Brokeback Mountain (9/10 Rating)

Released December 9, 2005 (Limited)

For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Contemporary Western, Period Drama, Tragic Romance

R: Sexuality, nudity, language, and some violence

2h 14m

            Watching films from the early 2000s has reminded me how much American culture has changed in such a short period of time, but it has also shown me how much I have changed in 20 years. Brokeback Mountain is a film many likely missed, but everyone certainly heard about. Two up-and-coming straight male actors (Heath Ledger & Jake Gyllenhaal) were taking on the roles of forbidden lovers in “that gay cowboy movie.” At that time, I saw all the hype surrounding this movie, including 8 Oscar nominations and wins for Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score, but I brushed it off as pandering to an agenda. I was not as open-minded at the time, and it was a Movie I Missed, mostly due to my own personal beliefs. Plus, this was directed by Ang Lee, the guy who directed 2003’s Hulk. It felt like an odd follow-up and left me doubtful. Perchance. Sometimes where we are in life can completely alter the viewing of a film. I am glad I let this one sit unwatched until now. Had I seen it in my early twenties, I do not think I would have been moved in the same way. I definitely would not be able to relate to the two main characters. What do I know about…herding sheep in 1963 Wyoming? Jokes aside, I have grown to be more accepting of various lifestyles and beliefs, so it was finally time to see if there was a good film behind all the hype and controversy without a lens filtered through religion. This movie is certainly slow at times, but the scenery is incredible, and seeing the life of cowboys in the 60s was fascinating. It feels stuck somewhere in time, some version of the Old West without all the shootouts and saloons. The relationships are developed so delicately within the storytelling and acting, it is hard to understand how anyone could not relate to loving another person the same way. It is unfortunate that there are still people who would turn this movie off before it really gets into the second act. There is much more than “two gay cowboys” here. There are so many relationships explored: boss and worker, husband and wife, parents and children. The music is incredible paired with the Wyoming landscapes. If you are seeing this film for the first time, it is not lighthearted and feel-good. It is a drama, and it is a tragedy, but it moved me in ways few films have. While it is sad, it is beautiful and real. It reminded me how much everyone needs a lot less hatred, violence, and judgement and a lot more love, acceptance, and forgiveness regardless of the way we choose to live out this life.

Also released in December 2005: Aeon Flux, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Memoirs of Geisha, King Kong, The Family Stone, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Fun with Dick & Jane, Munich, Casanova, Rumor Has It, Match Point