Just saw Brokeback Mountain--still deciding what I thought...

[joeybee12]

...yes, I liked it. Not sure if I loved it. The best part is the beginning, and the end is very good. But it is a little long, and the middle really could have been shortened. Don't want to say more in case anyone who reads this has yet to see the movie.

Yes, Heath is very, very good, however, Jake is vastly under-rated. You can see his heart breaking at times in his eyes and that is very touching and painful.

Good thing, this was in Hartford and the matinee was packed. Very few gay people and lots of seniors. Some of the women were crying at the end.

[CTyankee]

1. Hi, I saw it in Orange, CT!

last Monday. Very small audience. I couldn't tell who might have been gay in the audience.

I too thought it was a bit long. But overall worth the time invested because the story did span a long time and we needed to know that. I want to read the story now because I want to see what the author might have said to shed light on the ending. It was discused in a DU Lounge thread last week. What was your reading of the end when Ennis says "Jack, I swear..."?

[swimmernsecretsea]

11. CTyankee

Could you link to the topic thread about the ending line? I was a bit mystified by that myself. I'd read the original story, but it's been a while and I've loaned the book out.

Spoiler Alert:

I was somehow disappointed that they chose to portray the fate of Jack Twist's character so explicitly. It was somewhat implied in the story, but on a simply personal level, I just hate how gay characters have to be punished especially harshly. Yes, I know this is real, but it felt like "well, this is what you get when you do things like this."

[CTyankee]

16. I am so sorry, I just don't remember the DU thread

It was in the DU Lounge as I recall and you could do a search, but maybe not. It was several days ago as I only saw the movie last Monday.

So sorry. I do agree with you about Jack Twist's character. But I did expect a lot of that.

There is so much in this movie that is not uncovered immediately. Particularly the role of the women who are married to Jack and Ennis (and the woman who later falls in love with Ennis and Ennis's daughter). These are extremely important characters in this movie, even tho the movie is a love story about two men. It shows us the intertwining of lives of men and women and children and how homophobism affects all of us humans on the face of the earth.

[joeybee12]

17. Sorry I haven't responded sooner...my take is that Ennis

is still in love with Jake, and all he has left of him now is the shirt. He couldn't commit to having a real relationship, and this is what he's left with...a tragic ending.

[serryjw]

2. My gay friends in CA

didn't love it. They thought it didn't go far enough and was too PC. I still have not seen it, maybe this week. It sounds like straight people liked it better than gays...Is this true??

[carpe diem]

4. didn't go far enough in terms of what?...

and too pc how?...

[serryjw]

6. I'm not sure but read the post below

I'll try and see this week

[Bumblebee]

9. In terms of it being a safe ersatz "gay" film for straight audiences

That was my feeling too, and I wondered if my gay friends would like it well beyond appreciating it as a good first major "mainstream" step, especially if it wins an Oscar. I did like it, and definitely appreciated the "political" irony of one of them being from Texas, and the other from Wyoming...

[kweerwolf]

5. That may very well be right

I saw it Thursday night as was a bit underwhelmed by it. That surprised me because I absolutely loved the short story on which it's based. But the film version left me feeling detached from rather than involved with the story.

I can understand why the story was expanded to flesh out the parts of Alma and Lureen, but it feels like this was done to appeal to straight women. That makes sense because Hollywood can't make a film strictly for a gay audience because it couldn't make enough money to make a profit.

The other scene that really bothered me is the scene in which Ennis talks to Lureen on the phone. In the story the fate of Jack is left ambiguous and that's a far more powerful statement than the film version that makes it explicit. (Sorry if I'm being a bit vague here. I don't want to post spoilers for those who have not yet seen the movie.)

The film is very faithful to the original story, except for expanding the story to include characters that were only a small part of the story. And in that I think it over-reaches itself by trying to give a very personal story broader appeal.

[joeybee12]

18. You know, I didn't think they made Jack's fate explicit...

...it sort of left you thinking that maybe he did get beaten and killed, or maybe just Ennis automatically thinks that.

I really think they needed to have more with Jack and Ennis together--that felt a little thin. As I noted in my original post, there were women crying in the audience at the end--probably appealed to them more than us.

Anyway, my friend and I had the same underwhelming reaction, as did my cousin, who is also gay.

[dsc]

3. I saw it in a packed theater

literally no seat left unfilled. It was in DC but it was on multiple screens (literally every hour on the hour). Both leads were great and I felt the film was very good. I also would like to read the novel to see what the author's take was on the ending other issues.

[ruggerson]

7. What is it with this movie and the elderly?

When we saw it, it was literally packed with elderly couples. The very last demographic I would have thought it would appeal to.

[w13rd0]

8. Some people...

...realize that their predjudices may be do to "old world" attitudes. An elderly individual likely has a couple generations of family around them, and chances are, one or two gay persons in that extended family. One banishes fear of the unknown thru discovery and questions. What you may be seeing is an older generation trying to come to terms with changes they know are going to happen.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

13. We're too old to care about stupid stuff

and we want a good story.

[ruggerson]

14. lol

Well go see it then, TG, because it is very moving and I would be interested to hear your take on it. I thought it was beautifully acted, deeply meaningful, and it touches a universal chord about the human experience - straight, gay, man or woman.

[joeybee12]

21. Too true!

I'm not a senior yet, but I find that as I'm getting older, I can't care about stupid shit anymore--there's just not enough time!

[swimmernsecretsea]

10. I had the same experience

Of course, I saw it in the opening week. Mostly gay men, but interestingly, small groups of straight girls (could have been gay but I didn't get that), straight couples. Not too many seniors except for some elderly gay men. I also thought the length at some parts of it could've been more controlled. It might be that Lee thought the pace would have been disrupted too much with editing.

I also wish Jake Gyllenhaal had gotten more notice regarding his performance. It's his character's bravado that sets the whole thing in motion. I think it's because more wish to relate to the Ennis character, and his ambivalence. Jack twist has as many if not more trials to endure in the most touching and heartbreaking moments of this film, and has to convey a greater amount of control of his actions because of Ennis.

I'd like to see it again for a new take on it, see if my feelings have changed.

[joeybee12]

20. Heath obviously has a lot more screen time, too...

...and his character really is a mess, so it's more showy to begin with.

I ended up watching The Island last night at a friends. The only one who liked it was their 17-year-old son. Anyway, my point is that that mainstream movie (The Island) is such crap that in compariosn maybe Brokeback IS genius!

Part of me likes that it was so slow because it really is a character study, and you can't rush those.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. How overtly sexual

is the film? As in love scenes?

[ruggerson]

15. Not overtly sexual at all

One kind of physically rough love scene that is shot so that you can only SENSE what is going on rather than see it, and another scene with Heath and his wife that is a fairly typical R rated type of mainstream movie scene.

No real nudity and nothing terribly shocking. The powerful stuff is in the storytelling.

[joeybee12]

19. I thought both sex scenes would have given it a PG-13

because they were both very tame and not at all explicit. If it's an R, it's because of the MPAA bias solely because of the subject matter.

I expected some hot and heavy scenes, especially since Jake G. was interviewed saying he really doesn't remember filming them.

[bluhoodie]

22. Has anyone here seen the movie more than once?

If so, did your thinking change at all upon further consideration? Did you pick up significant things you'd missed the first time around?
:think:

[joeybee12]

23. Welcome to DU!

Funny, but I was thinking just today maybe I should see it again--maybe part of my reaction was I already had built-in expectations. Hmmmmmmmm

[mitchtv]

24. I saw it a few weeks ago

liked it,didn't love it. I had hoped for more skin. It struck a cord though, I can't deeny it. the part that sot to me was when Ennis got divorced and Jack drove up from TX and said basically "Here I am" i almost cried. On strate older couple got up and walked out when a love scene came on. I wanted to applaud, but the Boss said no.- Mostly gay and seniors and women in the audience.

[joeybee12]

25. No one walked out when I saw it...

...did they walk out during the first sex scene--seems like that was the ONLY gay one!

[mitchtv]

26. yes when they started

they must've known what they were seeing. All I could think was "freepers".

[joeybee12]

27. Geesh! Don't some people read movie reviews before going to the

theater to at least know what they're in for?