Brokeback post II

Trixie · January 6, 2006

Bighugbearphx's thread is getting a bit long & complicated, so I thought maybe it might be time to start a new post about this amazing phenomenon called Brokeback Mountain.

I finally got to see it this week (on New Year's day, what a great way to start '06!), and of course I was floored. It far exceeded my expectations, on every level it is a true work of art. I am going again to see it tomorrow, and will see it again after that... and I will own the dvd when it comes out (I pray to G*d that it will have a spanish language feature... why do they always have french, but not spanish??? oh well, another time, another post.. .). Like many, if not most gay men thesedays, I am fairly obsessed with the film.

The movie experience was incredible. The theatre was packed, a very diverse crowd (I might even say mostly straight couples) and it sold out. A member of our group who arrived late had to buy a ticket to King Kong and then sneak in to BBM. It was the end that really shook me. There I was, bawling my eyes out, of course, when I noticed a strange sound... it took me a second to identify it... but then I realized it was the sound of some 400 people heaving with emotion. Crying, gasping, sniffling, the crinkle of tissues being pulled from purses... but it wasn't just the maudlin reaction that follows any tear-jerker flick. The communal force of the audience reaction was not just "golly, what a sad ending" but a recognition of the beauty and artistic force of the movie. It was one big, unified "Wow!!!"

So, anyway, I liked it.

THis week I've been seeing TV ads for BBM running on NBC. Tuesday, when I first saw the ad, it did show a brief shot of Heath Ledger embracing Jake Gyllenhall (sp?) from behind, followed by many scenes of the two protagonists' "hetero" lives. By Wednesday, the embrace scene had been cut from the ad. This makes the TV ads somewhat (somewhat, as in VERY) misleading, as

it focuses almost entirely on scenes of Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. We do see Heath & Jake riding in a truck together, which does suggest all sorts of naughtiness!

But then, I doubt if there are many who don't know what the flick is all about at this point.

I hope you all will share your BBM viewing experiences. This is a movie that really merits discussion.

La Trix

+ *Italiano* · January 6, 2006

I REALLY wish I could share the wonderful reactions of a good percentage of people who saw this movie, but unfortunately I can't.

I went to the movie with great expectations, quite excited at the idea of seeing a gay love story in a "regular" Movie Theatre.

I came out completely eye-dried and somehow disappointed.

The settings is gorgeous, the story is very interesting, the guys are hot and good actors, there are some beautiful moments, but as in most of Hollywood movies I feel that too much sugar, too much time in playing with superficial emotions of the spectator have been wasted.

At the end I can say it was a decent-good movie.

Definitely I was MUCH more moved by similar stories of impossible love (gay or straight) like "Maurice", "The English Patient", "The Lovers of the Polar Arctic", even the old and mediocre "Making Love" moved me more.

I have this feeling that if BBM wasn't a "gay theme" movie all this fuss would have been minimal.

My two cents.

uwsman2 · January 6, 2006

Brokeback is moving up the list. According to the box office figures I've seen, it was No. 8 in the country on Wednesday, and had the highest box office per screen in the top ten films. (The only film they were tracking that had a higher gross per screen was Match Point, the new Woody Allen film that is running in just 8 theaters in order to qualify for Oscar consideration this year and won't go wider for a while. By the way, if you are into total eye candy, Match Point is worth seeing - two gorgeous young male leads.) It goes alot wider today, so the per screen will fall, but it may climb up the list some more this weekend.

January 7, 2006

Just out of curiousity, where does the phrase "stemming the rose" come from. I'd never heard it before BBM. It is clear to what Quaid was referring, but is the phrase a Wyoming thing, or is it a somewhat obscure reference to homosexual activity of any kind, or does it refer to a specific act, or what?

Loved the film.

Boston Guy · January 7, 2006

The Urban Dictionary's definition is so up-to-date that I'm really amazed!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stem+the+rose&defid=1566569

BG

+ *deej* · January 7, 2006

That's almost freaky, but probably came about from others seeing the movie and looking up that phrase.

OneFinger · January 7, 2006

RE: Good News and Bad News

BBM opened in Utah on 1 theater (2 screens) on December 30th. So far it's been well-received and that theater is planning for about a 10-week run.

But BBM was scheduled to open today in several other theaters throughout the state. However, one hour before showtime, one of the largest theaters in Utah cancelled all showings.

...Today's newspapers show that "Brokeback" was to premier at other theatres in Salt Lake today; the first screening at Jordan Commons was scheduled at 12:45. But about an hour before that, the Megaplex offices sent word that the movie had been dropped from the schedule. A spokesman for the Megaplex said only that there had been a "Change in booking."

Read the script from the local evening TV news at:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=147446

As an aside, the 16 screen Megaplex theater that cancelled BBM is owned by multi-millionaire Larry Miller. He's the owner of the Utah Jazz NBA team and has dozens of car dealerships. Guess what businesses I won't be supporting!

On a positive note, BBM got a good review in the Deseret Morning News. This is the largest newspaper in the state and is owned by the Mormon Church.

If nothing else, "Brokeback Mountain" deserves credit for shattering all sorts of taboos. The film also defies several cinematic conventions — especially those seen in gay-themed films — as well as the expected contrivances and machinations of movie Westerns and romances.

And there's more to this surprisingly restrained and subtle drama than that.

"Brokeback Mountain" is not as button-pushing or exploitative as many might expect. (Though the film is still somewhat graphic in its depictions of gay sex.) For all the furor and hubbub — largely from those who haven't seen it — the film is not a pro-homosexual-rights statement. Instead, it's an unexpectedly moving drama with tragic elements...

Read the entire review at:

http://deseretnews.com/movies/view/1,1257,425000738,00.html

-------------

"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

+ *Hoover42* · January 7, 2006

That Urban Dictionary definition of "Stem the Rose" may be correct, but it really doesn't fit, in my opinion, for a description of what was intended in Brokeback; it's just too too romantic and sensitive given the nature of the character and situation.

...Hoover

+ *deej* · January 7, 2006

RE: Good News and Bad News

>"Brokeback Mountain" is not as button-pushing or exploitative

>as many might expect. (Though the film is still somewhat

>graphic in its depictions of gay sex.)

If he thinks THAT was graphic, perhaps I should send him some of the porn screeners I have sitting around. }(

Hmmmm ... whaddya think, guys? One of Titan's fisting movies perhaps? LOL

Boston Guy · January 7, 2006

You may be right. I found these comments on http://www.languagehat.com/archives/002214.php

[blockquote]Is there confusion about the meaning of "stem the rose"? it's a reference to homosexual sex-- "the rose" is a reference to the rose-esque appearance of the anus, while "stemming" refers to... well, giving the rose a stem, i.e. a penis. I'm not sure it's really a commonly used phrase, but I have heard it before.[/blockquote]

[blockquote]The term "stem the rose" struck me as quite extraordinary--one of those that makes you sit up and go, "Huh?!!" when you hear it spoken in the film. I don't think it that important to try overly hard to analyze its etymology; the line conveys the point however understated. To "stem a rose" is simply to remove its thorns to make it easier to handle or arrange as well as to make it more attractive. If there is perhaps a deeper meaning or a colloquial origin worth exploring further, so be it. I personally put it down simply to Prouxian prose by which I enjoyed the metaphor immensely as one would perhaps enjoy the imagery in a Robert Frost poem. To me the expression was as endearingly humorous as it was colorful and uncomplimentary in context.[/blockquote]

[blockquote]Re: "Stem the rose:" Seems to me that the phrase in context could mean nothing other than getting it on sexually. Nothing about love or loss of virginity or even necessarily anality (pardon the coinage) is implied. I have to fault Ms. Proulx, however, for putting such an elegant phrase in the mouth of a hard-bitten old sheep boss; seems more appropriately used by your fastidious maiden aunt. Some explanation by Ms. Proulx would be welcome, since she appears to have created the phrase - which I for one intend to use frequently![/blockquote]

BG

January 7, 2006

I saw BBM today. I agree with all the praise that has been heaped upon it. A truly great film.

But I left the theater profoundly depressed - go figure.

January 7, 2006

I saw BBM today. I agree with all the praise that has been heaped upon it. A truly great film.

But I left the theater profoundly depressed - go figure.

trilingual · January 7, 2006

RE: Good News and Bad News

I wouldn't go too hard on the reviewer (whose last name, amusingly, is "Vice"). It must have taken some courage to risk his position at an LDS church-owned newspaper by writing a highly favorable review of a gay-themed film, giving it many stars in his rating system. It also suggests that even in the LDS world, there has been a small shift in attitudes, if the newspaper's editors were OK with printing such a review. Change within conservative religious communities like the LDS Church usually happens at a glacial pace. But eventually it happens, it the church hopes to thrive. If it doesn't, the church inevitably will lose touch with the way its followers really live their lives, and it will wither and perhaps die out all together as it becomes more and more irrelevant to the majority of people. The LDS Church, while changing very slowly, does have a history of coming to grips with changing times and social realities (like moving away from polygamy and its earlier racist teachings) and I suspect it will come to grips with the issues around homosexuality, too, although I may not live long enough to see it!

trilingual · January 7, 2006

RE: Good News and Bad News

I wouldn't go too hard on the reviewer (whose last name, amusingly, is "Vice"). It must have taken some courage to risk his position at an LDS church-owned newspaper by writing a highly favorable review of a gay-themed film, giving it many stars in his rating system. It also suggests that even in the LDS world, there has been a small shift in attitudes, if the newspaper's editors were OK with printing such a review. Change within conservative religious communities like the LDS Church usually happens at a glacial pace. But eventually it happens, it the church hopes to thrive. If it doesn't, the church inevitably will lose touch with the way its followers really live their lives, and it will wither and perhaps die out all together as it becomes more and more irrelevant to the majority of people. The LDS Church, while changing very slowly, does have a history of coming to grips with changing times and social realities (like moving away from polygamy and its earlier racist teachings) and I suspect it will come to grips with the issues around homosexuality, too, although I may not live long enough to see it!

+ *ArVaGuy* · January 7, 2006

GLAAD Mad at Shalit's "Brokeback" Breakdown

Not being one to watch the Today Show, I thought Gene Shalit was dead anyway. I find it ofensive that he refered to the Jack character as a "sexual preadtor" which makes me wonder if we saw the same film. I have never been a fan of his reviews for the most part and this just seems like an attempt to go against the tide.

Here's the article and link from Yahoo News:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2621&ncid=2621&e=15&u=/eo/20060107/en_movies_eo/18098

GLAAD Mad at Shalit's "Brokeback" Breakdown

"For the most part, the critics agree that Brokeback Mountain is one of the year's most commendable films. Then there's Gene Shalit's point of view.

The veteran Today show critic has been taken to task by the

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation over his negative review of the gay cowboy western, in which he referred to Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Jack, as a "sexual predator" who "tracks Ennis down and coaxes him into sporadic trysts."

The group claimed that Shalit's statements, delivered during his "Critic's Choice" segment on Thursday's Today show, promoted "defamatory anti-gay prejudice to a national audience," and criticized NBC News for providing the eccentric critic with a platform from which to air his views.

"Shalit's bizarre characterization of Jack as a 'predator' and Ennis (Heath Ledger) as a victim reflects a fundamental lack of understanding about the central relationship in the film and about gay relationships in general," GLAAD said in a statement. "It seems highly doubtful that Shalit would similarly claim that Titanic's Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) was a 'sexual predator' because he was pursuing a romantic relationship with Rose (Kate Winslet)."

GLAAD demanded an apology from both Shalit and NBC News and urged supporters to contact the network and complain. In addition to offering his searing analysis of the romantic relationship between the lead characters, Shalit commended Ledger's performance in Brokeback and allowed that the film had a "few dramatic peaks." He concluded that Ang Lee's much-nominated oeuvre was "wildly overpraised, but not by me."

"Shalit has every right as a film critic to criticize Brokeback Mountain," GLAAD retorted. "But his baseless branding of Jack as a 'sexual predator' merely because he is romantically interested in someone of the same sex is defamatory, ignorant and irresponsible."

The group reported on its Website that GLAAD representatives had spoken with a Today show producer, who promised to bring their concerns to Shalit's attention.

While Shalit may not be a Brokeback fan, his colleagues in critique have clamored to commend the cowboy drama. To date, the film has been named Best Picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the New York Film Critics Circle and deemed one of the year's 10 best films by the American Film Institute and the Broadcast Film Critics Association.

The kudos don't stop there--Brokeback is up for eight Critic's Choice Awards, seven Golden Globes, a Writers Guild Award, a Producers Guild Award, a Directors Guild Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, to name a few. And that's before nominations for the Academy Awards are announced on Jan. 31."

+ *ArVaGuy* · January 7, 2006