Cowboy Up

What the hell is going on in this world?

Bubby Wonder

I guess Brokeback Mountain will usher in a whole new genre of mainstream films - the "Dick Flick."

The Boneman

Overlooked in all of the kudos being lavished on Brokeback Mountain for it's tasteful portrayal of guy love, is the far more tender and touching scene in Wet Hot American Summer.

Marte Goodman

I certainly hope that this film recieves the awards that it deserves, if for no other reason than to get as many people to see it as possible. In a world filled with hate and hate crimes, a film like Brokeback might just do some good. Particularly when people realize that it isn't about homosexuality per se, it's about the pain of unrequited love. Which is a problem that all of us have dealt with in our lives. What a lovely film. The years best in my book.

The Queen

I really do hope this picture is rewarded. The message transcends all pride and prejudice and in that sense is truly timeless. Quite honestly I'm surprised more hasn't been made of the fact that they all spent time with sheep. I'm sure some comedian with use it soon enough. Historically speaking, Brokeback Mountain is hardly groundbreaking there were at least two other films that pop to mind that treated the issue of gay love with varying degrees of effectiveness. First was the after school special-esque Making Love, with hell the guy from LA Law and the guy from Twin Peaks (pardon the memory lapse and I'm too tired to google it. A much better take on it was of course Kiss of the Spider Woman, with William Hurt and the late great Raul Julia. that one was probably the class of the bunch until now. Personally I'm just glad that the film is as good as it is, Being a fan of Annie Proulx I was completely pissed off at how badly they missed the point on THe Shipping News. I had such high hopes considering the cast, but it was almost as if Halstrom went from a condensed book on tape than the Pulitzer winning novel that I've read twice. The movie didn't even succedd in making anyone want to read the book and that's the greatest shame because it is such a masterpiece. Sorry for the rambler, let me end by asking your readers if they know where the source material for the movie can be found, it - if anyone knows where the short story appeared, if the movie is this good imagine how good the Proulx-prose must be. Oh and by the way I am gay, and for those of you who don't understand or just plain hate me because of it, I don't care, it really isn't a big deal to me. Think what you want, just don't hurt anybody because of it. We're doing just fine, and don't need anyone's pity, but when a film helps shed light on how it's possible for one human being to be in love with another irregardless of anything else - then a battle has been fought and won for us all. God Bless (the queen)

The Queen

I just wanted to add, that I very much enjoy your website, it's nice and simple and to the point and I appreciate that. I also like the way you speak your minds and don't sensor very much of anything. For some reason that I can't understand, that's really quite rare. You'd think that the internet wouldn't be so provincial. I guess I could put that into the form of a question if anyone knows the answer? Anyway I appreciate it, whoever writes the captions for the movie stills is a hoot - he ought to be doing it for Entertainment Weekly, their's are never very funny and usually stupid. Keep up the good work all you zbonemen/and or women we love you. Ciao.

The Boneman

Sir Queen, I enjoyed your remarks and I think many of the questions you posed can be more than satisfied by clicking on to this link http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051219/LIFESTYLE01/512190334/1031 it's a nice Q&A with Proulx that I'm certain you'll enjoy. As for your question regarding the provinciality of the internet, it has alot to do with google and some of the other search engines. They really dictate what happens on the net. Most websites like ours are interested in making money and to be successful you have to make sure that your site is google-friendly because making money has everything to do with how much traffic your site can generate and in that respect Google has the power to make or break you. As far as we're concerned we eventually hope to make more money than we make at present, but we've decided to do it on our own terms. Very soon we will be adding several new features to what we're doing now, that we hope will make our readers want to check in every day.. All this should be taking place within a couple of months - in the mean time thanks for your visits and your flattering words. Oh and by the way you were thinking of Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean.

Karen Westridge

I will be inconsolably bummed if heath Ledger isn't nominated for this film. He showed flashes of this type of internal ability in Monster's Ball, but he didtinguishes himself in a huge way in Brokeback - I'm also very interested in Cassanova, though it looks more like one of those bawdy brittish romps.

kim ducote

no movie review here. i'm just hoping to get in touch with adam mast. adam if your out there in cyber land email me so we can keep in touch.. later

kimmy

HHH

Is is just me or has Larry Miller just mad the biggest ass out of himself possible. What a meathead.

The other 49 states

I heard Brokeback is getting banned in Utah, what is with those stupid Mromons? It's okay to have six wifes, but you can't see a nice little harmless love story where the people in love happen to be a couple cowboys.? Utah ought to be banned

Boneman

Dude, I think I speak for most Utans when I say that you fags can keep your swishy asses outta our state. Just kidding, Brokeback is playing all over Utah and it's a great film, written by one of my very favorite authors. It just so happens that the Pat Robertson of Utah happens to have a lot of money and along with owning our Basketball Team he owns a bunch of theaters in Salt Lake, trust me - we're embarrassed about it too. Sorry about the misunderstanding and I'll pass along your regards to my wives.

Adam

Hi Kim,

How the hell are ya? I'm still packing up stuff in the store. If you swing by, I'll probably be in there. I'd throw my e-mail and phone number on this message for you but if I did that, I think I'd get way too much hate mail from readers of the site. Come by and say hi.

sirdizzy

An epic love story, set against the sweeping landscapes of Wyoming and Texas, that tells the story of two young men--a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy--who meet in the summer of 1963 while driving cattle on a mountain range. They unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.

This is one of those movies that is really hard to review because at some point you need to step back and be very objective and separate any issues you may have regarding homosexuality with the film you are seeing. The movie is interesting in that point that it does do what no one else has done and it writes a love story about two men rather than the traditional norm. My problem with the movie was never that it was about two men but rather that it uses it to mask the fact that there is little to no plot nor story the entire movie Everything you need to know about the movie is introduced in the first twenty or so odd minutes of the film and from that point on nothing happens. Neither character changes, no issues or conflicts are resolved and nothing new or interesting is introduced. Up until the very end Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are the same characters and they never accept the reality that they are in. Did I hate the movie, no but neither was I that interested in it nor did I feel leaving the theatre that I saw anything that had changed me in the slightest way. I was cheering for Jake and Heath to get together, they did not need to change the world just each other and the worlds they lived in. The movie was mediocre and again this was masked by the fact that it tackled issues most people shy away from.

If there was one thing I loved about this movie it was the score. The score was moving and breath taking, the score got you more involved in the characters and the movie than either of the actors ever did. I think the score made the love real and helped do what neither actor could and that is to help you see the anguish of not being able to love whom you want to love. If anything that is the movie, the ability to love the ones we want to love and the ability to make such a reality possible. The score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla whom I had never heard of before but simply put what he did was amazing. When the music of the film can make you see the emotion of the film and feel for the characters, I doubt there is any greater praise you can heap at that composers feet. I would say your almost better off buying the soundtrack than seeing the movie but then you wouldn't understand what Gustavo Santaolalla is trying to make you understand.

What you need to know about Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger's characters is introduced pretty early and since neither changes in the course of the film it is all you ever really get out of them. Jake Gyllenhaal is the aggressor he knows what he wants and he goes for it, it is his character that feels the most anguish because he can accept his reality and he can never make Ledger change his so that they can be happy. The best line of the film is "why can't I quit you," because it almost becomes the best thing that could happen for either character. Ledger sums up his character in one line "I ain't no queer," and since he can never truly accept he may be one and that he may be happier with Jake rather than going through the motions of being straight nothing is ever resolved. So with no changes to either character it's hard for me to say either did that good of a job acting, all I had to do is accept them as a couple and in love and I was done with both of them. The inexplicable thing for me is what the heck was in Heath Ledger's mouth the entire movie; it was as if he was a chipmunk storing walnuts in his cheek for the winter thereby making every line he uttered in the movie inaudible. Near the end I even stopped trying to decipher what he was saying and just listened to that beautiful score which said more about the movie than either actor ever did. Would I suggest the movie to you, maybe, it does introduce an idea that love does not see race nor creed nor sex but it doesn't it despite itself and despite the fact that the movie was mediocre.

2.5 stars out of 5

sirdizzy

Ok maybe I was wrong, I can admit that right. I just saw a movie that makes me wish every single movie ever made was like Brokeback Mountain. I mean Brokeback had its flaws but it had its qualties too and it had a little story I guess. The movie I am refering to is Hostel and I am beyond words on how bad that movie truly is.

Movies should have a purpose it can be nearly anything as long as they know they are movies. A movie could be purely for entertainment ala the popcorn film. It could be the emotional love story that is overly sappy and chiched hence the chick flick. It can be political syriana need I say more. In the case of Brokeback maybes its educational for us to keep in mind love is blind and deaf for that matter. But when movies like Hostel come out that have no purpose other than to sicken and just simply go so far beyond what anyone else has ever done before. Why don't we stop take a step back and admit that we have seen everything we could ever possibly see and instead focus on what we want to see I'd rather see two me torutured and anguish over a love they can never share with the world then watch monsters true monsters kill and torture other human beings.