Pearl, Mississippi...."Brokeback Mountain".....Strange days indeed!

We've been home an hour. My guys asleep but I'll be up for awhile, thinking about this evening.

Imagine, if you will, the most rightwing conservative Republican town in Mississippi and you have Pearl, some thirty miles from my home. Tonight, my guy and 5 friends of ours experienced "Brokeback" in Pearl.

Here's the score. The theater, Tinseltown, was full. The crowd, mixed (maybe 60% gay male, 40 straight couples/single women. The audience was respectful, appeared appreciative, and I heard several people quietly crying. No cell phones, no conversations, no catcalls. Everyone seemed seriously into the film. No one harassed us, no one seemed to care (though as we were exiting, my partner heard one guy in the lobby say "They're coming from that movie where the guys fuck each other").

Popcorn cost more than the tickets!

As to my opinion of the film, it is heartbreakingly beautiful. I read the Proulx story years ago and never dreamed it could ever be made into a movie. I heartily recommend it to anyone who has never had the pleasure. The cinematography is stunning. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall did superb jobs (I don't give a fuck if they're straight). Ledger, in particular, made me hurt because I've known several men very much like his Ennis. His mastery of the character impressed the author so much she said he understood Ennis better than she did. I think she may well be right.

The only discordant note was the scene where Alma sees Ennis and Jack passionately in each others arms. The audience reaction was a rather odd, uncomfortable laughter (probably almost entirely from the hetero portion of the crowd).

I'm still stunned. This movie, that I was going to Memphis or Birmingham to see, played in Pearl, Mississippi. Pearl freaking Mississippi. These are strange days indeed....

Afterward all the boys loaded up and wound up at Outback Steakhouse where we commandeered a table for seven and discussed our various opinions. A good time was had by all.

If you get a chance, see this one on a big screen. Its just one of those movies.....

I don't think I could take watching the whole film.....

Neither my partner, nor any of the guys with us had any idea where the story led. I teared up several times, but not as badly as I expected. The others in our group were more upset because they didn't expect what eventually happened.

Believe me when I say, IMO, its Ang Lee at his best, so you know it must be excellent.

. . . and didn't get hassled. Thanks for the review.

Cheers.

Pearl. It is seriously the most conservative, Republican hellhole in a conservative Republican state. I was even a little nervous, but there were no picketers, or anyone who seemed to give a damn. Maybe we are joining the 20th century (a little late) after all. I'd like to hope so.

Dobson predicted big protests 2 months ago. Do you suppose that our dear Pretzelnut's problems have made the fundies suddenly go and hide? Or maybe it's Robertson's stupid remark about Sharon? Or have religious wackos just learned their lesson that organized protests only funnel more money to the producer's pocket (witness the publicity "Latter Days" received after the Mormon Church condemned it. Every teenage boy in Idaho & Utah drove out-of-state to see it or bought the video.

their lesson with "The Last Temptation of Christ". Had they ignored that movie, it would never have gotten much attention. Their outraged picketing drew many thousands to see thefilm, pushing it into a far more serious category than it had previously held.

Boycotts usually backfire, especially when you try to tell people NOT to see something. It makes it just that much more interesting.

Oodles of fundie churches abound! If they aint gonna protest it there they aint gonna protest it anywhere.

right across the street and no one represnting it in sight.

All I can say is Wow!

I think we've all had an undying love for someone, at some time in our lives, that we think of that person and say, "I wish I knew how to quit you."

perfectly. I think what makes the movie so wonderful is that its real. The lines were lines those men would say. When they hurt each other, it was believable and when they tried to express their feelings, it was awkward, uncomfortable, and incredibly real. How that 70 year old straight female author captured these young, confused ranch-hands is beyond me, but she did it brilliantly.

may be the "Frankly my dear, I dont give a damn" of the 21st century.

There is MUCH more to the movie than two naked boys.

And, BTW, that's not even Jake.

That image really has nothing to do with the movie for me, at least.

I changed it back. If you read the original thread, you could not possibly think that I'm so crass as to think this film is about naked boys. They were naked for all of 3 seconds, for Christ's sake. Trust me, I have lots of "film" of naked boys. This was serious film-there's a difference. The purpose of posting this particular shot is not to revel in the fact that they're "nekkid", its because they're exuberant and free and in love. The fact that an extra is involved means nothing to me, nor does it mean anything in the context of this thread.

I think Skinners right on this one. The ignore button is your friend.

and i imagine those are hard to come by in those parts :):toast:

That was a trip all in itself....A VERY interesting crowd.

i saw it in oklahoma city ... not quite as conservative, but pretty damn close :)

it was a very interesting and rewarding experience :)

I LOVED that scene! It had me laughing too, AND cheering for the guys, AND crying, all at the same time!

was laughing. I felt so happy for them and so understanding of their passion but Alma's face killed any hint of laughter in my soul. That was one tough scene to watch. I felt a lot of things simultaneously.

Me too! The movie was so real that way, and rich, and complicated emotionally, and tough to watch at times too, as you say. Not very many "Hollywood moments", where everything is nice and simple. I felt Alma's pain too, and I still feel a lot of sympathy for her: she didn't do anything to deserve the hand she was dealt either, and everyone gets hurt here. But there was just so much emotion leading up to Ennis and Jack's reunion! And when it finally happened, and they jumped each other's bones right out there on the street, I totally lost it.

I'm gonna see this movie again, and will be sure to bring an extra box of Kleenex for that scene.

One of the best that I have seen and I consider myself a film snob. Brilliantly written and directed, gorgeously flmed, and stunningly acted. The saddest film I have ever seen and the first time that I believed that the characters were wildly madly in love. Like Romeo and Juliette, it is a story for the ages.