A collective roar went up in the Streeter basement kitchen when this year's Best Picture Oscar was handed out. Thirteen people sat on the industrial couches of the lounge in disbelief -- how could the movie that had so much pre-Oscar buzz, a gaggle of other awards and won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director earlier that evening, lose the big one? How was "Brokeback Mountain" not the Best Picture winner?
Sure, "Brokeback" was undoubtedly one of the best films of 2005 -- and a legitimate argument can be made for why it should have won Best Picture -- but perhaps the more important question is when did the low budget (by Hollywood standards) film based upon a New Yorker short story become a pop culture phenomenon?
If you haven't heard about or seen "Brokeback Mountain" by this point you have to be living under a rock -- or not reading newspapers, watching TV, listening to the radio, walking past the Nugget or speaking to anybody on campus, because the movie has been widely discussed and debated since well before its limited Dec. 9 release. I know I sure discussed it. It was a rainy Tuesday night in November and I was at the Nugget, running late for a showing of "Walk the Line." My friend and I slinked into the theater as the lights began to dim and the previews started. The screen crackled to life, guitar music began to swell through the speakers and Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal appeared on the screen clad in jeans, boots and cowboy hats.
I immediately realized that I was watching a preview for some sort of outdoorsy-western movie. As a kid I sat through countless John Wayne films and spaghetti Westerns with my parents, but let's just say "cowboy movies" aren't exactly my cup of tea. Heath Ledger, on the other hand, is one of my favorite blends of Celestial Seasonings (yes, I just made a very bad tea joke). At that point I probably would have forked over my eight bucks to see "Brokeback," but as I watched more of the preview I realized this wasn't just any old western. Despite the movie's rugged exterior, there was an underlying love story, where the two cowboys fall in love ... with each other.
I have to admit, it piqued my curiosity. This was Heath Ledger -- the same man who, as the macho Patrick Verona, wooed Julia Stiles in "10 Things I Hate About You." I just couldn't picture Heath wooing Jake on a mountain. Boy, was I wrong.
"Brokeback" didn't reach Hanover, or the even most of the country, until January, but it was making its national impact long before despite its crazy pattern of limited release. Its unconventional subject matter, its young, up-and-coming cast, and its severely limited release schedule seemed to indicate the movie wouldn't make it past the indie circuit. But the critics latched on to it. December saw a flurry of glowing reviews for the flick. Everyone from The New York Times to Rolling Stone to Ebert and Roeper sang the praises of Heath, Jake and director Ang Lee.
By the time I finally made it to the Nugget to see "Brokeback," I was a little skeptical. The movie was everywhere. From awards show nominations and winner lists to the 'National' section of The New York Times -- some theaters in Wyoming and Utah didn't want to show the movie because they didn't think it would play well in the territory where it was set. The big question was: could "Brokeback" really live up to all its hype? I was prepared to be disappointed. But when I emerged from the theater into the cold Hanover night 134 minutes later, all I could talk about was how much I loved this movie. I laughed, yes, and I cried; I really ended up feeling somewhat attached to Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist.
You can't watch Letterman or Leno without hearing a "Brokeback" joke or reference. If you search "Brokeback Mountain" on Google, you turn up parodies like "Brokeback to the Future," "Star Wars: The Empire Brokeback" and, my personal favorite, "Top Gun 2: Brokeback Squadron." What's more, the phrase, "I wish I knew how to quit you!" has entered into the lexicon of many a person (including a certain friend of mine who has made it his new comeback for almost anything). It even made it into Hanover humor via "Lucky to Be Here."
Despite taking home a Golden Globe and numerous other critical awards, "Brokeback" came up short on the big night. Maybe it was all the pre-release hype. Maybe it was the bombardment of "Brokeback" jokes, spoofs and parodies on the airwaves and the Internet. Or maybe Academy voters just weren't comfortable with awarding the most coveted prize in Hollywood to such a controversial film. Who knows? Was it a case of "Brokeback Backlash" or did "Crash" -- a worthy competitor -- gain crucial momentum at the end of the race just for its merit?
Regardless, the legacy of "Brokeback" will hopefully extend far beyond its infamous Best Picture loss, far beyond the spoofs and the parodies and the jokes, as a testament not only to cultural acceptance but also, as Ang Lee said when he won the Best Director trophy Sunday night, to "the greatness of love itself." Whether or not it should have taken home Hollywood's biggest prize will likely remain in discussion for years to come, but its cultural impact will be the true test of its merit. So if you have been living under that rock the past six months or so, join the debate: Go see "Brokeback Mountain" in Spaulding Auditorium tonight and just see if you can't quit those darling cowboys, Ennis and Jack. I bet you can't.
