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For all the fuss whipped up by the media about this "gay cowboy movie," the fact is, Brokeback Mountain is nothing more or less than a star-crossed romance -- a romance that just happens to involve two men. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play young cowboys Ennis and Jack, who meet in the summer of 1963 while tending sheep in a remote Wyoming mountain range. Their initially awkward relationship blossoms into a torrid physical affair, and while the job comes to an end, their romance perseveres. Both men marry and raise families, but at periodic intervals over the next 20 years they slip away to join each other in fleeting attempts to recapture the bliss they felt all those years ago on Brokeback Mountain. The basis of this yarn is Annie Proulx's wistful short story, which has been brilliantly adapted by screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana and translated to celluloid with unusual sensitivity by director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), who won this year's Best Director Oscar for his marvelous work. Contrary to the hoopla generated by the film's attackers and defenders alike, Brokeback is neither a deconstruction of the "macho cowboy" myth nor an endorsement of the gay lifestyle. It does dwell on the secret sorrow that all too often accompanies closeted same-sex romances, and it doesn't shy away from depicting the damage done to the lovers' families. Michelle Williams, Ledger's real-life significant other, delivers a tightly controlled, heartbreakingly poignant portrayal as Ennis's wife, who is devastated by her accidental discovery of her husband's secret love life. Anne Hathaway is nearly as good as the pampered, willful daddy's girl who marries down-and-out rodeo rider Jack and takes him into the family business. In fact, there isn't a weak performance in the film, and even such supporting players as Randy Quaid and Anna Faris make significant contributions in their limited screen time. An insightful drama that never descends to the tawdry or sensational, Brokeback Mountain richly deserves the plaudits it has received. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Ang Lee's adaptation of E. Annie Proulx's story Brokeback Mountain stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as young cowboys named Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar. Each of them is hired to corral sheep on the title location and they soon bond very closely. Their platonic relationship explodes into a physical one, but eventually the two are separated when their job comes to an end. Although the two follow different life paths -- one becoming a father of two and the other marrying into a successful business -- they have a reunion years later. Each is affected profoundly by the rekindling of their old feelings for each other. Those feelings lead each to consider what continuing their hidden relationship would cost them. The screenplay was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 025192010743
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 2:00:00
• Sales Rank: 25,413

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