Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

Annie Proulx (short story)
Larry McMurtry (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love Is A Force Of Nature

Plot:

Based on the 'E. Annie Proulx' story about a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the years.

Plot Keywords:

Caught Having Sex | Bear | Forbidden Love | Self Discovery | Coyote

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 77 wins & 64 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 28	8:00 AM	BRAVO
Tue. July 29	1:00 AM	BRAVO

Cast

Heath Ledger	...	Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Jack Twist
Randy Quaid	...	Joe Aguirre
Valerie Planche	...	Waitress
David Trimble	...	Basque
Victor Reyes	...	Chilean Sheepherder #1
Lachlan Mackintosh	...	Chilean Sheepherder #2
Michelle Williams	...	Alma
Larry Reese	...	Jolly Minister
Marty Antonini	...	Timmy
Tom Carey	...	Rodeo Clown
Dan McDougall	...	Bartender #1
Don Bland	...	Biker #1
Steven Cree Molison	...	Biker #2
Anne Hathaway	...	Lureen Newsome

Also Known As:

Secreto en la montaña (Argentina) (Mexico) [es]
Segredo de Brokeback Mountain, O (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Brokeback Mountain (Germany) [de]
Brokeback Mountain (Finland) [fi]
Brokeback Mountain - El secreto de la montaña (Mexico) (festival title) [es]
Brokeback Mountain - En terreno vedado (Spain) (DVD title) [es]
Brokeback dagi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Mystiko tou Brokeback Mountain, To (Greece) [el]
Secret de Brokeback Mountain, Le (France) [fr]
Secreto de la montaña, El (Venezuela) [es]
Segreti di Brokeback Mountain, I (Italy) [it]
Souvenirs de Brokeback Mountain (Canada: French title) [fr]
Túl a barátságon (Hungary) [hu]
Tajemnica Brokeback Mountain (Poland) [pl]

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Norway:11 | UK:15 | Taiwan:R-12 | South Korea:15 (uncut) | Spain:13 | China:(Banned) | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:12 | Ireland:18 (video rating) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R (certificate #41600) | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:M | Denmark:11 | France:U | Chile:14 | Sweden:7 | New Zealand:M | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | India:A | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Poland:18 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Germany:12 | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Venezuela:PG-13 | Japan:PG-12 | Belgium:KT | Singapore:R21

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Alberta Film Entertainment

Trivia:

The football game on television that causes some family friction during Jack's Thanksgiving dinner is actually a 1970s Canadian Football League game between the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The type of fireworks display in the 4th of July scene was unheard of in the United States during the 1960s. At that time, almost all fireworks used in the U.S. were made in the U.S., and were generally fired one at a time. Chinese-made fireworks did not become prevalent in the United States until after trade relations were opened up with China in 1972. The low-level Chinese-style fireworks shown in the film were not imported into the United States during the 1960s and did not become popular in fireworks displays in the U.S. until the 1990s at the earliest.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Aguirre: You pair of deuces lookin' for work, I suggest you get your scrawny asses in here pronto.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Bones: Two Bodies in the Lab (#1.15)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Love Doing Texas With You

Powerful, Numbing

I just saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to a packed house (with Ang Lee present for today's screening). And I have to say, it absolutely transfixed me and was worth the watch. Out of 24 movies I screened at the TIFF this year, this was the only one I rated a 10/10! Three things really stood out for me making this a stand-out of a film:

1) HONESTY: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal really pulled this off. I wasn't expecting performances so real and nuanced, and was warmly surprised. Kudos, also, to Mr. Lee for making such a poignant and refreshingly honest film!

2) STORY: Great story-telling. In fact you're not actually being *told* a story. The story unfolds and the viewer watches what happens pulling you in. What a great experience! In fact, I want to experience this story again -- I'm going to look for the short story.

3) NUMBING: In a thought-provoking kind of way. I left the theatre digesting the story even as I sat on the streetcar thinking about the characters. I cared for them, and wondered what could/might happen to them after the screen went black. My mind was playing out scenarios and in that sense, it was numbing, in a thought-provoking, emotionally heavy way.

This is powerful cinema and is definitely worth checking out. It's the best Ang Lee film I've seen to date (I've seen most, but not all of his feature films).