movies
November 20, 2005 10:33 AM   Subscribe

Chokeback Mountain The newest gay love story is also the oldest straight one.
posted by halekon (58 comments total)
 
I have been totally avoiding that movie. I happen to be gay but recognize that that is not the most important factor of my life, and so I resent movies where "gay" is the storyline. That said, this article convinced me that this movie might actually be ok.
posted by arcticwoman at 10:39 AM on November 20, 2005


To be honest, I was hoping for a glimpse of Philip Seymour Hoffman's ass in Capote. But I'm sure I'll be happy with this cinematic effort.
posted by Rothko at 10:57 AM on November 20, 2005


Go team gay mafia!
posted by ColdChef at 10:58 AM on November 20, 2005


Isn't the whole "gay cowboy" movie somewhat of a cliche? Or was it just in that south park episode.

The whole concept of this movie seems ridiculously hilarious to me.
Isn't the whole "gay cowboy" movie somewhat of a cliche? Or was it just in that south park episode.

The whole concept of this movie seems ridiculously hilarious to me.
posted by delmoi at 11:00 AM on November 20, 2005


You can say that again.
posted by Hlewagast at 11:03 AM on November 20, 2005


The author should have gone for broke and called it 'Chokecock Mountain.'
posted by PigAlien at 11:07 AM on November 20, 2005


The story that it was based on, by Annie Proulx, was excellent. That said, I'll probably be avoiding the movie.
posted by jokeefe at 11:08 AM on November 20, 2005


But, delmoi, one of New York's most jaded reviewers found it 'impossible to be cynical' about this movie!
posted by PigAlien at 11:09 AM on November 20, 2005


I was going to avoid Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but ended up seeing it anyway. It wasn't so bad.

This film I'm looking forward to. Cliche or not - gay cowboys? - fuck yeah! Get it on, brothers!
posted by PigAlien at 11:12 AM on November 20, 2005


Didn't we already do the "eating pudding" thing?
posted by Joeforking at 11:14 AM on November 20, 2005


Isn't the whole "gay cowboy" movie somewhat of a cliche? Or was it just in that south park episode. The whole concept of this movie seems ridiculously hilarious to me.

How profound your thinking is. The first gay love story in years, is cliched, ridiculous & hilarious - must be cos it's all about sex with queers, they can't fall in love. Talk about missing the point.

Mefi's liberal hegemony raises its coiffured head again, and spews thinly disguised bigotry all over my screen. Thanks delmoi. I've seen more homofriendly analysis from some of most castigated wingnuts of this here community.
posted by dash_slot- at 11:18 AM on November 20, 2005


The linked article is interesting in its remarks on how the likely audience for this film will be overwhelmingly female. Perhaps if you write enough slash at the cultural margins, you can more or less nudge the mainstream into following along with your fantasies.
posted by jokeefe at 11:21 AM on November 20, 2005


dash_slot, I don't think the comment was homophobic so much as criticizing the stereotypical erotics of the macho man.
posted by jokeefe at 11:22 AM on November 20, 2005


"You aren't just going out fishing with your buddy, are you?"
posted by Balisong at 11:33 AM on November 20, 2005


I too read the original story, loved it, and am kind of curious about the movie, but will only go see it if it does the story right.
posted by matildaben at 11:34 AM on November 20, 2005


Genre is key.
posted by xod at 11:37 AM on November 20, 2005


I'm just going for Jake. I'd watch him eat tapioca, even.
posted by WolfDaddy at 11:43 AM on November 20, 2005


i really want to see this, but keep thinking SouthPark too--it was the Sundance bashing episode, where there were a bunch of films about gay cowboys eating pudding. : >

(excellent article, btw--he's a mefite, you know)
posted by amberglow at 11:46 AM on November 20, 2005


"Isn't the whole "gay cowboy" movie somewhat of a cliche?"

Cliché, no. Redundant, sure.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:49 AM on November 20, 2005


When I saw this preview in the theater I was completely unprepared. I had no idea what was happening, but I was snickering and thinking "oh great. another homo-erotic film about straight people, a la Top Gun." When it hit me that it really was about gay cowboys I probably shouted "Hell Yeah! Gay Cowboys!" a touch too loud.

But, yes, this film is super-cliche. Sorry. It couldn't be more cliche if it had a gay indian, a gay construction worker and a gay policeman.
posted by elwoodwiles at 11:52 AM on November 20, 2005


The linked article is interesting in its remarks on how the likely audience for this film will be overwhelmingly female.

I'm surprised by reports that producers where aprehensive about a movie like this, like having a couple young male movie stars do a gay romance aimed at heterosexual women, that sounds to me like it would have a good shot of making a profit.

This Newsweek article touches on some of the same points.
posted by bobo123 at 12:00 PM on November 20, 2005


How is this film cliche? I have no idea where people are getting that from.
posted by Falconetti at 12:07 PM on November 20, 2005


Hmm, everyone I know is calling it Bareback Mountain.
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:11 PM on November 20, 2005


mr_crash_davis writes "Cliché, no. Redundant, sure."

Indeed.
posted by brundlefly at 12:11 PM on November 20, 2005


I appear to be the only person interested in seeing this for the scenery.

Seriously. The photography gets me all hot and bothered to move back to Wyoming.
posted by scody at 12:23 PM on November 20, 2005


The Winner Is. . . Only Acting Gay.
posted by ericb at 12:24 PM on November 20, 2005


Margaret Pomeranz talks to Jake Gyllenhaal and director Ang Lee about Brokeback Mountain.

Jake Gyllenhaal interview in Details magazine:
"Gyllenhaal stresses to me the universality of Brokeback's story ('My character could have been played by a woman and it would have made just as much sense,' he says), but I'm astonished when he says that he doesn't believe Ennis and Jack are gay. 'I approached the story believing that these are actually straight guys who fall in love,' he says. 'That's how I related to the material. These are two straight guys who develop this love, this bond. Love binds you, and you see these guys pulling and pulling and tugging and trying to figure out what they want, and what they will allow themselves to have.'

One of the film's producers, James Schamus, is as surprised as I am when I tell him that Jake perceives his character as straight: 'Did he really say that? Well, I suppose movies can be Rorschach tests for all of us, but damn if these characters aren't gay to me. I think what Jake might have meant is that these guys lived outside of a social construction of a gay identity. There was no such thing as a gay identity for a cowboy in 1963.'

If you believe the rumors in the blogosphere, Gyllenhaal might be looking for his own gay identity. In the month before I met him, two seemingly conflicting rumors circulated. The first claimed that Gyllenhaal gave way to a body double for Brokeback Mountain's nude scenes. The second said that he is bisexual and looking for an opportunity to come out.

Gyllenhaal flatly denies using a body double. As for his sexual orientation, he says this: '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.'"
posted by ericb at 12:32 PM on November 20, 2005


I am looking forward to the times when the main commentary about a love story/movie is whether it's good or not.
In general I find taking people's sexual preferences as the determining factor of the quality of their relationships utterly sad and eventually boring.
I will go see the movie, because Ang Lee is a very fine movie maker and story teller and I'm curious to see what he's done with this.
posted by threehundredandsixty at 12:39 PM on November 20, 2005


" ... you see these guys pulling and pulling and tugging ... "

So there's a lot going on in that 38 seconds, eh?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:41 PM on November 20, 2005


"For women Brokeback Mountain viewers, there’s sympathy, empathy, romance and—well, yes—just a teeny Myra Breckinridgian overtone of in-the-butt proto-feminist vengeance."
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:46 PM on November 20, 2005


The author should have gone for broke and called it 'Chokecock Mountain.'

Yeah, I totally did think about that for a second, in a haze of last-minute publication craziness. But cooler heads in the office prevailed.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 1:03 PM on November 20, 2005


I noticed the aim to shoot for heterosexual women as the main audience, as well. The question is, is there enough of that audience to make the profit they want? Are we talking art house picture profits or mainstream movie profits? It referenced Yaoi, but even in Japan, thats not even a majority of the women.
posted by Atreides at 2:27 PM on November 20, 2005


Well, I'm a heterosexual woman and I think it looks hot.

I like Annie Proulx's stories. I like Ang Lee's directing. I like hot naked men, especially when there's a compelling story. It sounds like this movie has what I want. My heterosexual boyfriend says he's willing to see it with me, but he's not really all that enthusiastic so I may find a woman friend to watch it with.

Ang Lee has already proven his ability to do smart movies with gay main characters, in The Wedding Banquet. And since then he's improved his visual storytelling skills and won big Hollywood-level funding.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 3:09 PM on November 20, 2005


Just the fact that we FPP'd it will probably mean that 1000 more people will see it that otherwise wouldn't. I still havent made up my mind if I will. Maybe if I gather up all the fellas...
posted by Balisong at 3:31 PM on November 20, 2005


This film I'm looking forward to. Cliche or not - gay cowboys? - fuck yeah! Get it on, brothers!

.

I wonder about this cliche complaint too, though (like straight love stories are never treated in cliche manner by Hollywood, right?). But really, since I've never heard of Hollywood movies about gay cowboys, what exactly do people mean when they say it's a cliche? Could anyone explain it patiently like you would to a clueless foreigner which I am? Thanks!
posted by funambulist at 3:32 PM on November 20, 2005


I think the whole cliche is summed up in the lone south park episode, along with leather chaps, etc. in gay clubs.
There was a gay club multiplex here in town, it had a whole 'Wrangler's Club' side-bar...
posted by Balisong at 3:40 PM on November 20, 2005


"Homos on the range"
"The West ... where the men are men and the sheep are nervous"
"Gay cowboys eatin' pudding"

There's lots of sayings in our culture that contribute to the idea that the Western, uh, mileu includes heavy, uh, implications that men eschew pleasure with women for, uh, other things. We just haven't ever looked too, uh, deeply into that, uh, pioneering spirit.

...except for assless chaps.
posted by WolfDaddy at 3:44 PM on November 20, 2005


milieu dammit!

Y'know, I wish I could turn off live preview. It's a bad pony that needs to be put out to pasture by some hot cowboys who eat pudding wearing nothing but leather ... assless ... chaps.
posted by WolfDaddy at 3:48 PM on November 20, 2005


if hollywood wants to market movies to me (a girl) that I think are hot (dudes angstily making out and having sex), I am not going to complain about it. no way.
posted by jann at 5:14 PM on November 20, 2005


The trailer looks interesting (and very sad) -- we'll see if the film holds up.

The best part is they replicated the Titantic one-sheet for the film's key art. ;)
posted by jca at 5:33 PM on November 20, 2005


Mefi's liberal hegemony raises its coiffured head again, and spews thinly disguised bigotry all over my screen. Thanks delmoi. I've seen more homofriendly analysis from some of most castigated wingnuts of this here community.

Bigotry? Lighten up. Something about a "Gay Cowboy Movie" just makes me titter. If that's not 'homo friendly' enough for your standards, sorry.
posted by delmoi at 6:07 PM on November 20, 2005


This film I'm looking forward to. Cliche or not - gay cowboys?

The Rev. Horton Heat tells a story that once he waas in a town in the southwest and after he completed the show, he told his cabdriver to take him to "the funkiest bar in town."

He tok him to what appeared to be a cowboy bar. The band hung out and then they saw a black guy in a cowboy suit ask a white guy ina cowboy suit to do a two-step. They did. Rev. 7 the boys hung out & had a good time. they even wrote a song about it.

It's a beautiful thing.
posted by jonmc at 6:38 PM on November 20, 2005


What's so wrong with two roustabout caballeros enjoying some tasty dessert snack cups? Sounds charming.
posted by jopreacher at 7:56 PM on November 20, 2005


The trailer for this flick is the best piece of unintentional comedy that you will see all year.

"I wish I knew how to quit you!!"
posted by BobFrapples at 8:40 PM on November 20, 2005


I'm not a big Annie Proulx fan, but this short story is one of the best love stories I've ever read. The fact that it involves two men and the problems they encounter trying to maintain a relationship in the years after their summer on Brokeback Mountain simply makes it more thought provoking. The story was not primarily about the two of them being "gay" and doing "gay" things, but was about how two men could love each other in an utterly homo-horrified culture. It's just a wonderfully sad love story. Get over the ass chaps. This movie's not about that.
posted by johngumbo at 8:43 PM on November 20, 2005


The author should have gone for broke and called it 'Chokecock Mountain.'

My friends and I refer to it as Bareback Mountin'
posted by Robot Johnny at 9:29 PM on November 20, 2005


"Gay snakes on a prairie schooner"
posted by rob511 at 9:53 PM on November 20, 2005


Hmm, everyone I know is calling it Bareback Mountain.
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:11 PM CST on November 20 [!]


My friends and I refer to it as Bareback Mountin'
posted by Robot Johnny at 11:29 PM CST on November 20 [!]


When friends don't know friends post to MetaFilter.
posted by Ynoxas at 10:06 PM on November 20, 2005


It says a lot about society that I can't find anyone to have a serious discussion about this movie with without breaking down into adolescent joking. Alas, we still have a long way to go.
posted by Poagao at 10:47 PM on November 20, 2005


Surely, it's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" all grown up?.
Another straight woman here who can hardly wait...
posted by Jody Tresidder at 5:25 AM on November 21, 2005


I really don't get how this movie is particularly cliched. It seems less cliched than about 90% of movies that came out this year. I'm pretty sure it is literally just the south park thing. Maybe I'm not up on my gay cowboy love stories but are they more common then mafia family dramas, technical heist caper films, class conflict will they won't they (they will) romantic comedies, even rags to (just short of) glory stories about boxers are more common.

I have no idea whether this movie will be good, I'm suspicious about all the oscar bait type movies, but I don't get the dismissive attitude about this movie in particular.
posted by I Foody at 9:29 AM on November 21, 2005


Um, I think the movie is about love. About 2 guys who fall in love and don't know what to do about it. Of course they do all the wrong things about it and fuck up their lives.

I don't think it's about 2 k'boys fucking. But we'll see, won't we.
posted by MotherTucker at 10:31 AM on November 21, 2005


So, as a guy, do I have permission to start talking about liking f/f scenes again without getting rhetorically pilloried by the nearest woman?

I mean, I pretty much equally dig m/m stuff, m/f stuff. . .I draw the line at sheep.
posted by Danf at 11:06 AM on November 21, 2005


It's just a wonderfully sad love story. Get over the ass chaps. This movie's not about that. -posted by johngumbo
True. But the gay cowboy thing is a hackneyed plot. Also the title is corny. And evocative of images of homosexual sex gone, perhaps, seriously arwy, particularly with cowboys involved who do rough things such as riding bulls and bucking bronco's etc. and it's funny to juxtipose such things. (Perhaps call it Garver Mountain, Juniper Mountain, etc. Something otherwise innocuous.)
This is all opposed to some of Ang Lee's other work which is humorous at times, but not corny and quite good.

And the other juxtipositions, stereotypes, homoerotic subtexts, what have you

are a part of American culture.
e.g. "Carry On Cowboy 1965 - Stodge City is in the grip of the Rumpo Kid and his gang. Mistaken identity again takes a hand as a "sanitary engineer" (plumber) by the name of Marshal P. Knutt is mistaken for a law marshal! Being the conscientious sort, Marshal tries to help the town get rid of Rumpo, and a showdown is inevitable."
So...no homoerotic undertones there. Rumpo kid? C'mon.

And the cowboy is an overused character as it is, there's The Cowboy Way, The Last Cowboy, The Cowboy and the Lady,Cowboy Up, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy, Compton Cowboy, Ride 'Em Cowboy, The Cowboy and the Blonde, A Cowboy Needs a Horse, The Cowboy and the Indians, Cowboy Serenade, The Littlest Cowboy, Cowboy Quarterback, Sing, Cowboy, Sing, The Singing Cowboy, Whoops! I'm a Cowboy, Cowboy Fun, Cowboy in Africa, Cowboy in the Clouds, Cowboy Jesus, The Cowboy Kid,The Cowboy Loses His Boots, Damn Right I'm a Cowboy, The Sissy Cowboy, Captain Cowboy, A Chocolate Cowboy, etc. etc. etc.

If you are unaware of the cowboy cliche, perhaps you should check out the unparalleled Midnight Cowboy. It's set in the very late 60s- 70's in there it's pointed out that the cowboy look is getting old. The title itself was slang for male hustler. Wuz I Ang Lee I would have discarded the cowboy thing or played it down simply because of the stereotypes. But what do I know? Oh, yeah, some movie history right.
posted by Smedleyman at 7:18 PM on November 21, 2005


Typing...not so much tho.
posted by Smedleyman at 7:19 PM on November 21, 2005


Wuz I Ang Lee I would have discarded the cowboy thing or played it down simply because of the stereotypes.

Precisely.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:01 PM on November 21, 2005


Ok I get it there's South Park and a set of cliches about cowboys of which I am unaware. Still, if I were to start going on about cliches in movies, a male-male romance would be the last item on the list.
posted by funambulist at 3:34 AM on November 22, 2005


Wuz I Ang Lee I would have discarded the cowboy thing or played it down simply because of the stereotypes.

Thank god you're not Ang Lee, is all I can say.
posted by Poagao at 12:43 AM on November 23, 2005


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