensen.

[Alloroc]

Watched a South Park rerun over the weekend..... The one where the Sundance Film Festival debunked to South Park. Anyone remember it? The "chocolate salty balls" one.

Anyhow, Cartman makes a usual, ingnorant pearl of wisdom about independent movies when he exclaims "Naw dude, Independent films are those black and white hippy movies. They're always about gay cowboys eating pudding"

Towards the end of the episong, we have Stan at the cinema, and lo and be hold a Gay Cowboy movie comes on and presents a, well tender moment on screen where our rather earnest, animated, gay cowboys, bored with their pudding, well, they go all Brokeback on their a$$es (real sorry if that offends, couldn't help myself! :twisted: ). Cut to Stan's horrified face, made even more hilarious by the sound effects.

Quite the coincindence.....

[bigburner]

Who the hell is Dorothy ?

“Friend of Dorothy" is a phrase used to describe someone who's gay. It refers to Dorothy Gale, the character played by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. Some people believe that it refers to Dorothy Parker, a drama critic for Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Parker was widely published in the 1930s and '40s, and was very popular in gay circles. Other people believe that the phrase refers to Dorothy King who was a London socialite back in Oscar Wilde's day. Because so many of her friends were gay, they came to be known as "Friends of Dorothy." However there is no real evidence to support either of the two latter theories so The Wizard of Oz is very probably the true origin of the phrase.

The phrase dates back to the days when homosexuality was illegal in the United Kingdom and the United States. Saying that a man was a "friend of Dorothy" was a way of discussing sexual orientation without other people knowing what you were talking about.

[brac]

Gotta agree with this 100%.. big dif. between art & agenda

I seem to have a problem with agenda films....be they,Fahrenheit 911,Passion of the Christ or Brokeback Mountian.So,that's a big Pass for me.

at least if they are shoving something gay down our throat its only a movie.

No offense I have nothing against a persons right to choose who they want to be with but hollywood really needs to chill!!

I can't rembember the last big release of a wholesome family film.

[bigburner]

I can't rembember the last big release of a wholesome family film.

The Wizard of Oz perhaps?

[David Meek]

Is it "OSCAR" material?

In hindsight, I'd say the Academy answered THAT question whether one wants to see it or not.

[purplepeople]

I can't remember the last big release of a wholesome family film.

Let's see... Narnia, Harry Potter 1-4, Polar Express, Star Wars, Lady and the Tramp DVD, Princess Diaries, Herbie (Lohan), Shrek(s), Monsters Inc., Nanny McPhee, Home Alone, et al.

ensen.