Well, we went to the Brokeback Mountain premiere last night. Let me start with the movie. It is so not a Gay Cowboy Movie. What it is, is a story of two people in love - who can't be. Who won't let themselves be (and being 1963 probably couldn't let themselves be).
It is also the story of these two men, and how there lives are affected after "the night / summer". They both get married and have kids. It is hard to describe (which is why the gay cowboy movie title has stuck).
It is directed by Ang Lee, who did Sense and sensibility, The Ice Storm The Hulk and won an Oscar for crouching Tiger / Hidden Dragon.
It is a really good movie. Jake and Heath were great (Jake was there in person and is cute!). They are both straight, and they play the parts perfectly - which is two straight guys who don't get what is going on emotionally with them. The wives are spot on - in really difficult roles.
I hate movies where the bad guys are REALLY BAD and the good guys are PERFECT. This is a movie about people, love, loss and emotions. All the characters (okay - except maybe 1 father in law) are real people.
It is slow - as all Ang Lee pictures are. It is certainly not porn - but it is achingly romantic. Not just the guys, but the women too.
At the premiere, you never know who you are going to be impressed by. We attempt to be bla-say about actors. No problem. But Oliver Stone was there as was Jamie Lee Curtis, Christina Slater, a ton of big directors. No biggie for me. Ed was impressed with Ang Lee (Ed spoke with him).
Me, I was tongue tied cuz Larry McMurty was there. He co-wrote the story. He is also an amazing writer! He wrote (to name some) Last Picture Show, Lonesome Dove, Streets of Larado, Leaving Cheyenne, Terms of Endearment, Texasville - and a ton of other great books. He impressed me.
And, he captures the "West" in this movie in a way you don't see much. The mountains, the beauty, the freedom, the loneliness, the emtpiness, the spring, the bleak. So much of the "West" (not LA, but the mountains and in space in between the mountains) is hard to describe because it is a feeling. The movie catches that.
It's not the best thing I have ever seen. If you go you will want it to go faster. But I really like it.