Brokeback Mountain Movie

The Brokeback Mountain movie is a romance drama based on the short story written by Annie Proulx originally published in the New Yorker on October 13, 1997 and adapted for the screen by Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana. The Brokeback Mountain movie was directed by Ang Lee and filmed in Alberta, Canada as well as Wyoming and New Mexico in the United States from June 2004 to August 2004 for an estimated budget of $14,000,000 and released on December 16th, 2005. The Brokeback Mountain movie grossed over $178,000,000 worldwide and received a staggering 154 separate award nominations that included a Grammy, Golden Globe, and an Oscar. The Brokeback Mountain movie won 80 of those awards with 16 of them being awarded to Ang Lee for his direction, which included the Best Achievement in Directing Oscar, the BAFTA David Lean Award for Direction and the DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Award. Heath Ledger was nominated for 24 separate awards and won 9 of them including the AFI International Award for Best Actor, the COFCA Award for both Actor of the Year and Best Lead Performance and the NYFCC Award for Best Actor. The Brokeback Mountain movie was subsequently released on DVD on April 4th, 2006 and again on January 23rd, 2007 in a two-disk collectors edition, which included 8 collectible postcards and 3 extra featurettes.

The Brokeback Mountain movie opens in the summer of 1963 and two men, ranch hand Ennis Del Mar, portrayed by Heath Ledger, and Jack Twist a rodeo bull rider, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal are hired to herd sheep alone in the Wyoming mountains by Joe Aguirre, portrayed by Randy Quaid.

During the summer months the two men quickly become friends and after an evening of heavy drinking they share the only available tent because of the bitter cold weather one night. Jack who under the surface is vaguely aware of his orientation initiates contact with Ennis who finally gives into his advances and the two become even closer throughout the summer and build a life long bond.

When the summer comes to an end, the two friends separate and continue with their lives apart. Ennis travels back home and marries his fiancée Alma, portrayed by Michelle Williams and they have two daughters. Jack travels home and continues to have a variety of male companions but eventually has a son with a local rodeo cowgirl Lureen Newsome, portrayed by Anne Hathaway. Lureen's family does not accept Jack and longing for better times he writes a letter to Ennis and they arrange to meet.

When they reunite, Ennis and Jack are overcome with emotion and although Ennis makes every attempt to be discreet, a kiss they share is seen by Alma, who is sickened and becomes distant. This allows Ennis and Jack's relationship to rebuild and develop even more deeply. Alma becomes increasingly suspicious about their regular fishing trips up at Brokeback Mountain and eventually Alma and Ennis divorce, with Alma getting custody of their two children.

After hearing the news of the divorce Jack travels to Wyoming, hoping to be able to live a life ranching with Ennis. Ennis is torn, but has a memory of the torture and murder of a suspected homosexual in his hometown and is afraid that if they move forward it would end in tragedy for one or both of them. The two men decide that it would be better if Jack drives from Texas to Wyoming three or four times a year so they can meet more regularly instead. When Ennis starts to meet less frequently, Jack visits Mexico looking to satisfy his physical needs but taunts Ennis with this information in an effort to make him jealous.

After many years Ennis receives a postcard that he had sent Jack but is returned with the word deceased across it. Ennis immediately contacts Jack's wife, Lureen, who lies about the manor of his death and tells Ennis that Jack wanted his ashes spread at his favourite place, Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis travels to Jack's childhood home, where Jack's father informs him that his ashes will be placed in the family burial plot instead. Ennis goes up to Jack's room and sees two shirts in his closet, his and one of Jack's, worn by the two men during the summer of 1963. The shirts hang together on the same hanger and after Ennis finally cries because of the death of his friend he takes the shirts with him before he leaves.

After returning home Ennis moves into a small trailer alone where he abuses himself with nothing but work and alcohol instead of facing his broken heart. Years later, a visit from his daughter informs him that she is to be married, and after asking him to attend, which he accepts he asks whether or not she is sure her fiancé loves her. After she leaves Ennis briefly sits down, and then stands again and approaches his closet and stares inside at two shirts still hanging together and a postcard of Brokeback Mountain.