How Brokeback affected me

[killersmom]

WOW Biker,
Thanks for such a wonderful post. You have brought  up so many insightful thoughts, I need to go back to re-read it all and absorb, but just wanted to write you a quick note to welcome you and let you know how wonderful you post is.

Thanks again and welcome aboard.
killersmom

[whiplash]

Well said Lumpy!  My sentiments exactly, especially where it comes to being young, innocent, and free.  Take me to that mountain any day!

[Mejack]

...I heard them . . . "Holy Shit, do you believe that?"  "Damn!"  "I ain't never seen nothin' like that before!" We sat back down. I couldn't let go of Billy's arm. Suddenly, somebody said "Y'all shut up. Guard's coming." And it was over.

Next day I asked Billy about the kiss. He joked and said "what kiss?" Then he got real serious and said "I'm glad it happened. You okay?  You still love me?"  Like I said, turns out it was our only kiss, ever. And yes, Billy, I still love you.

Thanks for asking, WDJ.

Paul

Wow. So the other guys had a basically positive reaction? Did they ever give you or Billy a hard time about it later on? Did anybody say hey, good for you? Or did nobody say anything? 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."

[whiplash]

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?"...
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....

WAY too funny!  Thanks!

[gn411]

For what its worth, the one song that should have been on the sound track but was not was the song "Even Now" By Barry Manilow.  In two and a half minutes of the song, I think best sums up (to me) what the guys must have been going thru, day to day.  Busy with the goings on of life and then all of a sudden your there in my mind. 

[sskater]

  great story there biker named lumpy. welcome.

[andy]

You know, when I first heard that Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were the leads in this movie, I thought, "When did they grow up?" I was used to thinking of them as "young actors" who played roles that were "in training" for the future when they'd be big.

It was something of a shock to think that they were going to "hold this movie down" without some bigger name over them (I suppose one could argue that is why Randy Quaid is in the movie... but not enough to actually be of consequence, really).

I have loved Jake since "October Sky" and my daughter is a fanatic for "Donnie Darko." So it really thrilled me to think of Jake being in a "grown up role." Heath Ledger is a darling, but I wasn't sure if the glimpse of greatness we saw in "The Patriot" was a flash in the pan or evidence of something deeper. I'm so glad it was the latter!

So these two weren't "big names" as in A list, but there was definitely buzz enough about them to make movie goers like me interested in the film for them alone. The subject matter and Ang Lee sealed the deal. I have been an Ang fan for years. What made Heath and Jake literally lift off the screen was the directing. In someone else's hands, their careers might have been cheapened by this film. Instead, they are immortalized.

It is so refreshing to have handsome, quality actors to follow rather than the usual round up of pin up boys who barely have to act while they shoot people in the head.... or screw pretty girls.

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?

[Brokeback_1]

Hey LUMPYBIKER, try the over 40 thread. I can't figure out how to post a link in here but it's in the gay bi and anything else category. Same age and whoa did I relate.

[LisaM]

Hey, normally I like to start these off with a few thoughts to get you going, to maybe respond to, but here I want to keep it simple.

We have seen such an outpouring of the ways Brokeback has affected people here--sometimes like a fist to the skull the first time you saw it or read it, sometimes it snuck up on people and overwhelmed them gradually.

Whatever you have experienced, we want to hear about it. Here would be a good place.

 On other thing about this movie is that since seeing it (8 times)  I have begun to actually doubt heterosexual relationships.  What I saw between ennis and Jack was so intense and powerful (yes, characters only) but still felt  very real.

[Rob.]

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

[Mejack]

Dear Mejack,
Paul, your story stunned me in its beauty and is deeply touching. You tell yr story well. You broke my heart. . .
Thanks so very much for telling us yr story, I felt very privelged to have read it. I wanted to write you offline, but sigh there was no email listed for you in yr profile.

  --sagha

The email is in the profile now. Keep in touch.

[Groch]

  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
 
  Rob

Perfect Rob! - That's me.   I have just cut and pasted your post into my Outlook Scheduler so that I don't miss any of my "Read the BB forums" appointments.

[Marge_Innavera]

For some odd reason, I didn't clearly remember all the scenes the first time I saw it, but was fascinated. Went to see it again three weeks later and this time I got hooked. For reasons of time and finances, I probably won't be able to see it in a theatre again but have an advance order in at Amazon for the DVD. If my repeated viewings of Titanic, The Long Riders and Sophie's Choice are any indication, I'll probably view it at least 12 more times by year's end.  Two impacts:

1) I've gotten interested in movies again, after a hiatus of several years; and

2) It brought into very sharp focus a preoccupation with human rights that had been building up because of a particularly painful aspect of my work over the last year. That means I'm struggling now to get back into freelance writing, as that would be the most logical outlet for me.  The film was like the spark in the internal combustion engine in a way.

[paintedshoes]

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.

[Rob.]

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.

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

  Rob