Comments on: Brokeback Mountain: Annie Proulx and Ang Lee

By: d11

d11 — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 10:15:02 +0000

I’m a writer. I read the story but never saw the movie. She’s a fine writer. I avoided the movie the way I avoid seeing certain performers I find distatsteful. Male homosexuality bugs me, and my gay frrined know it and couldn’t care less. Either could I.
I was more curious to see how Proulx composes then about the subject matter. I was particularly interested in seeing how this twenty page short story had the narrative richness, the strength of story, the dialogue to adapt to a full length feature.
Well, now I do. It’s a great story, powerfully told. I wasn’t moved by it though. Maybe I’ve read too much. Maybe I’m just tooo interested in composition and trying to learn a new thing or two to put nto my stuff.
The last time I think I was really moved by content in a movie was King Kong. There were a few central senes developing the love between the girl and the gorilla that moved me a lot. I’m not being facetious. Love is love I guess, no matter how you get there.

By: Tammy Finwall

Tammy Finwall — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 19:47:16 +0000

My God,
The theme music plays in the background. I have watched this wonderful work of art two times, once with my husband who thought it was a fine movie and another time by myself, just to soak up the rest (one never gets the details the first time around). I still have tears rolling down my cheeks. The actors/actresses, the director, the screen playwrites, and most importly the woman who put her imagination to paper deserve a lot more gratitude and accolades than any words I can come up with.
Transcendence and metaphyics are key here. Words like this far outweigh and describe the meaning of this story than the singular idea of “gay issues.” This was a true love story. Shakesphere would have loved it, for it is probably the only subject he did not so poignantly address.
You will all go down in history for your fine commitment to art and helping the ingnorant become educated.
With great respect and looking for the short story as we speak.
Always,
T. Finwall
A New New Yorker Subscriber

By: donald crowe

donald crowe — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 18:10:38 +0000

I read the story years ago when it was first published and it did effect me at that time. But nothing like the movie has effected me now. Heath was fantastic. I know it is fictional, but this movie is haunting me like no other movie. I can’t not stop thinking about it. My partner has been teasing me for watching it over and over but I have only watched it 4 times in the past 3 weeks. Thats not obsessive is it? My heart hurts.

By: Lisbeth

Lisbeth — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:48:23 +0000

Brokeback mountain fever has come to Stuttgart, Germany, and I do not know how many times all of my male and female friends have seen the movie since it first started here on March 9. I have read the book in the meantime which impressed me just the same and both the movie and the book leave me speechless (like Ennis) but emotions run high. Such a sad sad movie with such a sad sad ending. I think prejudice in modern Germany is just as it is everywhere but everyone who saw the movie will think it over and hopefully many many people will correct their opinions on men who love men (or women who love women). I apologize if my English is not so good but I just have to come out with my feelings regarding this film. Ever since I saw it I’m not the same, that’s how deeply it touched me.

By: Simon

Simon — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 05:20:05 +0000

Did you guys hear what Vermont is trying to do….name one of their mountains Brokeback. This is friggin great. Wish I had thought of that. It’s at http://www.brokebackmountainvermont.com

By: Shabab

Shabab — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 17:10:29 +0000

Brokeback Mountain was an amazing story.
As a story (which I read before watching the movie), it was compelling, realistic, tragic and… the list goes on.
But as a movie, what I liked most was that it reached the stage of popularity that it did.
I live in Bangladesh, a third world nation where the grand majority of people are conservative Muslims. But I still feel a sense of pride when the evening news announces that Brokeback Mountain received awards at the Oscars and that the film is about, I quote, a “cowboy romance”. I doubt if more than a percent of the people watching the news knew enoguh English to comprehend those two words, but the fact that it was announced on the national news is big news nonetheless.
I thank Annie Proulx for a story that is one of a kind, and one that anyone, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, can relate to.
I pray that one day, we may all find our own Brokeback Mountains and our own Jack Twists, and that when we do, we hold onto him and never let go.
Amen, or as we Muslims say, Ameen.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 19:48:49 +0000

I had read the story of Brokeback Mountain, and was very moved. Well I just saw the movie, and I laughed, I cried, but mostly I ached for two men that never existed except in the mind of Annie.
I ached because she has told the story of most of the gay men that grew up in my generation.
I ached because such hatred and bigotry still exists.
I ached that people can be so calluse as to turn a blind eye to such atrocities..
I ached because the senseless killing of Jack could happen this very day.
But I also took great pride in the fact that more and more gay men and women are stepping up and saying this is my life and I have as much right to live it happily, as anyone else in this world.
At this moment I am a bit meloncholy, but overwhelmed by the way the film portraid this precious love.. I will definately buy the DVD when it comes out and watch it many many times.

By: mark

mark — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 15:40:55 +0000

I just wanted to say how much your piece of work has moved me.I just saw the film recently and i have'nt been able to think of much else from it.

I am in a gay relationship of six years and count my blessings every day for the beautiful relationship we both cherish.Only after seeing the film did i start to think about what could have been for Jack and Ennis,how beautiful their love is,how circumstances always got in the way of them being together.

God it's so tragic and sad but at the same time so beautiful and tender.I have to thank you,i'm going to see it again tonight,i can't wait.Just to feel that emotion again.In my dreams Jack gets to set up that ranch by his folk's place with Ennis,but hey we can't always have a happily ever after.Just like Ennis says "What you can't fix,you just gotta stick".

By: Seamus

Seamus — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 23:27:01 +0000

No doubt these Santa Fe Chrisitan reps. haven’t even seen the movie. It’s so absurd that a film which ends in such tragedy for both gay characters is portrayed as promoting some sort of militant radical homosexual agenda. Once again, the spiritual cowards have come out of the woodwork to exercise their supremacist desire to scapegoat and vilify another minority group of people.

By: Pete G.

Pete G. — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 23:15:38 +0000

I don't know if this came out in your paper, but I thought that I would share a bit of religious ignorance with you...

San Diego alma mater shuns Brokeback alumna Alma.

Brokeback Mountain star Michelle williams 25 who is nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Alma opposite fellow nominee and fiance Heath Ledger, has been disowned by her former school because of the film's gay themes.

"Michell doesn't represent the values of this institution," Jim Hopson, headmaster of Santa Fe Christian, in Solana Beach, Calif., told the San Diego Tribune for a story Wednesday. Brokeback Mountain basically promotes a lifestyle we don't promote. It's not the word of God," he said.

Carla Williams, Michelle's mother, replied" "she has a heart. I'm so proud of her...For some people, Brokeback Mountain is difficult. (Hopson) has the right to his opinion.

That is the article. I personally believe that everyone should send their child to Santa Fe Christian. What other school is headed by a man who speaks with such authority for God, and evidently is taken into Gods confidence.

This seems to me to be proof that we still have a long way to go to make this earth the peacful place that God planned. (I hope)