I really liked the film, but my boyfriend and a friend who's also seen it didn't think it was anything special. So,

I've seen the movie five times now and the crowd has been widely different each time.

The first screening I went to at the Grove outside West Hollywood(the same theater AdamBlast went to I would guess) seemed as if it was nearly all-gay or a pro-gay crowd. The atmosphere was like a street carnival and the more eccentric people in the gay community apparently came from miles around to attend in their most stylish leather chaps and cowboy gear.

Another screening on a Friday night in the suburbs, the theater was nearly filled with a 'date night' crowd of 20 something couples, mostly white but also asian and latino.

During a matinee screening a few weeks ago, there were mostly older gray haired grandma and grandpas. I was dying to know what they had thought and stunned that no one had ended up walking out during that first sex scene in the pup tent.

Most recently I went to a Tuesday night screening alone and the only other person in the theater was a 40 year old divorced woman. After the movie ended, seeing how we were both walking out with tear-filled eyes, she invited me to have a cup of coffee to talk about it. She said it affected her most because as a recently divorced 40 year Mom with two kids she felt she could relate to Ennis' character, and that seeing the movie had inspired her to not waste anymore time and find someone to love and who would love her back.

It's heartening to find out that the audience ISN'T all gay. That just means its message is reaching across all walks of life.

The film seems to speak very strongly to nearly anyone who's let their own fears get in the way of the happiness they deserve. It's a great wake up call, as well as a plea for a better world. That said, it's not a movie that tells you what to feel. At least, in comparison to most films of epic/tragic scope it doesn't ever go for the easy cry, the swelling strings, or the wise character who'll broadcast the meaning for the audience and provide a quick catharsis. The story requires you to fill in much of the meaning for yourself. So some people just don't get there.

interesting take from Sept (second post of the thread)

Yes, and this is ultimately where the film succeeds or fails based on the viewer. Its very interesting in that regard.

I think most people would find, if they didn't center so much on the gay angle, that it's a beautiful love story that a lot of people could identify with just like that Woman.

Thanks for asking. I saw some simularities betwen the families in Brokeback and my own. Maybe not to the extreme they were in the movie, but my Father never showed much affection towards my Mother and was verbally abusive to her (like Ennis is to his wife). Because of these events in the movie it definitely hit home with me. This isn't to say I wouldn't have liked the movie other wise but I think some people who discount the film that HAVE seen it don't identify much with the situations or the characters. I did.

Exactly my point above but written before seeing the above quote.

What bias?
Please no repeats from the last thread. You're being borderline nasty and condescending again.

But why is it the VIEWER'S responsibility to bring in their own baggage to relate with this. Shouldn't the movie itself be enough to move the viewer?

I don't think baggage is a fair word to use or imply - we (or let me rephrase that) I tend to view or decide on our (my) experiences' or biases'

I think, as a straight man, I get the feeling from certain sectors that if I don't love this movie it is because I am a bigot, homophobic, or narrow minded.

I can appreciate that it was very well done and excellently acted and still not be able to say I really enjoyed it.

Honestly, I dont know if movies should require the viewer to have similar experiences to connect with it. In that regard, its very much like Passion of the Christ. IMO, I would prefer movies not require that life experience, but I do not necessarily think THAT makes it a bad film.

This film really seems to need that life experience though. As some proof, most people who have liked it and posted here have explained that they were very moved and it echoed some experience in their life.

Yes, some people would resort to that mindset. It is just as ridiculous as those who DON'T like it due to their homophobia. I, for one, will not be bullied into liking a film.

Im right there with ya.

Thank you, you nailed it for me. It is very similar to "Passion" in the sense that I felt it was a very well done movie that I didn't enjoy watching (I will admit that I enjoyed "Mountain" more than "Passion"). Both movies seemed to connect most powerfully with a group of people I am not a part of.

Rather than being unpleasant, I believe adamblast was simply stating that people tend to travel in circles where their interests are reflected. You could call interests and passions bias. I'm totally biased when a discussion about modern architecture arises - I love the "glass box" design and loathe neo-classical (the AT&T tower in Manhattan).

Brokeback Mountain brings out my bias in favor of any movie that portrays gay people.

The people I spoke to about Brokeback didn't know my feelings before I brought them up. I'm VERY interested to hear what other people have to say before I put my 2 cents in. Most of the people in this thread have made me so paranoid to say anything even remotely against it as it is that I'd like to know if it's just me that didn't care for it or if there are others. Obviously I'm very much not alone.

I have no bias for gay movies. As I've stated before, just because I am gay doesn't mean I can't tell when something is good and something is crap...and there's a lot of crap out there. And again, I don't necessarily see Brokeback as a gay movie.

It would be also interesting to note how much of the business it is doing is from repeat viewers.

Rock, we are so sharing a brain on this one. Oddly enough, I enjoyed Christ MORE than this because I didn't have to bring in my own feelings about it. I saw it as a story that I didn't have to relate to. It moved me to tears simply because of the sheer brutality that was inflicted upon Jesus. I'm not a believer in organized religion nor am i a fan of Christianity but that experience will stick with me whereas Brokeback will not.

The movie does move most viewers. There are very few people that I have talked to gay and straight who are not.

I think you should continue to speak your mind and this dialogue about Brokeback will only be the richer for it. Many people enjoy this movie and some, for various reasons, do not. That this conversation is taking place is truly remarkable.

Have a great weekend everyone. I'll be DVDTalking again next week.

Can someone point out the posts where gay people were insisting people have to like this, or that a legitimate dislike for it was homophobic? I really don't remember seeing that happen but people keep refering to it. Sure, some may have been too enthusiastic, but we see that for every big movie.
I still have yet to see this, but my friend's father went and cried like a baby I think it's great it can touch straight people who may not relate 100% to what's going on. But I often find, when I relate to something in a movie, it's usually in a subtle way. I guess people are picking up on this, not just thinking "oh it's two gay guys well I'm straight" which is great cause I normally have to do that with straight characters. And I sometimes find myself falling into the "I don't have to like this because I'm gay" mentality too. Maybe having little to no gay friends these days helps, because no one is bothering me about Brokeback so I will have no opinion going in. But how quickly friends thought I'd be all about Cher when she came out with Believe and wouldn't leave me alone about it, lol. Um, no.
With promo from Oprah, and Academy Awards on the way, I think BM could pass 100M at the BO which would be sweet.

I'm not setting myself up to hate it... I try really hard not to discuss the quality of a film before I see it - I even give Roland Emerich and Uwe Boll films the benefit of the doubt. With Brokeback Mountain, I simply have no desire to see it. I don't really dig westerns - I never saw unforgiven or tombstone either. Apart from that, I have less than zero desire to see those two dudes have sex with each other... I don't care how romantic it is or whatever - I didn't wanna see Gigli either because I didn't care about seeing Ben and Jlo hump each other.

Now - if they ate pudding, I'd totally go see it.

One disturbing thing that sadly seems as if its becoming more prevalent is the use of the word 'brokeback' to describe 'a straight dude being into another guy'.

As evidenced by Jason Priestly's appearance last night on Conan O'Brien saying 'he felt a little brokeback toward Conan'...cue embarassed audience laugh...

UGH!....can we stop this from becoming a trend now please? I can assure anyone using this phrase, it DOESNT make you sound like youre all above it all and cool.....

It was definately Annie Proulx's intention to write a story that the reader had to complete themselves. The chain of adapters from there--McMurtry/Ossanna and then Ang Lee--simply chose to honor her minimalist style, and it was a great fit with Ang's rather formalized storytelling tendencies. The film itself is like the cowboy: the truth is in what they don't say.

Ya know, grandma, you could always close your eyes and plug your ears during the 60 seconds of fully-clothed implied sex... You'd probably love it. It's a movie about guys who feel just like you do, they spend the whole movie *not* doing it.

I dont like the expression but a straight dude liking other dudes is fine with me.

I always hear the term "man crush". I think it's cool that some straight guys can admit they find other guys attractive. Half the straight guys I know coincidentally have a man crush on Ryan Reynolds. Calling it 'brokeback', well it's at least a testement to the films place in pop culture, and probably something that'll pass once there's something else to talk about (i.e. stale enough to be out of a Jay Leno monologue).

Or he could simply not go and pay to see a movie because it doesn't sound like it will interest him. Of course that could start some silly name calling, though.