How Brokeback Mountain Changed America Forever
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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Brokeback Mountain isn’t just a movie-it’s a cultural movement. In this episode of This Week in Queer History, we dives into the film’s social impact, how it transformed LGBTQ+ representation, and why its message still resonates. Saddle up and find out why these two cowboys forever changed cinema and our hearts.
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I stood through this whole movie because the theater was full and I was the last one in. Didn't even notice, it was a truly captivating story, beginning to end. This is one of the greatest American films ever.
That’s amazing. Makes that memory even more powerful I’m sure. Thanks for sharing that memory.
@@ThisWeekinQueerHistory
Brokeback Mountain is NOT
The Gay Casablanca. It is
The Gay Mrs. Miniver.
Our experience of this is a little different in that we were already in the 12th year of our relationship and had been legally married for 2 years when the film came out. We saw it in the theater multiple times and were in tears at the end every time. Since Heath's death, my husband hasn't watched it again. It hurts too much knowing he's no longer with us.
That is so moving. Movies can truly change us for the better. Thanks for sharing your story. And congrats on your relationship!
I was interviewing Diana Ossana, one of the screenwriters after a 10th anniversary screening and had to ask how much time she'd spent on the set so I'd know how touchy questions about Heath would be. She said she was on set through the whole shoot. We made it through the Heath questions with no one breaking down, but it was very hard for me. Especially when she said it was Heath who had the idea to reverse the shirts for the last scene.
@oaksong5526 that last scene always makes me break down. Knowing that it was Heath's idea makes it even more powerful.
It was Heath’s idea!?!? Wow! Makes it even more powerful.
I'm not gay... I miss Heath!!! I loved him so much!!! He had a beautiful soul!!! Rip Heath!!! 🌿🌹🌿
My Brokeback was in 1987. Maurice, made by Merchant Ivory.
Yes!!! That is where I started lusting after Hugh Grant. His amazingly dark performance in Heretic made me reconsider that lust. 😝
@@ThisWeekinQueerHistory Whereas I liked James Wilby. Tall, strawberry blond, wanting adventure.
Another great movie I saw back in the day.
Maurice was a hard movie and the book was even harder. (Clive just wakes up one day and says he thinks women are wonderful.) I struggled with the end of the movie, wondering how someone like Maurice Hall in his position in society could pull off being in a romantic relationship with Scudder, given their class positions.
@@markporter9075 In the novel they plan to go and live in the woods (not shown inthe film. But it has a happy ending.)
Heath was robbed of his Oscar, as was the film for best picture. Does anyone even remember "Crash"? Thank God Ang Lee won for director.
Yes! I agree. The academy wasn’t ready or bold enough yet to support the better film.
AND...Hoffman for his "impressions" of Truman Capote in Capote. Great acting is creating a character from words on a page, not mimicking the speech and mannerisms of a real person. That's what Heath Ledger did with Ennis Del Mar.
Beautifully written and performed--This is an important piece--Who could forget one's reaction when this film appeared? Thank you for this--!
It really did change my life and so many others. Happy that it is resonating with people. Also, I wonder what it would be like rewatching it now.
Annie Proulx’s short story just tore me out of the frame. The film that Ang Lee made from it is a masterpiece. And just watching your video has brought back all the feels. Thank you 🥰
Right! It’s such a powerful story. Thanks for watching.
I have to take issue with one observation of yours. (Nonetheless, a thumb up.) Ennis had no problem expressing his love for Jack when they were together in private - witness the 2nd Tent Scene where Ennis says "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry" to Jake and then lies his head on Jake's bare chest and then fondles his face, ear, then down to his belly; "The Kiss" in the Reunion Scene (God, I'd give 10 years of my life to be Gyllenhaal for those few moments and have Ledger kiss me like that); all the way to the final scene where Ennis buttons Jack's bloodied shirt enveloped by his own and say "Jack...I swear" and straightens the postcard of Brokeback Mountain, even though Jack is now dead.
Did Ennis have a problem expressing his love for Jack publicly? We all would in rural Wyoming in the early 1960's to the 1980's. Hell, I'd be afraid to do it today in 2024.
Really great observations. Yes, Wyoming is not the most supportive of places. Reminds me how important this film is even today.
I was working at Walmart at the time this came out - everyone was all a'quiver, gossiping to each other like "so who's gonna go see it, huh?", an' the tension in the air when it came out on DVD an' what it meant t'be seen buying it. Beautiful video, mate ❤
OMG YES! Small towns, everyone is watching everyone and imagine standing in that checkout line and having small-talk as the attendant rang up the dvd.
I remember when the movie had just been released, Anne Hathaway said "Brokeback Mountain "...is going to be huge on DVD..." because of people being embarrassed to see the movie in public.
Well I watch it when my spouse was alive and we had the farm together. I could not watch it through again. The ending was so sad. It tug at my hart strings that bad. I came from a mother that did not want me. So I felt the emotion s really deep. Now I am a lone again because my spouse is gone. We were married for 24 years. I felt sorry for the caricatures in the movie . At least I made the leap to live my life the way I wonted too.
Thank you for sharing your story. What an amazing partnership. Married for 24 years! Amazing. Happy you were bold and brave for you and choose to live your life the way you wanted.
Teddy1959-k9t .. sorry to hear your mother didn't want you. For me, it was my father who didn't want me. At 14 yrs of age my father told me that had he had his way that I'd just have been blood and shit in the gutter. I asked what that meant. He said that he'd tried to have me aborted three times. I also heard from my mother's brothers that Dad, in another attempt to prevent my birth had taken my 7 month pregnant mother to the nearby beach and tried to drown her. Her brothers saved her life. Sometimes these thoughts just pop into my mind. Life was terrible for mum, and Dad made sure I was aware regularly that I wasn't wanted.
@@Leo-hv9mm so sorry to hear this story! Sending peace and love your way.
Man your smile is contagious and the way your control your voice is so Unique, it conveys your emotions in the best way
That is really nice of you to share. Thank you. I definitely am my own unique person and I’m trying my best to make the episodes interesting and engaging. The episodes will keep getting better and better so please keep coming back.
IMO, God's Own Country, another great queer film, was a response to Brokeback Mountain. Many similarities.
Loved that movie too. I agree both share similar themes.
Better plot and perfect ending!!
Technically, they aren't cowboys. They're shepherds. We associate cowboys with the hat and horse, that the "cow" part is left out. The only movie I can think of (since I haven't watched many Westerns) is City Slickers which involves moving cows.
Great observation! Thanks for watching and please keep coming back. 😁
They were cowboys who worked as shepherds. Jack did rodeo and Ennis worked roundups
Great video. Thanks! By the way, it's Ennis, not Eenis (rhymes with tennis, not pe...).
Thanks for the correction. It must be my Irish roots sneaking through. 😛
@ThisWeekinQueerHistory Thanks for that ... and for all the effort that goes into your work.
Fortifying! I had been on medical leave when I returned, my colleagues has secured a promotional DVD before release. I’ve seen it soooooo many times I am slightly embarrassed to say that I have…..scratch that, I’ve seen it over 100xs….it is essential viewing for me….only to be accompanied by “Call Me By Your Name” and countless other great LGBTia cinema
Yes! It really is a movie you can watch over and over, if you’ve got the stamina for it. Thanks for stopping by and hope you come back for more eps!
Good review. Ennis (like Dennis vs EEnis). Thanks for your review.
Thanks for watching 😁
I remember there were some very interesting responses to the movie when it was released. I don't remember who, but someone said "Brokeback Mountain" was not a gay story and it was not a Western. I agree, it's actually more. I would say "Brokeback Mountain" is about the effects of poverty and lack of education and of being unloved. I believe it was movie critic Roger Ebert who said that story is about regret over not doing what you wanted to do in life. I've never seen "Brokeback Mountain" though have seen clips. Just saying the trailer for "Brokeback Mountain" on the "Trailers" programs on the E! network upset me so badly I couldn't go to the movie and never have seen more than clips on You Tube. That's as much as I can deal with.
Someone made a comment at the time of the movie's release that Ennis and Jacks' own friends might have lynched them if they had know about the relationship of the two men. Being gay could get you killed in the time period in which the movie takes place. And it did get Jack killed. People born later don't "get it". Nowadays people casually ask about someone being gay...which by the way is private and to be shared when and how that person chooses to share that information IF they choose too...but years ago it was dangerous and frightening.
Something no one has ever commented on, but that I have noticied is that E. Annie Proulx's short story "Brokeback Mountain" could be called an American counterpart to Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights". Ennis and Jack are counterparts to Heathcliff (interesting that Ennis is portrayed by an actor named Heath) and Catherine though all are distinct characters in their own rights and there are also major differences in the stories. The stories take place in harsh environments where people don't have much education or large vocabularies (the more words you know the better you understand what you think and feel) or much understanding of their situations in society and the stories end in tragedy. "Brokeback Mountain" the short story is only a few pages long but is an American masterpiece.
Well said!!! Yes, time and place always play a huge role in what feels possible. I do believe that we also can push that boundary. Thank you for watching and posting. Loved it!
Thank-you for this and all of your videos!! Just an observation - and maybe it's been a long time since you watched the movie - the character's name is Ennis - rhymes with Dennis or tennis :) BIG HUG!
It must be my Irish roots sneaking through. Thank you for the comment.
Wow love this, heart touching 🥺💕
Thanks for watching! If you haven’t seen the movie, you definitely should. It’s sooooo good.
Kris, your video is very well done. You did a great job but there is one big error. Ennis Delmar pronounced his name "EN-nis", not "EE-nis". It is an important error. An interesting, enjoyable video! I, too, remember seeing it in a theater, a packed one.
Thanks for watching and for the note
I cried so hard 💥💥💥
It was gut wrenching right?
@@ThisWeekinQueerHistoryIt was…it really made me a wreck for several days and the media buzz made it harder. The movie was so authentic and intimate. It could easily have been a saccharin gay cowboy movie and ended up being so much more. I’ve been watching all ur videos. Outstanding and important work.
Thanks for sharing and thank you for the kind words. This project is as much for me as it is for the little closeted queer kid in Utah. Learning and growing. 🥰
" Freier Fall " ( allemand ) , " Querelle " ( allemand ) et " Brokeback Mountain " sont des films qui m'ont donnés envie d'écrire sur ce que je ressentais. Avant de les voir en film, Querelle et Brokeback Mountain, j'ai lu les livres. J'ai toujours de la rage lorsque je vois comment l'homosexualité est traitée dans tous les pays du monde. Les mentalités n'évoluent pas beaucoup. Il faut remercier la Thaïlande d'avoir accepter le mariage homosexuel. Dommage de dire ça, alors que rien n'est plus ordinaire qu'aimer qui nous convient. Merci pour votre vidéo. Bisous de France. ( Je ne connais pas la langue anglaise ! Désolé! )
Thank you for your watching AND for commenting. You’re right! Hopefully things will change for the better. Little steps, that lead to great change, over time. Keep commenting in French too. Love to have other languages on the feed! Until next time SS,SB,&KMH!
this wasnt the first, remember there was a Cowboy in the Village People
Thanks for watching
Not really. GLEE the TV show maybe.
Rupert Everett in My Best Friend's
Wedding was much more impactful.
Brokeback Mountain BORED me to death.
Thanks for watching!
enjoyed most of the film but thought it was in need of editing - an hour too long with too much dead air - i could only be fascinated with sulking for so long..
I doubt if this wonderful film could be made today and the same with Greg Kinnear's powerful role in 'As Good As It Gets'. Both movies CLEARLY express gay classic etiology. Cold distant fathers in Brokeback and in Greg Kinnear's role, also an over-seductive and overwhelming mother as well. If you cannot see these three characters as damaged, hurt, lonely human beings - both movies MAKE NO SENSE.
Yes both are tragic stories and I can see what you are saying about the characters. We all come with some damage along the way and that’s what makes these movies so relatable.
Greg Kinnear in As Good As It Gets
stole the OSCAR nomination that
should have gone to Rupert Everett
in My Best Friend's Wedding.
@@chazarcola7639 Both strong performances but comedy has often been slighted at the Oscars. Rupert's 'gay best friend' role was first invented by Rex O'Mally in the delicious comedy Midnight from 1939 with Mary Astor, Claudette Colbert etc.
they weren't cowboys. They were shepherds.
No, they were cowboys who took a job as shepherds.
They were absolutely cowboys. Jack rodeoed, Ennis worked roundups.
Go to Idaho.
Such a beautiful state. Thanks for watching.
For me, it's a confirmation that I'm not imagining being bisexual.
Yes, when we see our stories on the big screen it reminds us that we exist and deserve space.
Except Ennis and Jack weren't bisexual, they were gay. You obviously didn't come of age during that era. Society pressured many gays into believing they were sexually attracted to women and even enter into straight relationships, but many of us - including myself and dozens of other men I've met - couldn't or didn't maintain that fraud. Although both had straight relationships with women early on, neither had a successful relationship with a woman for more than a short time - and both eventually stopped even trying. The only relationship either had that brought them joy was the one they had with each other - despite Ennis' paralyzing fear that they be "found out." That's made clear in scene after scene.
More power to you if you considered yourself bi, but Ennis and Jack were gay.
@@bruce1002003 To me, the film version of the story is more romantic. It shows that Ennis' love for Jack is so amazingly strong that it ruins him for both men and women. We are left wondering how things might have gone with Ennis' relationships with women if he hadn't fallen for Jack first. Ennis being bisexual and Cassie wanting him so much is the one thing that proves that Ennis is still hopelessly in love with Jack. Without this element in the story, we might assume that Ennis is alone merely because he is a very isolated, closeted gay man, not because he is still in love with Jack. Think about it.
So, in the film, Jack is gay and Ennis is bisexual.
Also, please don't try to explain away a person's bisexuality by pointing out that they aren't perfectly 50/50 attracted to men and women. Someone can be 75/25 and still be bisexual. I don't know anyone who would look at a guy who is 75% with women and 25% with men and say the guy is straight. Do you?
@@netscrooge it's great that this is how YOU see it -- but that does not make it how it is. Your idea is that a man falling deeply in love with another man must mean that he is bi is the single weirdest argument I have ever heard. Do you really think that gay men cannot fall deeply in love with another man? How do you think being gay works? Maybe you should stop trying to explain away his being gay - it feels a bit desperate and more than a bit homophobic.
@@otsoko66 I'm sorry that I said things in a way that confused you. Yes, that would be crazy if I said that. But I never said that. Maybe read my words over again, but this time without so much fear/hate in your heart? (I am a gay man who was speaking in support of gay and bisexual people.)
Why did you pronounce his name like that the whole video 🥲 it was painful to listen to. I don’t really understand how you got it wrong if you watched the movie considering it’s said so many times
😋 guess my brain had it different. Sorry for the discomfort. Hope the intent of the piece still came through. We are all doing our best.
I watched the film in it's entirety and I thought it was excellent ✌️(I describe myself as asexually queer 🏳️🌈). However I had a totally straight friend Mark who started watching the movie, but stopped at the sex scene (🫢 him & 😛 me) and couldn't finish it. 🤪 Note: Mark and I saw the film at different times and different locations, SYK.
That’s a great memory. Haha thanks for watching and keep coming back!