Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Drama / Romance
Taglines
• Love Is A Force Of Nature
Plot Summary
A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted. Written by: Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana The new film from Academy Award-nominated director Ang Lee. An epic love story set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas, Brokeback Mountain tells the story of two young men - a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy - who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.
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Country: USA
Rating: UK:15 / Australia:M / Norway:11 / Finland:K-11 / Canada:13+ (Québec) / Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) / Ireland:16 / USA:R
Language: English
Runtime: 134 min
MPAA: Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.
Box Office
Opening Weekend: $547,425 (USA)
Gross: $547,425 (USA) (9 December 2005)
Company Credits
Production Co: Focus Features
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
USA
Phn: 818-777-1000
http://www.focusfeatures.com/
Distributor: Focus Features
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
USA
Phn: 818-777-1000
http://www.focusfeatures.com/
Release Dates
Italy: 2 September 2005 (Venice Film Festival)
USA: 3 September 2005 (Telluride Film Festival)
Canada: 10 September 2005 (Toronto Film Festival)
Filming Dates
• 14 June 2004 - ?
News (5 out of 57 articles)
• 12 December 2005: 'Brokeback,' 'Capote' get multiple nods from LAFCA
• 12 December 2005: NBR picks 'Good Night' as year's best
• 12 December 2005: 'Brokeback' tops noms for Critics Choice
Filming Locations
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada
• La Mesilla, New Mexico, USA
Technical Specifications
Color info: Color
Sound mix: DTS / Dolby Digital
Laboratory: DeLuxe
Aspect ratio: 1.85 : 1
Release Dates
Italy – 2 September 2005 (Venice Film Festival)
USA – 3 September 2005 (Telluride Film Festival)
Canada – 10 September 2005 (Toronto Film Festival)
Brazil – 6 October 2005 (Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival)
Norway – 22 October 2005 (Bergen International Film Festival)
Spain – 22 October 2005 (Valladolid International Film Festival)
Brazil – 23 October 2005 (Mostra BR de São Paulo)
France – 23 October 2005 (Paris Gay and Lesbian Film Festival)
Philippines – 25 October 2005 (Cinemanila International Film Festival)
USA – 19 November 2005 (Starz Denver International Film Festival)
USA – 9 December 2005
Denmark – 25 December 2005
Sweden – 4 January 2006
Croatia – 5 January 2006
UK – 6 January 2006 (limited)
UK – 13 January 2006
France – 18 January 2006
Switzerland – 18 January 2006 (French speaking region)
Italy – 20 January 2006
Norway – 20 January 2006
Spain – 20 January 2006
Taiwan – 20 January 2006
Australia – 26 January 2006
Finland – 27 January 2006
Argentina – 9 February 2006
Netherlands – 16 February 2006
Switzerland – 16 February 2006 (German speaking region)
Belgium – 22 February 2006
Germany – 9 March 2006
'Brokeback,' 'Capote' get multiple nods from LAFCA
12 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Surveying a year in which major studio films failed consistently not only with critics but also with moviegoers at the boxoffice, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. leaned heavily toward independent or foreign-made films, albeit in several cases films produced or acquired by studio classic divisions. The big winner was Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, the story of an ill-fated romance between modern-day cowboys. The critics voted the Focus Features release both best picture and best director for 2005. The other multiple award winner was Sony Pictures Classics' Capote, a look at the late Truman Capote during the time he was researching and writing his nonfiction masterpiece In Cold Blood. The organization honored that film, directed by Bennett Miller, for best actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Capote in a haunting impersonation that captured the essence of the conflicted author, and for Dan Futterman's screenplay. The screenplay category actually ended in a tie between Futterman and Noah Baumbach for The Squid and the Whale, the serio-comic tale of Baumbach's childhood experiences in 1980s Brooklyn after his parents' divorce.
NBR picks 'Good Night' as year's best
12 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
NEW YORK -- Three Warner Independent Pictures releases topped the National Board of Review's list of awards Monday, including George Clooney's sophomore feature Good Night, and Good Luck as best film, Hany Abu-Assad's terrorism-themed Paradise Now as best foreign-language film and Luc Jacquet's surprise hit March of the Penguins as best documentary. WIP's parent company, Warner Bros. Pictures, scored a best animated feature win with Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Reflecting this year's trend in films with gay themes and characters, the 150-member NBR committee voted Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) as best actor and actress, while Ang Lee and Jake Gyllenhaal earned best director and best supporting actor awards, respectively for Brokeback Mountain. Best supporting actress honors went to Gong Li for her role in Memoirs of a Geisha. After Good Night, NBR's list of 2005's best 10 films includes (in alphabetical order) Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, History of Violence, Match Point, Memoirs of a Geisha, Munich, Syriana and Walk The Line. Brokeback led the pack with three awards, while Capote, Crash, History, Hustle & Flow Memoirs and Syriana nabbing two each.
'Brokeback' tops noms for Critics Choice
12 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Figuring in eight categories including best picture, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain dominated the nominations announced Sunday for the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards. Voted on by the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. -- with 200 members, the group is comprised of television, radio and online critics -- the winners will be announced Jan. 9 at ceremonies at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, hosted by Dennis Miller, to air live at 8 p.m. on WB Network. Paul Haggis' Crash, also a best picture nominee, ranked second with six nominations. Walk the Line, Capote and Cinderella Man each received four noms apiece, while The Squid and the Whale, Rent, Memoirs of a Geisha and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire each scored three nominations.
NBR picks 'Good Night' as year's best
12 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
NEW YORK -- Three Warner Independent Pictures releases topped the National Board of Review's list of awards Monday, including George Clooney's sophomore feature Good Night, and Good Luck as best film, Hany Abu-Assad's terrorism-themed Paradise Now as best foreign-language film and Luc Jacquet's surprise hit March of the Penguins as best documentary. WIP's parent company, Warner Bros. Pictures, scored a best animated feature win with Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Reflecting this year's trend in films with gay themes and characters, the 150-member NBR committee voted Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) as best actor and actress, while Ang Lee and Jake Gyllenhaal earned best director and best supporting actor awards, respectively for Brokeback Mountain. Best supporting actress honors went to Gong Li for her role in Memoirs of a Geisha. After Good Night, NBR's list of 2005's best 10 films includes (in alphabetical order) Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, History of Violence, Match Point, Memoirs of a Geisha, Munich, Syriana and Walk The Line. Brokeback led the pack with three awards, while Capote, Crash, History, Hustle & Flow Memoirs and Syriana nabbing two each.
N.Y. critics ride with 'Brokeback'
12 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
NEW YORK -- Focus Features' gay-themed western Brokeback Mountain swept the top New York Film Critics Circle honors Monday, garnering awards for best picture, best director (Ang Lee) and best actor (Heath Ledger). The group's best actress award went to Reese Witherspoon for Walk The Line. Wong Kar Wai's 2046 earned the group's best foreign-language film and best cinematography kudos, while Werner Herzog was honored for two best non-fiction films, the docus Grizzly Man and White Diamond. Bennett Miller earned a best first film nod for his direction of Capote, and best animated feature went to Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle. The Squid and the Whale earned Noah Baumbach the NYFCC best screenplay award. David Cronenberg's A History of Violence locked up best supporting actor and actress honors for William Hurt and Maria Bello. The 71st annual awards will be presented on Jan. 8 at New York's Cipriani's 42nd Street.
'Narnia' Has Heavenly Opening
12 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
In the end, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe turned out to be everything that Disney had prayed for -- and more. In its opening weekend, the family film grossed an estimated $67.1 million, far exceeding analysts' predictions. The total box office was reportedly swollen by large numbers of adults paying full-ticket prices. "The movie is playing to everybody," Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times. "We always knew it would. But thinking something would happen and seeing it come together are two very different things." Some industry observers suggested that the film's actual gross could turn out to be substantially higher once Sunday's ticket sales are counted. (Weekend estimates are based on actual sales for Friday and Saturday but only an educated guess for Sunday.) Some reports indicated that churchgoers packed theaters on Sunday to see a film which some describe as a Christian allegory. Narnia also opened strongly overseas, taking in $40 million in 14 countries. Narnia took in $14 million in the U.K. alone, far surpassing Disney's biggest opening -- $12.3 million for Finding Nemo in 2003. Also opening well was the George Clooney starrer Syriana, which managed to take in $12 million despite what critics described as a dense plot. After three weeks in first place, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fell to third place with $10.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $244.1 million. In a remarkable opening in just five theaters, Brokeback Mountain earned $544,549 or $108,910 per theater. It was the strongest limited opening in recent memory and seemed to allay concerns that the public would not accept a film dealing with the ill-starred romance of two gay cowboys.
The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $67.1 million; 2. Syriana, $12 million; 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $10.3 million; 4. Walk the Line, $5.75 million; 5. Yours, Mine & Ours, $5.15 million; 6. Aeon Flux, $4.6 million; 7. Just Friends, $3.9 million; 8. Pride & Prejudice, $2.5 million; 9. Chicken Little, $2.3 million; 10. Rent, $2 million.
Gay Cowboy Romance Wins First Film Honors
12 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, has nabbed the first major film awards of the year. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association on Saturday named it best picture of the year. On Sunday, it received a similar honor from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Also on Sunday the Broadcast Film Critics Association nominated it in eight categories, including best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, composer, writer and song. Winners are scheduled to be announced on Jan. 9.
Brokeback Rides Off with More Critics' Awards
12 December 2005 (IMDb News Flash)
Brokeback Mountain continued to dominate the year-end critics' awards, winning Best Picture, Actor and Director from the New York Film Critics Circle, and two more honors from the National Board of the Review. The Ang Lee western was the dominant movie for the New York critics, scooping up awards for leading man Heath Ledger and director Lee in addition to Best Picture. Hot on its heels was David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, which nabbed both supporting honors, for William Hurt and Maria Bello; Reese Witherspoon was named Best Actress for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Other winners included The Squid and the Whale (Screenplay), 2046 (Foreign Language Film and Cinematography), and Capote (First Feature).
At the National Board of Review, Brokeback received two awards - Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Jake Gyllenhaal - but was passed over for Best Picture, which went to Good Night, and Good Luck. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who's emerging as the favorite for Best Actor, won the group's lead award for Capote, while Emmy winner Felicity Huffman received the Best Actress award for Transamerica. Gong Li was the surprise Best Supporting Actress winner for Memoirs of a Geisha, and Terrence Howard of Hustle & Flow received another breakthrough performance award. Ensemble acting went to Mrs. Henderson Presents, and screenplay honors were given to The Squid and the Whale (original) and Syriana (adapted). The National Board of Review also named their top ten films of the year, listed below.
Here's the list of winners for both groups:
New York Film Critics Circle:
Picture: Brokeback Mountain
Actor: Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Supporting Actor: William Hurt, A History of Violence
Supporting Actress: Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Screenplay: The Squid and the Whale
Non-Fiction Films: Grizzly Man and White Diamond
Foreign Language Film: 2046
First Feature: Capote
Animated Feature: Howl's Moving Castle
Cinematography: 2046
National Board of Review:
Picture: Good Night, and Good Luck
Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Actress: Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Supporting Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
Supporting Actress: Gong Li, Memoirs of a Geisha
Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Ensemble Acting: Mrs. Henderson Presents
Breakthrough Performance: Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow, Crash, Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Original Screenplay: The Squid and the Whale
Adapted Screenplay: Syriana
Top 10 Movies of 2005: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night, and Good Luck, A History of Violence, Match Point, Memoirs of a Geisha, Munich, Walk the Line
'Brokeback,' 'Capote' get multiple nods from LAFCA
11 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Surveying a year in which major studio films failed consistently not only with critics but also with moviegoers at the boxoffice, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. leaned heavily toward independent or foreign-made films, albeit in several cases films produced or acquired by studio classic divisions. The big winner was Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, the story of an ill-fated romance between modern-day cowboys. The critics voted the Focus Features release both best picture and best director for 2005. The other multiple award winner was Sony Pictures Classics' Capote, a look at the late Truman Capote during the time he was researching and writing his nonfiction masterpiece In Cold Blood. The organization honored that film, directed by Bennett Miller, for best actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Capote in a haunting impersonation that captured the essence of the conflicted author, and for Dan Futterman's screenplay. The screenplay category actually ended in a tie between Futterman and Noah Baumbach for The Squid and the Whale, the serio-comic tale of Baumbach's childhood experiences in 1980s Brooklyn after his parents' divorce.
AFI honors best of '05 film, TV
11 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Critics darling Brokeback Mountain, the upcoming effects extravaganza King Kong and the raucous comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin are among the 10 films that the American Film Institute has judged as the most outstanding motion pictures of the year. The official selections of AFI Awards 2005 for top films and TV programs were announced Sunday after two days of deliberations by two juries that selected the year's best in film and television. The AFI will honor the creative ensembles behind each of the honorees Jan. 13 at a luncheon at The Four Seasons in Los Angeles.
'Brokeback' tops noms for Critics Choice
11 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Figuring in eight categories including best picture, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain dominated the nominations announced Sunday for the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards. Voted on by the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. -- with 200 members, the group is comprised of television, radio and online critics -- the winners will be announced Jan. 9 at ceremonies at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, hosted by Dennis Miller, to air live at 8 p.m. on WB Network. Paul Haggis' Crash, also a best picture nominee, ranked second with six nominations. Walk the Line, Capote and Cinderella Man each received four noms apiece, while The Squid and the Whale, Rent, Memoirs of a Geisha and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire each scored three nominations.
L.A. Film Critics Pick Brokeback Mountain
11 December 2005 (IMDb News Flash)
Heralding the opening of this year's awards season, the Los Angeles Film Critics bestowed their honors this weekend, naming Brokeback Mountain as Best Picture. The western, about two cowboys who fall in love, also won the Best Director award for Ang Lee, and star Heath Ledger was the runner-up for Best Actor. Besting Ledger was Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote was voted Best Actor, and Hoffman's co-star, Catherine Keener, was named Best Supporting Actress for that film and three others in which she appeared this year: The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and The Interpreter. For Best Actress, the critics group went far against the grain, choosing Vera Farmiga for the indie film Down to the Bone. Best Supporting Actor went to William Hurt for A History of Violence, and Screenplay honors were shared by Capote and The Squid and the Whale. The official awards ceremony is scheduled for January 17. Here's the entire list of winners:
Picture: Brokeback Mountain
Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Actress: Vera Farmiga, Down to the Bone
Supporting Actor: William Hurt, A History of Violence
Supporting Actress: Catherine Keener, Capote, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and The Interpreter
Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Screenplay: Capote & The Squid and the Whale (tie)
Foreign Language Film: Cache
Documentary/Nonfiction Film: Grizzly Man
Animation: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Music/Score: Howl's Moving Castle
Cinematography: Good Night, And Good Luck
Production Design: 2046
New Generation: Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Career Achievement: Richard Widmark
Independent/experimental: La Commune (Paris, 1871)
'Brokeback Mountain' best pic, director for L.A. critics
10 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Brokeback Mountain was voted top honors from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association on Saturday, taking best picture and best director for Ang Lee. Best actor honors went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his portayal of writer Truman Capote in Capote, while best actress went to Vera Farmiga for Down to the Bone. William Hurt was named best supporting actor for A History of Violence, while Catherine Keener was named best supporting actress for her work in Capote as well as in The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The Interpreter and The Forty Year Old Virgin. The 2005 Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards will be handed out Jan. 17 at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Century City.
'Narnia' Rivals: Adults Only?
9 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
No one doubts that Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be the big winner at the box office this weekend. The only question is, how big? Studio executives are hoping that at the very least it will show that audiences will flock to theaters despite higher ticket and concession prices, more advertising, and more rude behavior -- all of the things they've blamed for this year's 6-percent fall-off in box-office revenue. The only other film opening wide this weekend is Warner Bros.' George Clooney starrer Syriana, which has received generally outstanding reviews but is not likely to make a big impact on the box office. Two other films being touted for their Oscar worthiness are also opening in limited release this weekend -- Sony's Memoirs of a Geisha and Focus Films' gay cowboy drama Brokeback Mountain. Both films are premiering not only in the usual locations of New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto but also in San Francisco -- Geisha, to attract that city's large Asian population and Brokeback to attract its large gay population. (We intend to provide summaries of reviews for both of these movies when they open wide. Summaries of reviews for Narnia ran earlier this week.)
IPA launches nominees for Satellites
2 December 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
In the rush to bestow year-end nominations, the International Press Academy on Thursday announced noms in 48 categories for the 10th Satellite Awards, to be presented Dec. 17. For best motion picture drama, the group nominated A History of Violence, Capote, Brokeback Mountain, Cinderella Man, Memoirs of a Geisha and The War Within. For best comedy or musical, it hailed Rent, Shopgirl, Hustle & Flow, Happy Endings, Walk the Line and Kung Fu Hustle.
Director Ang Lee Says 'Hulk' Almost Finished His Career
2 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
In interviews to promote Brokeback Mountain, which premiered earlier this week in San Francisco, Taiwanese director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; The Wedding Banquet; Sense and Sensibility) has said that making the $120-million blockbuster Hulk in 2003 nearly ended his career. "After Hulk, I was wrecked!" he told the San Francisco Bay Times. "I really thought I was done making films for a while." Nevertheless, he said, he had wanted to make Brokeback Mountain from the time he saw the script, before making Hulk. "I knew I would be so jealous if someone else did it," he remarked. Asked how he thought playing gay cowboys might affect the careers of the film's two stars, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, Lee responded: "They're actors. ... Of course they want juicy parts. I'm not their manager. I don't care if this movie dooms the rest of their careers. ... All I cared about was that they performed for me." Besides, he noted, "I was directing a gay Western set in the Mountains of Wyoming, and there is nothing farther from my personal experience. ... If I can do it and make it convincing, so can they." In a separate interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Lee added: "Some people maybe feel a gay director is the right person to do this movie. But I don't think whether a filmmaker is gay or if the actors are gay matters. They have to be sensitive."
'The Squid and the Whale' Claims Six Indie Spirit Nominations
30 November 2005 (WENN)
Actress Laura Linney was in for a big shock when she read out the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards nominations yesterday - her hit new movie The Squid Amd The Whale picked up six nods. Noah Baumbach's autobiographical tale of two boys dealing with their parents' divorce, led the list of nominees for the indie film prize-giving, which traditionally takes place on the eve of the Oscars. The film will compete for Best Feature along with Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, Capote, The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada and Good Night, And Good Luck, while stars Linney and Jeff Daniels have both been nominated as Best Actress and Best Actor respectively. Daniels will be up against Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) and David Strathairn (Good Night, And Good Luck). Meanwhile, Linney will compete for the Best Actress prize with Felicity Huffman (Transamerica), Dina Korzun (Forty Shades Of Blue), S. Epatha Merkerson (Lackawanna Blues) and Cyndi Williams (Room).
Spirits ink 6 noms for 'Squid'
30 November 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
With six nominations, Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale, the autobiographical tale of two boys dealing with the divorce of their demanding parents, led the nominees for Film Independent's 2006 Independent Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday. The Samuel Goldwyn Films release will compete for best feature with Focus Features' Brokeback Mountain, Warner Independent Pictures' Good Night, and Good Luck and Sony Pictures Classics' Capote and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which picked up four nominations each.
Spirits ink 6 noms for 'Squid'
30 November 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
With six nominations, Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale, the autobiographical tale of two boys dealing with the divorce of their demanding parents, led the nominees for Film Independent's 2006 Independent Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday. The Samuel Goldwyn Films release will compete for best feature with Focus Features' Brokeback Mountain, Warner Independent Pictures' Good Night, and Good Luck and Sony Pictures Classics' Capote and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which picked up four nominations each.
'The Squid and the Whale' Receives Most Nods for Indie Awards
30 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Samuel Goldwyn Films' The Squid and the Whale was named in six categories Tuesday in nominations for the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards, the independent filmmakers' equivalent of the Oscars. Also nominated in the best picture category (and in three others) were Focus Features' Brokeback Mountain; Sony Pictures Classics' Capote and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada; and Warner Independent Pictures' Good Night, and Good Luck. The awards presentation will be carried live by the Independent film Channel at 5:00 p.m. March 4, and an edited version will air on AMC at 10:00 p.m. the same day.
'Squid' lead Indie Spirit noms pack with six
29 November 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
With six nominations, Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale, the autobiographical tale of two boys dealing with the divorce of their demanding parents, led the nominees for Film Independent's 2006 Independent Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday. The Samuel Goldwyn Films release will compete for best feature with Focus Features' Brokeback Mountain, Warner Independent Pictures' Good Night, and Good Luck and Sony Pictures Classics' Capote and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which picked up four nominations each.
Six Indie Spirit noms to 'Squid'
29 November 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
With six nominations, Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale, the autobiographical tale of two boys dealing with the divorce of their demanding parents, led the nominees for Film Independent's 2006 Independent Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday. The Samuel Goldwyn Films release will compete for best feature with Focus Features' Brokeback Mountain, Warner Independent Pictures' Good Night, and Good Luck and Sony Pictures Classics' Capote and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which picked up four nominations each.
Bisexual Rumors Flatter Gyllenhaal
22 November 2005 (WENN)
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is flattered by rumors he is bi-sexual, even though he insists he is only attracted to women. Gyllenhaal, who plays a homosexual cowboy in new movie Brokeback Mountain alongside Heath Ledger, has never had a gay experience - but he isn't afraid of the possibility of having a sexual relationship with another man. He says, "You know it's flattering when there's a rumor that says I'm bisexual. It means I can play more kinds of roles. I'm open to whatever people want to call me. I've never really been attracted to men sexually, but I don't think I would be afraid of it if it happened."
Lee, Clooney on new list for non-Euro noms
15 November 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
COLOGNE -- Ang Lee's cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain and George Clooney's '50s era political drama Good Night, And Good Luck are among the nominees disclosed Tuesday for Best Non-European Film at the European Film Awards. The European Film Academy also announced nominations for Jim Jarmusch's sardonic comedy Broken Flowers and Paul Higgis' Crash, an unblinking look at race relations in Los Angeles. Other nominees include Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of John le Carre's The Constant Gardener; Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee's coming-of-age feature C.R.A.Z.Y.; Sarah Watt's Aussie drama Look Both Ways; Gavin Hood's Tsotsi, an expose of South African gang life; and Carlos Reygadas' sexually explicit Cannes competition entry Battle In Heaven.
Movie Reviews: 'Jarhead'
4 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Several critics are faulting Jarhead for presenting an elegant view of America's soldiers during the first Gulf War without any sort of social viewpoint. "It is a movie that walks up to some of the most urgent and painful issues of our present circumstance, clears its throat loudly and, with occasional flourishes of impressive rhetoric, says nothing," writes A.O. Scott in the New York Times. Rick Groen in the Toronto Globe and Mail puts it this way: "The result is a war picture that, trying to pass off fidelity to the book as objectivity, sacrifices any voice of its own, and ends up not knowing what to think." Nevertheless, Jake Gyllenhaal is receiving much praise for his performance as a Marine looking for action in the war but getting little. Stephen Hunter writes in the Washington Post: "What's so good about the movie is Gyllenhaal's refusal to show off; he doesn't seem jealous of the camera's attention when it goes to others and is content, for long stretches, to serve simply as a prism though which other young men can be observed." Philip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News takes particular notice of Gyllenhaal's "minimalist yet riveting performance." Steven Rea comments in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Gyllenhaal is having quite a year, with a key role in the under-appreciated Proof and a brilliant turn opposite Heath Ledger in the forthcoming (and heartbreaking) Brokeback Mountain. His work as Swofford in Jarhead is strong."
Heath Ledger a Dad
1 November 2005 (WENN)
Australian heart-throb Heath Ledger and his fiancee Michelle Williams are first-time parents, after welcoming the arrival of their baby girl, Matilda, on Friday. Former Dawson's Creek beauty Williams, 25, gave birth in Brooklyn, New York, where the screen stars share a recently-purchased $2 million home. According to reports circulating Australia, the trio will travel to Sydney once promotional commitments for their movie, Brokeback Mountain, have wrapped The couple met on the Canadian set of the film last year, which is set to debut in the US on December 9.
'Brokeback' and 'Capote' Top Gotham Nominations
27 October 2005 (WENN)
Brokeback Mountain and Capote have both won key nominations for the Gotham Awards, which are considered a sound indicator for next year's Oscar contenders. The gay cowboy romance and the biopic of Truman Capote were on Tuesday tipped for Best Picture by the Independent Film Project, alongside David Cronenberg's A History Of Violence and lower-budget offerings Keane and Me and You and Everyone We Know. Brokeback Mountain, charting an uneasy romance between actors Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, also received a nomination for best ensemble cast alongside Crash and Good Night, And Good Luck. The prestigious award ceremony takes place on November 30.
IFP film medley at Gothams
25 October 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
ORLANDO -- Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, Bennett Miller's Capote, Phil Morrison's Junebug, Lodge Kerrigan's Keane and Miranda July's Me and You and Everyone We Know each earned two nominations as the 15th annual Gotham Awards were announced Monday by New York's Independent Feature Project. Brokeback, Capote, Keane and Me and You all received best feature nominations for the awards, which will be handed out Nov. 30 at Chelsea Piers' Pier 60 in New York. The fifth best feature nominee was David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. Those nominated for breakthrough director were July for Me and You, Miller for Capote, Morrison for Junebug, Andrew Wagner for The Talent Given Us and Alice Wu for Saving Face.
Toronto Film Fest Names Winners
19 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The British/South African film Tsotsi, about a car thief who finds a baby on the rear seat, beat out favorite Brokeback Mountain to win the People's Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival. The Australian film Look Both Ways won the festival's prestigious Discovery award.
Spielberg, Theron & Jones Lead Latest Oscar Race
16 September 2005 (WENN)
Steven Spielberg's terrorist drama Munich and Ang Lee's controversial Brokeback Mountain have emerged as the front runners for Best Film at the 2006 Oscars, in the latest release from top movie industry odds site GoldDerby.com. Site editor Tom O'Neil, a top US critic and awards expert, suggests the two epics will compete with war film Jarhead, George Clooney's turn in Syriana and Memoirs Of A Geisha for the top Academy Award. But O'Neil is convinced it will be Spielberg's movie - about the hunt for the killers of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics - that will claim the big prize. He says, "It's the lead pony in this upcoming Oscar derby." Meanwhile, O'Neil and his online critics consortium, favor Tommy Lee Jones to beat Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Joaquin Phoenix's turn as Johnny Cash (Walk The Line) to the Best Actor prize for his role in Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada. GoldDerby.com's experts also predict Charlize Theron will be up for her second Best Actress Academy Award for her role of a victimized miner in North Country. Theron will compete with Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents), Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman (Transamerica), Diane Keaton (The Family Stone) and Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs Of A Geisha) for the award.
Ang Lee Wins Golden Lion at Venice
12 September 2005 (WENN)
Taiwanese director Ang Lee was honored with the coveted Golden Lion award for his latest movie Brokeback Mountain at the climax of the 62nd Venice Film Festival in Italy on Saturday. The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie-maker's adaptation of an E. Annie Proulx's novella, which tells the story of a gay love affair between two cowboys, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, was chosen by the jury as best film. Accepting the golden lion at the Veneto canal city, Lee enthused, "(My film is) a great American love story. I'm so glad it's prevailed here and was received so warmly here." This year's festival was triumphant for the French, with Paris-born director Philippe Garrel picking up the Silver Lion prize for directing Les Amants Reguliers (The Regular Lovers), which also won in the Outstanding Technical Contribution category. Isabelle Huppert was given a Special Lion for her career, which has spanned four decades. Meanwhile, George Clooney's second outing as a director - Good Night, And Good Luck, was named Best Screenplay and Best Actor for leading man David Strathairn.
Gay Cowboy Movie Wins at Venice
12 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Brokeback Mountain, director Ang Lee's controversial movie about gay love between two cowboys, played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival on Saturday. Accepting the award, Lee gave special thanks to writer Annie Proulx for her "moving great American love story." The film won out over the crowd favorite at Venice, George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck a film about the clash between CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and Wisconsin Senator Joseph R. McCarthy in the early 1950s. David Strathairn, who played Murrow in the movie, won the best actor award. Italian actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno won the best actress award for her performance in La Bestia nel Cuore. France's Philippe Garrel won the director's award for Les Amants Reguliers.
Lee's 'Brokeback' is best at Venice fest
11 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
VENICE, Italy -- George Clooney and Ang Lee shared in the Venetian spoils with Clooney's Goodnight, and Good Luck walking away with the best screenplay and actor nods while Lee's Brokeback Mountain was awarded the Golden Lion for best film at the closing awards ceremonies for the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night. Lee, whose touching love portrait of two gay cowboys played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal set the Lido abuzz following its screening last week was awarded the prize by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, in town for a lifetime achievement award. "I am so glad (the film) has prevailed and has been accepted so well here," said Lee who also thanked his producers from Focus Features. Speaking at a press conference following the awards Lee said he had just landed in Toronto for the festival there on Saturday when he was instructed to turn right around and head back to Venice.
Lee's 'Brokeback' is best at Venice fest
11 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
VENICE, Italy -- George Clooney and Ang Lee shared in the Venetian spoils with Clooney's Goodnight, and Good Luck walking away with the best screenplay and actor nods while Lee's Brokeback Mountain was awarded the Golden Lion for best film at the closing awards ceremonies for the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night. Lee, whose touching love portrait of two gay cowboys played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal set the Lido abuzz following its screening last week was awarded the prize by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, in town for a lifetime achievement award. "I am so glad (the film) has prevailed and has been accepted so well here," said Lee who also thanked his producers from Focus Features. Speaking at a press conference following the awards Lee said he had just landed in Toronto for the festival there on Saturday when he was instructed to turn right around and head back to Venice.
Lee's 'Brokeback' is best at Venice fest
10 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
VENICE, Italy -- George Clooney and Ang Lee shared in the Venetian spoils with Clooney's Goodnight, and Good Luck walking away with the best screenplay and actor nods while Lee's Brokeback Mountain was awarded the Golden Lion for best film at the closing awards ceremonies for the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night. Lee, whose touching love portrait of two gay cowboys played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal set the Lido abuzz following its screening last week was awarded the prize by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, in town for a lifetime achievement award. "I am so glad (the film) has prevailed and has been accepted so well here," said Lee who also thanked his producers from Focus Features. Speaking at a press conference following the awards Lee said he had just landed in Toronto for the festival there on Saturday when he was instructed to turn right around and head back to Venice.
Lee's 'Brokeback' is best at Venice fest
10 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
VENICE, Italy -- George Clooney and Ang Lee shared in the Venetian spoils with Clooney's Goodnight, and Good Luck walking away with the best screenplay and actor nods while Lee's Brokeback Mountain was awarded the Golden Lion for best film at the closing awards ceremonies for the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night. Lee, whose touching love portrait of two gay cowboys played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal set the Lido abuzz following its screening last week was awarded the prize by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, in town for a lifetime achievement award. "I am so glad (the film) has prevailed and has been accepted so well here," said Lee who also thanked his producers from Focus Features. Speaking at a press conference following the awards Lee said he had just landed in Toronto for the festival there on Saturday when he was instructed to turn right around and head back to Venice.
Lee's 'Brokeback' is best at Venice fest
10 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
VENICE, Italy -- George Clooney and Ang Lee shared in the Venetian spoils with Clooney's Goodnight, and Good Luck walking away with the best screenplay and actor nods while Lee's Brokeback Mountain was awarded the Golden Lion for best film at the closing awards ceremonies for the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night. Lee, whose touching love portrait of two gay cowboys played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal set the Lido abuzz following its screening last week was awarded the prize by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, in town for a lifetime achievement award. "I am so glad (the film) has prevailed and has been accepted so well here," said Lee who also thanked his producers from Focus Features. Speaking at a press conference following the awards Lee said he had just landed in Toronto for the festival there on Saturday when he was instructed to turn right around and head back to Venice.
Ledger Rebuilds 'Destroyed' Career
2 September 2005 (WENN)
Heath Ledger deliberately took roles he knew would ruin his screen career, as he wanted the chance to rise from the ashes in an even more impressive form. The Antipodean actor, 26, shocked critics by getting his teeth into parts other actors shied away from, including a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, but already Ledger, who is now starring in The Brothers Grimm, is convinced his plan has paid dividends. He explains, "I sort of took my career and destroyed it. I had to destroy my career because I just didn't like it. I didn't like the movies I was making. People weren't giving me a chance to do anything other than be the blond-haired bimbo, and it was starting to bore me. I couldn't have spent the rest of my life following the paths that were being presented to me, so I had to start creating some for myself. It's taken a while, but it looks like doors are opening again."
World premieres on tap at Telluride fest
2 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
The Telluride Film Festival, which keeps its programming under wraps until the last possible minute, announced the lineup for its 32nd festival Thursday. This year's eclectic four-day Labor Day weekend runs from Friday through Monday under festival directors Bill Pence and Tom Luddy. It features more "unofficial" world premieres than usual, offering first looks at movies that will unspool in other fall festivals such as Toronto and New York. Telluride's programming often goes down to the wire, and further titles could materialize: There are rumors of late-breaking sneak screenings that could include Martin Scorsese's 3 1/2 hour Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, which might be introduced by Greil Marcus. "Often, things happen at the last minute," Luddy promised. This year's program is heavy on literary movies from the studio's specialty film divisions. Focus Features' Brokeback Mountain will show at Telluride soon after its Venice debut. Directed by Ang Lee and adapted from the Annie Proulx short story by Larry McMurtry and Dianna Ossana, the western stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as gay cowboys in love.
Brokeback Mountain
2 September 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Screened at the Venice International Film Festival
VENICE, Italy -- Everything you ever imagined about the characters of John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River or Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in Ride the High Country is revealed candidly in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, an epic Western about forbidden love.
Anne Proulx's 1997 short story in the New Yorker has been masterfully expanded by screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana to provide director Lee with his best movie since Sense and Sensibility in 1995.
Featuring scenes filmed in the fabulous Canadian Rockies of Alberta and boasting a fine cast topped by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain will appeal to moviegoers who enjoy grand filmmaking and poignant love stories, whether gay, hetero or otherwise.
The film, which screened in competition at the Venice International Film Festival, follows two men, Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), and their love for each other that in the hide-bound and traditional world of the American West they must keep hidden, fearful not only of scandal but also for their lives.
Ennis and Jack meet in 1963 when they each show up looking for a summer's work herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain, Wyoming, on land owned by no-nonsense rancher Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid). In order to keep his herd safe, Aguirre is happy to break regulations by requiring one of his men to roam high in the mountains, sleeping rough with no fire, while the other maintains a base camp with a one-man tent throughout the summer and into the fall.
There's nothing romantic about herding huge numbers of four-legged beasts left to range far and wide, and cowboys pretty much have cornered whatever romance there is in rugged outdoor animal husbandry. Riding herd on sheep guaranteed a horseman a hard time in old Westerns, but Ennis and Jack make the most of it, even if their diet is mostly beans.
They don't talk much, but Ennis speaks of being raised by his brother and sister after their parents died in a car crash, and of a woman named Alma he plans to marry. Jack tells of stern parents and working the Texas rodeo circuit. The scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous but their days are hard, with bears and coyotes threatening, and the biting mountain cold, and the two men soon come to rely on each other totally.
One night, Ennis decides to sleep by the fire rather than head off to his lonely post, but in the wee small hours, with the fire dead, he's freezing. Jack yells at him to join him in his tent. A simple human gesture in sleep prompts a frantic coupling that in the cold light of morning each man is quick to dismiss.
The summer ends, and as time goes by Ennis marries Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack weds Lureen (Anne Hathaway), and they each have kids. The men's shared passion keeps its fire, however, and their affection and need for each other grows. Over the years, they contrive to spend time together back on Brokeback Mountain. Always there is the threat of exposure and the fear it breeds.
Pulitzer Prize-winner McMurtry (Lonesome Dove) and his recent writing partner Ossana use a large canvas for what is really an intimate story. They develop the secondary characters with great insight and compassion. The women in the lives of Ennis and Jack are given full attention, and the acting, especially by Williams, Hathaway and Kate Mara, as Ennis' daughter Alma at age 19, is deeply affecting.
The fine details of the West are as precise as you would expect from a McMurtry piece, and Lee's adroitness with the excellent cast is on full display, particularly in the brave and moving performances of Ledger and Gyllenhaal.
The dusty towns of Wyoming and Texas are contrasted with the spectacular Canadian Rockies, splendidly filmed by Rodrigo Prieto, and the film benefits enormously from composer Gustavo Santaolalla's melodic and plangent score.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
A Focus Features and River Road Entertainment presentation
Credits:
Director: Ang Lee
Screenplay: Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
Based on the short story by: Annie Proulx
Producers: Diana Ossana, James Schamus
Executive producers: William Pohlad, Larry McMurtry, Michael Costigan,
Michael Hausman, Alberta Film Entertainment
Director of photography: Rodrigo Prieto
Production designer: Judy Becker
Editors: Geraldine Peroni, Dylan Tichenor
Music: Gustavo Santaolalla
Cast:
Ennis Del Mar: Heath Ledger
Jack Twist: Jake Gyllenhaal
Joe Aguirre: Randy Quaid
Alma: Michelle Williams
Lureen Newsome: Anne Hathaway
Alma Jr., age 19: Kate Mara
Alma Jr., age 13: Cheyenne Hill
Cassie: Linda Cardellini
Monroe: Scott Michael Campbell
Fayette Newsome: Mary Liboiron
L.B. Newsome: Graham Beckel
Randall Malone: David Harbour
Lashawn Malone: Anna Faris
Jack's mother: Roberta Maxwell
John Twist: Peter McRobbie
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 134 minutes
Costigan Scott Free president
2 August 2005 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Michael Costigan has been named president of Scott Free Prods., effective immediately. Costigan is a nine-year veteran of Columbia Pictures, where he was executive vp production. While there, he oversaw the making of such films as Charlie's Angels, Gattaca, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Girl, Interrupted and Snatch, and helped launch the careers of McG, Andrew Niccol and Roger Kumble. He left in 2001 to become a producer. Costigan executive produced the upcoming Ang Lee film Brokeback Mountain, and is acting as a producer on the feature remake of the TV series Dallas and Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, an adaptation of Nick Flynn's memoir.
Ledger and Williams in Pregnancy Riddle
4 April 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood couple Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams are at the center of a pregnancy riddle after the former Dawson's Creek beauty was spotted at a pre-natal yoga class. The Australian heart-throb, 25, and American actress, 24, started dating last June after meeting on the set of Ang Lee's cowboy film Brokeback Mountain. Williams has been staying in Ledger's beachside Sydney home since December as The Patriot star films Australian drama Candy alongside Geoffrey Rush in the area. Local Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph reports Williams has been a regular visitor to a weeknight yoga class, which tutors pregnant women in their second and third trimesters. The paper also claims Williams has been spotted in loose-fitting clothes whenever she is spotted in public. Ledger has previously romanced Heather Graham and Naomi Watts, while Williams has dated scriptwriter Donal Ward and musician Andy Herod.
Gyllenhaal Struggled with "Painful" Gay Scenes
16 November 2004 (WENN)
Donnie Darko star Jake Gyllenhaal was left in pain after shooting gay love scenes with Heath Ledger in new movie Brokeback Mountain. The pair play cowboys who fall in love in the western - and Gyllenhaal found the shoot particularly punishing. He says, "Heath almost broke my nose in (a kissing) scene. He grabs me and he slams me up against the wall and kisses me. And then I grab him and I slam him up against the wall and I kiss him. And we were doing take after take after take. I got the sh*t beat out of me. We had other scenes where we fought each other and I wasn't hurting as badly as I did after that one."
Faris bonds with NL's 'Just Friends'
8 November 2004 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Anna Faris, star of the Scary Movie horror-spoof franchise, is in final negotiations to join New Line Cinema's Just Friends for director Roger Kumble. The romantic comedy stars Ryan Reynolds as a music executive who became a womanizer because his high school crush told him she wanted to be "just friends." Years later he unexpectedly finds himself reconnecting with the woman, and this time he's determined to win her heart. Faris plays a pop star who is after Reynolds. Richard Brener, Cale Boyter and Magnus Kim are overseeing the project for New Line. Cinerenta is financing the pic. Infinity Media is producing along with Benderspink. Michael Ohoven, William Vince, William Johnson, Chris Bender and JC Spink are the producers. Inferno Distribution's Jim Seibel is exec producing. New Line is distributing domestically with Inferno handling international. The film has already sold in Germany, Russia, Brazil and the Middle East. Faris was in last year's Lost in Translation and appears in Ang Lee's upcoming Brokeback Mountain. She is repped by Gersh Agency.
Writer Barred From Set of Movie He Wrote
4 October 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Director Ang Lee and writer Larry McMurtry have had a falling out over changes that Lee reportedly made to McMurtry's script for Brokeback Mountain, which concerns a homosexual love affair between two cowboys played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, the New York Daily News's "Rush & Molloy" column reported today (Monday). According to the column, Lee has barred McMurtry from the set of the movie, shooting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. A spokeswoman for Focus Features, which is producing it, commented: "Larry McMurtry can never go on sets because he's got very severe allergies."
Altman's Editor Peroni in Suicide Mystery
10 August 2004 (WENN)
American film editor Geraldine Peroni died at her New York home on Tuesday after reportedly committing suicide. She was 51. The city's medical examiner's office ruled the movie maker - who frequently worked with director Robert Altman - had killed herself, however her family are disputing that finding. Peroni was due to edit the new Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal film Brokeback Mountain later this year. Peroni worked on eight Altman films, including Vincent And Theo, Dr T And The Women and The Company. Altman says, "Her death is a big loss. She made my work so easy. She reads me better than anybody had ever read me, and, consequently, she did the work; I didn't have to. So it was a wonderful situation. But those things don't last." During her 20 year film career, she was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA award for The Player.
Straight Actors Accepting More Gay Roles
6 July 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Although it remains virtually unheard of for an openly gay actor to play a leading romantic role opposite a female star, the number of straight actors willing to accept gay roles appears to be rising, published reports indicated on Monday. In fact, according to the British website gay.co.uk, Jude Law has agreed to play a gay character for a second time, this time opposite Paul Bettany in a new theatrical adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. (Bettany's character also has a female love interest in the movie, played by his real-life wife, Jennifer Connelly.) Law also played a gay character in the 1997 movie Wilde. Other straight actors appearing as gay characters: Colin Farrell in A Home at the End of the World and Alexander; Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain; and Kevin Kline in De-Lovely. (He also played a gay man in 1997's In and Out.
Kiss Off?
4 June 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Although production has only just begun on the movie Brokeback Mountain, which concerns two cowboys, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, who fall in love, controversy has already arisen over published reports that director Ang Lee intends to delete a scene in which the two actors kiss. In an interview with the Malaysian Star, Gyllenhaal said, "We were all talking about the kissing in the movie just recently. Clearly, it's pretty challenging material, but Ang said two men herding sheep was far more sexual than two men having sex on screen." His remarks were derided on several gay-oriented Internet chat sites. (Gus Van Sant, the director originally attached to the film, had directed Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, who played male hustlers, in a kissing scene in the 1991 film My Own Private Idaho.)
Lee Anxious About Gyllenhaal and Ledger's Gay Kiss
3 June 2004 (WENN)
Hulk director Ang Lee could disappoint gay fans by cutting the homosexual kiss between hunky actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger from his latest film Brokeback Mountain. The Day After Tomorrow star Gyllenhaal has confessed that he has had homosexual crushes and is willing to snog Ledger - but Lee is anxious about filming the explicit parts of Annie Proulx's novel about two cowboys who fall in love. Gyllenhaal reveals, "We were talking about the kissing in the movie just recently. Clearly, it's pretty challenging material, but Ang said two men herding sheep was far more sexual than two men having sex on screen."
Gyllenhaal Comfortable with Gay Role
14 May 2004 (WENN)
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal's friends have been teasing him about his forthcoming homosexual role in Brokeback Mountain - although the Good Girl star insists he's very comfortable with his character. The Hollywood heart-throb admits some of his pals are concerned about Gyllenhaal playing Heath Ledger's cowboy lover. Gyllenhaal says, "They're all like, 'Dude, you're gonna kiss a guy?' But it's not about that for me. It's about how impossible love can be sometimes and I can relate to that. I grew up in a family where many of our close friends were gay couples. As well as that, every man goes through a period of thinking they're attracted to another guy."
Hathaway, Quaid saddle up for Lee
31 March 2004 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Anne Hathaway and Randy Quaid are joining Ang Lee's cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain for Focus Features. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are starring, while James Schamus, Michael Costigan, Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry are producing. Adapted by McMurtry and Ossana from a short story by The Shipping News author E. Annie Proulx, the story centers on two men (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) who meet one summer as sheepherders in Wyoming and form a bond and love that spans 20 years. Hathaway plays the strong-willed ex-rodeo queen wife of Gyllenhaal's character, while Quaid will play the hard-bitten foreman who employs the two cowboys. Michelle Williams has already been cast as the wife of Ledger's character. Hathaway gained attention for starring in The Princess Diaries. She next stars in Ella Enchanted, followed by The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Hathaway is repped by WMA and Management 360. Brokeback brings veteran actor Quaid full circle as his first credited film role was in 1971's The Last Picture Show, which was co-written by McMurtry. Quaid is shooting Sci Fi Channel's 5 Days to Midnight. He is repped by Paradigm.
Ledger Bulks Up for Role
23 March 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood heart-throb Heath Ledger is finding his latest role as a gay cowboy to be his most challenging - because he's been ordered to work out for the part. The Australian star has appeared in a number of physically demanding roles - but has been told to work on his physique for the first time in his career for the upcoming Brokeback Mountain. The 24-year-old says, "Oddly enough, it's the one job that I've been asked to build on and kind of work out. You'd think you would kind of build up and work out to play a superhero or something, but it ends up being for a gay cowboy story." A Knights Tale star Ledger was encouraged to take the role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the Ang Lee movie by girlfriend Naomi Watts.
Ledger in mood for 'Casanova'
15 March 2004 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Lasse Hallstrom has found his Casanova. Heath Ledger has signed on to topline the helmer's Walt Disney Co. period tale, with shooting set to start in August in Venice, Italy. The casting continues Ledger's busy work slate for 2004. Later this month, he's due to step in front of the cameras on Lords of Dogtown for Columbia Pictures and helmer Catherine Hardwicke. He'll then follow that up with a lead role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as a pair of love-crossed cowboys in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain for Focus Features. He then segues to Hallstrom's Casanova, a romantic comedy about the legendary Casanova and his pursuit of the one woman in Venice who doesn't fall prey to his charm.
Ledger in mood for 'Casanova'
15 March 2004 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Lasse Hallstrom has found his Casanova. Heath Ledger has signed on to topline the helmer's Walt Disney Co. period tale, with shooting set to start in August in Venice, Italy. The casting continues Ledger's busy work slate for 2004. Later this month, he's due to step in front of the cameras on Lords of Dogtown for Columbia Pictures and helmer Catherine Hardwicke. He'll then follow that up with a lead role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as a pair of love-crossed cowboys in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain for Focus Features. He then segues to Hallstrom's Casanova, a romantic comedy about the legendary Casanova and his pursuit of the one woman in Venice who doesn't fall prey to his charm.
Lee shepherds Williams for 'Brokeback'
8 March 2004 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Michelle Williams is being lassoed to star in Ang Lee's cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain for Focus Features. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are starring, while James Schamus, Michael Costigan, Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry are producing. Adapted by McMurtry and Ossana from a short story by The Shipping News scribe E. Annie Proulx, the story centers on two men (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) who meet one summer as sheepherders in Wyoming and form a bond and love that spans 20 years. The film tracks that time period and their evolving relationship. Williams would play Ledger's wife, Alma, who has to deal with her husband's secret love. Brokeback is slated to shoot in May. Williams gained attention for her work on the WB Network series Dawson's Creek. She most recently appeared in critical darling The Station Agent and has Miramax's Imaginary Heroes and Wim Wenders' Angst and Alienation in the can. She begins shooting The Baxter for IFC Prods. this week. Williams is repped by the Gersh Agency.
'Mountain' men: Ledger, Gyllenhaal
14 January 2004 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Ang Lee has lassoed up a pair of cowboy types to star in his love story Brokeback Mountain for Focus Features. Sources confirmed that Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are in negotiations to topline the project, which is Lee's next helming gig. Adapted by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana from a short story by The Shipping News scribe E. Annie Proulx, the project revolves around two men who meet one summer as sheepherders in Wyoming and form a bond and love that spans 20 years. The film tracks that time period and their evolving relationship.
Lee saddles up for Focus' 'Brokeback'
21 November 2003 (The Hollywood Reporter)
NEW YORK -- To follow up on his Universal Pictures summer special effects extravaganza The Hulk, Ang Lee is circling a big-screen adaptation of the epic love story Brokeback Mountain for Focus Features. The project is based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx and is being adapted by Proulx and Lonesome Dove author Larry McMurtry. The project is an epic love story set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas and centering on two young men -- a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy -- who meet in the summer of 1961. Unexpectedly, the two forge a lifelong connection, with complications, joys and tragedies that provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.
b>External Reviews
Newsgroup Reviews
European Film Awards 2005
• Nominated, Screen International Award, Ang Lee
USA
Gotham Awards 2005
• Nominated, Best Ensemble Cast
Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Linda Cardellini, Randy Quaid, Anna Faris
• Nominated, Best Film, Ang Lee
Satellite Awards 2005
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Motion Picture, Drama
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama, Jake Gyllenhaal
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama. Heath Ledger
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Director, Ang Lee
• Nominated, Satellite Award,Outstanding Screenplay, Adapted, Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Film Editing, Geraldine Peroni, Dylan Tichenor
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Original Score, Gustavo Santaolalla
• Nominated, Satellite Award, Outstanding Original Song, Gustavo Santaolalla, Bernie Taupin. For the song "A Love That Will Never Grow Old".
Trivia
During the filming of the Fourth of July scenes in Fort Macleod the crew would get the extras pumped up by telling them to act like the Calgary Flames had just won the Stanley Cup.
Heath Ledger has a nude scene in which he jumps into a lake. The director intends to edit any actual frontal nudity out of the film, but a paparazzi took photos of Ledger with a digital camera. The photos have appeared on the internet and in some press publications.
Some reports have it that director Ang Lee barred screenwriter Larry McMurtry from the set of the movie. A spokeswoman for Focus Features, which is producing it, commented: "Larry McMurtry can never go on sets because he's got very severe allergies." Larry McMurtry was in the midst of writing a novel when filming began and ended; no one barred him from the set - he was busy writing fiction. Diana Ossana is the co-writer of the screenplay and a producer, and she was on set during the entire filming.
According to reports, Heath Ledger nearly broke co-star Jake Gyllenhaal's nose while filming a kissing scene.
The script by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana was written in 1997.
Directors Gus Van Sant and later, Joel Schumacher, were interested in directing the project.
The original short story by Annie Proulx was published in the 13 October 1997 issue of The New Yorker, without the italicized prologue which was included in the later version published in "Close Range", her collection of short stories.
In her book "The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay & Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film", 'Emma Thompson' writes that after a particularly difficult day filming a sequence that involved a flock of sheep, Ang Lee swore that he would never again use the animals on a movie set. This movie, however, is about two young men who meet while sheep herding.
>>> WARNING: Here Be Spoilers <<<
Trivia items below here contain information that may give away important plot points. You may not want to read any further if you've not already seen this title.
SPOILER: Ang Lee recounted in several interviews that when Michelle Williams needed to film a scene in which her character is devastated to discover that her husband is involved with another man, she asked Heath Ledger (her off-screen, as well as on-screen, love interest) and Jake Gyllenhaal to stand off camera and make out for her benefit. Ledger and Gyllenhaal agreed, and when she thought their kissing was not involved enough, she asked them to intensify it.
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