How Brokeback affected me

[mountain boy]

... It's kinda heart-warming that the guys just say "shut up - guard's coming."

Before the kiss, they were just looking for some entertainment.  It was almost like a double-dare. Afterward, the reaction was one of awe, I guess.  We took  a risk, and they knew it.  Within a few days, the guards got wind of it, and started asking questions. Of course, nobody had seen anything!  Yeh, one guy asked me "when's it gonna be my turn?"  But it was just light-hearted humor.  Later, a guy called me "gal-boy" but someone quickly corrected him. "His name's Paul."

That's wonderful to hear. I'd have probably been asking when it would be my turn too! I mean we're talking young men in prison in Florida in the 1950s - and they had the decency to respect you.

[trinket]

Hi gang!
I went for my 7th viewing of Brokeback this afternoon.
See, you all have been a bad influence on me!
I get there for the 4 pm showing and the girl tells me "it's broken."
WHAT?  WHAT IS THAT?  BROKEN?  Have ya'll ever gone up to buy your ticket and had them tell you
"it's broken?"
There were about 6 people standing to the side who looked at me and said they were wanting to see it too!
They were calling other small towns nearby to see what times their theaters were showing it.
Then another couple come up behind me and ask for tickets....'it's broken."
I say to the girl, "what? are you serious?"  She says, "yeah, it's broken, won't be fixed until Wednesday."
So I asked her, "can't you get ANOTHER projector?"
She tells me "no" because "this is the movie that is selling the least, so we can't move a projector in there."
I was SO CRUSHED, I can't tell you!  CRUSHED.  I've already seen it 6 times!
ugh!  I went to see 'Freedomland'  Lots of racial unrest, disturbing, stressful.  I needed the calming spirit of see Brokeback.
I was NOT a happy gal !  I mean..."BROKEN?"  Come on!

Then she saw the homophobic teenage projectionist smirk and she knew: it had been the tire iron....

OH MY GOSH...YOU ARE TOOOOO MUCH........**Trinket is absolutely hysterical**

[BillN]

This post prompts me to ask, so who will they find for 'The Front Runner' which surely must now be seen as  more than likely after the succes of our dear BBM?  Just as BBM was such a success based on the relative unknown qualities of the 2 leads or their lack of stereotype at least, the front runner could surely be a great vehicle for 2 more of the same. As tempting as it is to want to put those we know and love in the roles, I think it will fare better for being free of them and also so as not to be seen as jumping on the band wagon so to speak. Your comments here please, or should I be another thread?

Andy, I've thought that The Front Runner could easily be the next "gay" movie. Casting will be difficult for the two main characters as any film that is true to the story will have much more sex and intimacy than was shown in BBM. The choice of director will be crucial to attracting actors who can bring the characters to life, Ang would be my first choice but there are probably others who could do justice to the film. And the actors would probably be relative unknowns who would be willing to take the risk of being type cast. Give Hollywood about a year to get something together on this, BBM has shown that money can be made with a film with gay characters.

[mcnell1120]

So...this is funnier than my normal (sometimes rather morbid) posts...but a couple of co-workers (now somewhat obsessed themselves) and I were discussing this - and were laughing so hard - we were just about on the floor.  So..without further ado - My life in Mirrors....or A study in being Jack Twist...

  Get up in the morning...
  Have a cup of coffee...
  Read the BBM forums...
  Go to work...
  Have some lunch...
  Read the BBM forums....
  Go to work....
  Head for home....
  Read the BBM forums...
  Eat dinner...
  Have a drink....
  Read the BBM forums....
  Then, spend half the damn night searching for insights and hidden gems in BBM

  Or...sheesh - am I tired (I must ne if I was thinking that was funny !

  Rob

Rob, you have described me perfectly. Except I'm reading the forum at work instead of working! . Glad to know I'm not alone.

Me too paintedshoes,

We're suppose to service 18 claims a day...I have done 4 so far.(I'm a claims adjuster/analyst)....don't think I'm doing much of anything these days other than laugh at all the comments you nutts make....ha ha....LOVE IT !!!

 

[aceygirl]

  Should have mentioned - in case anyone didn't get the inference - this is set too Jack's..."You know I commute...speech" 

  Rob

It's awesome! And it could describe the daily workday of any number of modern-day Dilberts, even without the BBM obsession! 

BBM has affected even the most trivial moments in my life:

I was in the grocery store the other day and there they were. Cans of B&M beans. Okay, does B & M stand for Better Most? Maybe not--but that's what came to MY mind! I can't eat beans anymore without hearing "No more beans" and envisioning Ennis grunting in relish as he slurps 'em up.

I have inadvertently begun to start my sentences with "Tell you what..."

Our NYC pre-modern-era frig (nondefrostable) broke last week, just as we were getting in a big bunch of Omaha steaks. We've been living out of an icebox. Yes, I said, "Well if you can't fix it..."

We passed by a sign that said "Jack's" (I forget if it was a bar or gallery). Boyfriend says, "Jack....Nasty?"

We aren't even TRYING to quote the movie! It just seeped into our lexicon.

 

[sagha/Mo]

Excuse folks for this, I'm trying to figure out how to post pictures & this is a guinea post experiment.



https://webmail.optonline.net/attach/19perfhl.jpg

[Nado]

Wonderful BBM review by a straight, deaf woman at an interesting deaf culture website in Washington, DC -
http://www.deafdc.com/blog/?p=197

Excerpt:

"And I hope the movie’s well enough done to impact our world today.  Racism is alive and well, but we’ve had enough dialogue on the issue that people of all races can vote, can marry who they choose (except for someone of the same sex), can own property, and so forth.  In short, somebody who isn’t white can walk around for the most part without fear.  We’ve also had enough dialogue on feminist issues that a battered woman can now speak up (hopefully, anyway), and not be poo-pooed.

Just this morning in class I had a classmate announce that “Faggots drink chai tea.”  Now the guy he said that to is determined never to order chai tea again.  And no one (including myself, unfortunately) said a damn thing."

[Mejack]

... It's kinda heart-warming that the guys just say "shut up - guard's coming."

Before the kiss, they were just looking for some entertainment.  It was almost like a double-dare. Afterward, the reaction was one of awe, I guess.  We took  a risk, and they knew it.  Within a few days, the guards got wind of it, and started asking questions. Of course, nobody had seen anything!  Yeh, one guy asked me "when's it gonna be my turn?"  But it was just light-hearted humor.  Later, a guy called me "gal-boy" but someone quickly corrected him. "His name's Paul."

That's wonderful to hear. I'd have probably been asking when it would be my turn too! I mean we're talking young men in prison in Florida in the 1950s - and they had the decency to respect you.

WDJ, I want to thank you for encouraging me to talk about these things. I've never spoken any of this to anyone before.  After my release I went to New York alone to start over.  Didn't want anyone to know about the prison thing, so I just said I'd been away at college.  All my wife and kids know of those years is college.  Now, for the first time in fifty years, you've helped me reveal the truth. Thanks.

As for the "decency to respect you", yes there was respect. But it wasn't for being gay, or for doing a gay kiss. The respect was, first of all, because we never hid it, but admitted our relationship to all. And second, there was respect because we dared to do what was unthinkable in the face of harsh punishment if we had been caught.

Not long afterward, I was at work in the prison office, and got word that Billy had got in a fight over at the brickyard where he worked.  He never would tell me what the fight was about.  Anyway, he was sent to the hole.  That's solitary confinement. Concrete floor, one blanket, minimal food. I was filled with anxiety for Billy's sake.

Next day a guard got smart with me and said "Whatcha gonna do now that your boyfriend's in the hole!?"  Without thinking, I replied "fuck you!"  He grabbed me and said "I guess you wanna go down there with him, huh?" It was about 10 o'clock at night.  He unlocked the cellar door and marched me past Billy's cell, down to the end of the hall and clanked the door shut.  Billy yelled "what the hell did you do?"  The guard said, "he wanted to be with his boyfriend."  That's the only time Billy was ever angry with me. Angry that I had put myself in such a situation.

A day later they came and let Billy out. He had been in there 3 days.  They kept me the maximum 29 days.  The guards were sure that I was the queer, and Billy was just being taken in. So they let him out to make my punishment worse.  When I came out of the hole, I was so pale and thin.  That was the only time I ever saw Billy cry.  That evening, the other  guys were watching to see what we'd do. We walked down the sidewalk together, right past two of the guards, into the field and laid on the grass again, and talked, and loved each other.  Yeh, we had respect.

[David G]

Here is a discussion from a conservative web site. Wizardoz announces she is going to see the film and believes it will be good for a laugh. I believe it has a larger impact on her than she expected or wants to admit. Notice how Wizados' posts become increasingly accepting.

Here is what ensues (combined from two posts):


I'm actually going to go see it tonight. Some female friends of mine really want to so ... here we go. I expect to guffaw through most of it, but we'll see.

6 posted on 02/19/2006 6:26:50 PM PST by wizardoz


To: wizardoz

Egads, can't believe you paid good money to see it. Not only that, but to give Hollyweird funds to make more of the kind.

I know no one who's seen it nor plans to.

6 posted on 02/20/2006 11:59:22 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)


To: wizardoz

"I'm actually going to go see it tonight. Some female friends of mine really want to so ... here we go. I expect to guffaw through most of it, but we'll see."

So here we go....weeeee!

Well at least you have your cover...

13 posted on 02/19/2006 7:01:52 PM PST by Positive (Nothing is sadder than to see a beautiful theory murdered by a gang of brutal facts.)


Okay, well... I saw it. I'll say this for them: they didn't even try to make that sex scene anything other than a grunting grapple. I may have missed a few moments as I was cringing into my coat...

18 posted on 02/20/2006 11:53:18 AM PST by wizardoz



(Second Post Thread):

Having finally seen it last night, I have to say... it's an interesting movie, if nothing else. And it does show how the affair hurts the families. But I did end up feeling sorry for the both of them. Actually, for everyone involved. I don't really understand what made them fall for each other, but the emotion was portrayed pretty effectively.

2 posted on 02/20/2006 11:56:49 AM PST by wizardoz


To: wizardoz

Why would you pay money to support such a blatent homosexual porn propaganda piece?

11 posted on 02/20/2006 12:04:24 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)



To: wizardoz

Having finally seen it last night

Lose a bet?

15 posted on 02/20/2006 12:06:57 PM PST by trubluolyguy (Islam, Religion of Peace and they'll kill you to prove it.)



My curiosity finally got the best of me.

38 posted on 02/20/2006 12:23:43 PM PST by wizardoz



To: wizardoz

it does show how the affair hurts the families.

Maybe this film should have been marketed as a "pro-family values" film.

35 posted on 02/20/2006 12:21:50 PM PST by My2Cents ("The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth." -- Winston Churchill)


To: wizardoz

Do you have any idea how long it takes to teach full-body massage to a stupid sheep??!!

54 posted on 02/20/2006 12:41:11 PM PST by Old Professer (Fix the problem, not the blame!)



To: wizardoz

'Curiosity killed the cat,

Satisfaction brought him back' ?

59 posted on 02/20/2006 12:48:09 PM PST by tumblindice ("Please do tell me all about Brokeback Mountain, then I'll tell you about the arthritis in my cracke)


To: wizardoz

I don't really understand what made them fall for each other, but the emotion was portrayed pretty effectively

Was this supposed to be love?

89 posted on 02/20/2006 1:10:47 PM PST by GVnana (Former Alias: GVgirl)




To: wizardoz

Big movie buff are you?

109 posted on 02/20/2006 1:34:51 PM PST by subterfuge


To: wizardoz

Why would you pay to watch a movie about two faggots?

123 posted on 02/20/2006 2:15:34 PM PST by Godebert



Was this supposed to be love?

Yes. For 20 years the two sneak off three or four times a year to "go fishing". Jack, who lives in Texas and is the less masculine of the two, wants Ennis-- who lives in Wyoming-- to come live with him on his parents' ranch.

But Ennis is afraid because when he was a kid, he knew of two men who lived together and one of them was eventually murdered by the locals. He also seems to want to stay near his two daughters, even after the divorce. The affair goes on until one day Ennis learns that Jack has been... guess what? Murdered by the locals.

143 posted on 02/20/2006 6:55:17 PM PST by wizardoz



To: wizardoz

Having finally seen it last night, I have to say... it's an interesting movie, if nothing else. And it does show how the affair hurts the families. But I did end up feeling sorry for the both of them. Actually, for everyone involved. I don't really understand what made them fall for each other, but the emotion was portrayed pretty effectively.

You were probably manipulated to feel sorry for everyone in the movie, especially since I hear the main character was murdered at the end for being gay.

148 posted on 02/20/2006 8:25:01 PM PST by Dr. Scarpetta (There's always a reason to choose life.)




You were probably manipulated to feel sorry for everyone in the movie, especially since I hear the main character was murdered at the end for being gay.

Yes, one of the irritating things about Hollywood is their constant insistence that if you are gay, you will eventually be murdered by rednecks. But actually, they glossed that over. It was a very short scene. The emphasis, or the tragedy of the story seemed more about Jack's frustrated desire to get Ennis to come and be with him. When he couldn't, Jack did start occasionally hooking up with other men.

Interestingly, neither of them considered being with women to be "cheating," but near the end when Jack hints that he has gone down into Mexico on forays, and Ennis knows that to mean "other men," he is enraged.

What was affecting wasn't so much the two-lovers-kept-apart angle. It was more the difference between the two of them. Jack really wanted Ennis around all the time. Ennis was able to focus on his regular life when they weren't together. He was very matter-of-fact about things.

After Jack is dead, Ennis goes to Jack's parents hoping to take Jack's ashes and scatter them on Brokeback, but the father refuses to hand them over. He tells Ennis that Jack had been hooking up with some other man that last year, and it's kind of interesting that they portrayed Jack as rather weak and plaintive. Ennis is much stronger, or more stubborn.

154 posted on 02/20/2006 9:41:57 PM PST by wizardoz



To: wizardoz

Ennis is afraid because when he was a kid, he knew of two men who lived together and one of them was eventually murdered by the locals. He also seems to want to stay near his two daughters, even after the divorce. The affair goes on until one day Ennis learns that Jack has been... guess what? Murdered by the locals.

What a barfer. A five-year-old could develop a deeper plot.

158 posted on 02/21/2006 8:21:59 AM PST by GVnana (Former Alias: GVgirl)


To: wizardoz

Just curious why you went to see Brokeback...I wouldn't want to help it make money. Aside from the gay aspect, I've been avoiding R-rated movies in general.

Did you see Walk the Line and Cinderella Man?

159 posted on 02/21/2006 8:55:28 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta (There's always a reason to choose life.)

[mountain boy]

... That's the only time Billy was ever angry with me. Angry that I had put myself in such a situation.

A day later they came and let Billy out. He had been in there 3 days.  They kept me the maximum 29 days.  The guards were sure that I was the queer, and Billy was just being taken in. So they let him out to make my punishment worse.  When I came out of the hole, I was so pale and thin.  That was the only time I ever saw Billy cry.  That evening, the other  guys were watching to see what we'd do. We walked down the sidewalk together, right past two of the guards, into the field and laid on the grass again, and talked, and loved each other.  Yeh, we had respect.

Paul you need to write all this up as memoirs - it's really amazing.

What about your wife and children now? How is your family life?

[happycamper]

mejack/Paul that is a beautiful story. Wow! Thanks for sharing it.

[Dal]

 Yeh, we had respect.

Well, you sure have mine.  Damn.  Brave guys.

In your heart you know, no way he could ever have forgotten you, no matter how long ago.  Hugs paul.

Dal

[brianr]

Just this morning in class I had a classmate announce that “Faggots drink chai tea.”  Now the guy he said that to is determined never to order chai tea again.  And no one (including myself, unfortunately) said a damn thing."

Just this month I joined a new music appreciation group. The only other guy kissed all the women (they hadn't met for 6 weeks Aussie holiday time) and the group leader said "Don't worry Brian he won't kiss you" The guy said "No I am not like that " and made a limp wrist. I felt like clocking him one but merely smiled (coward). However yesterday the same group (minus the guy) were having lunch together and the leaser said she had seen Brokeback. I said I had seen it, thought it was wonderful and was going again this week.  I guess I have outed myself to her now.

[NickInIdaho]

Hi gang!
I went for my 7th viewing of Brokeback this afternoon.
See, you all have been a bad influence on me!
I get there for the 4 pm showing and the girl tells me "it's broken."
WHAT?  WHAT IS THAT?  BROKEN?  Have ya'll ever gone up to buy your ticket and had them tell you
"it's broken?"
There were about 6 people standing to the side who looked at me and said they were wanting to see it too!
They were calling other small towns nearby to see what times their theaters were showing it.
Then another couple come up behind me and ask for tickets....'it's broken."
I say to the girl, "what? are you serious?"  She says, "yeah, it's broken, won't be fixed until Wednesday."
So I asked her, "can't you get ANOTHER projector?"
She tells me "no" because "this is the movie that is selling the least, so we can't move a projector in there."
I was SO CRUSHED, I can't tell you!  CRUSHED.  I've already seen it 6 times!
ugh!  I went to see 'Freedomland'  Lots of racial unrest, disturbing, stressful.  I needed the calming spirit of see Brokeback.
I was NOT a happy gal !  I mean..."BROKEN?"  Come on!

Trinket,

How depressing!!!   I would be soooo upset!! 

Well, good luck finding it again!!

I looked in my local paper today, just to see who was still showing the movie - and in a valley of half a million people...its showing in only 2 theaters now...ugh!!  I hope it is still playing by the time I have a chance to go see it again!  I will be devastated if I miss it...it will be only my second viewing!!

[Mejack]

... That evening, the other  guys were watching to see what we'd do. We walked down the sidewalk together, right past two of the guards, into the field and laid on the grass again, and talked, and loved each other.  Yeh, we had respect.

Paul you need to write all this up as memoirs - it's really amazing.

What about your wife and children now? How is your family life?

I'm about to get backed into a corner where I'm not real comfortable.  The straightforward answer is that we have a fine family life.  Married over 33 years, four great sons, two of whom are married, one is dating, and the youngest pursuing his career.  Loving father/son relationships and a happy marriage in every way.

When you do the math, those 20 years it took before I could get through a day without thinking about Billy, those years overlap the marriage by 3 or 4 years.  But a wife, a new house, kids starting to come along . . . those things begin to occupy your mind.  Eventually, I seldom thought of Billy anymore.  He faded into an old memory, never really forgotten, but never brought to the surface either.  Until Brokeback Mountain.

Those old memories suddenly came flooding back. I have to deal with this thing. One thing is sure, though. No matter how much I want to find Billy again, no matter what my feelings may be, I won't let it affect the family.  The family is real, Billy is only a memory.  I won't give up a life for a dream.

Added to the equation is the fact that my wife and I are well-known to thousands on the East Coast where I'm on stage regularly (I dare say no more than that).  So many more would be affected, and I will not ruin lives. 

What I'm afraid of is this: is it going to take 20 years again? I may be wrong, but I somehow believe if I could just know a few things: is he alive? is he okay? is he happy?  If I could just know that, hopefully I could put this all aside again, and go on with my life. But I won't kid you. You know as well as I do that there's a part of me that wants Billy.

Brokeback Mountain has nearly done me in!