GLAAD endorses Brokeback Mountain; zero humans are surprised

First: I will be so glad when this movie comes out so I don't have to see the previews in theatres. It's not the previews I don't like, it's the people who find it necessary to say "eeewww" or giggle that upset me.

Second: Everything you said about the movie speaking for itself and how this might be a bad idea, yeah, I totally agree with that. It seems like everyone involved wants the movie to be scene as "a great love story" and not "the film about the gay cowboys". Oh well.

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Has there been a backlash against this film yet, or are those folks too busy promoting The Chronicles of Narnia for Disney?

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Kel, there's been some stuff in the press lately about how a backlash isn't coming - a major group (I think it was Focus on the Family but won't bet my life on it) has actually said that speaking out will only draw attention to the movie, so they're not bothering. Probably a much smarter approach than the loud one they used to use, actually.

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I would not touch this film with a 10 ft pole and I think I speak for most of America. Most do not want to see gay sex being acted out on a big screen.

This blog has a knack for promoting anything that is gay. I love the cinemas but I don't care much for this blatant gay awareness agenda that this blog is pushing.

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Wow. All the bigots hang in the Cinematical comment threads apparently.

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Sy,
Methinks you don't have to worry about 'touching this film with a 10ft pole' cause your pole is probably only about 10 millimetres.

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How can comments be labeled as bigoted? I am merely speaking the truth. People see what they are interested in and can relate to and frankly a love story about gay cowboys does not fall within that scope.

So far, there are three stories relating to gays JUST TODAY on this blog and countless others in the past. Am I imagining things?

"Methinks you don't have to worry about 'touching this film with a 10ft pole' cause your pole is probably only about 10 millimetres."

Justin ...apparently you are sophomoric and don't understand that 10 ft pole cliche. You figure out the logic of what you just wrote.

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Today I've seen two stories on Brokeback Mountain, Sy, and one on Bryan Singer and the casting of Superman. The story on Singer was quite defamatory and bigoted.

Doesn't that make up for the other two at all?

Furthermore, in one of the Brokeback stories, Karina Longworth was essentially complaining about GLAAD. This hardly adds up to a pro-gay bias. Support your argument and it might receive more respect.

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"Even I can't push a big fat liberal agenda through a 10% hole."

See, Sy? Now they're doing it in code.

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LOL Karina ...you are so adorable. Somehow, I always managed to comment on your stories. I think you know why :)

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This article goes nicely with the article about the reviewer for the latest Spielberg movie who did some work with Spielberg. The question of whether a review of a movie is valid if it is written by someone who has worked with a director or is friends with that director is as valid as a question about reviews of a movie by people or groups who have a point of view in agreement with the subject of the movie. I'm not surprised that GLAAD, which promotes lesbian and gay understanding and tolerance, likes a movie that promotes lesbian and gay understanding and tolerance. I'm not surprised that Spielberg's friend likes Spielberg's movie. Brokeback Mountain, a movie about a relationship between gay men will be seen as oscar worthy and a great movie by those who have a vested interest in the subject matter and those who see gay as sin will think otherwise.

No matter how anyone tries to disguise the film, it's only going to be your basic Art House message film which will preach to the choir of believers and nobody else. And in the end it'll get it's first and last run on tv on Bravo and will become an expensive dvd release for the people who already believe in the message it preaches. It'll do all of that after whatever level of hype and controversy it stirs up or doesn't stir up. So to wrap up - if you don't see it then you are a bigot and homophobe. If you do see it you are sinner and responsible for the end of civilization. And it'll still be a $29.95 DVD release by April whether Bill O'Reilly and Andrew Sullivan yell at each other on tv over this movie or not.

Personally I have as much interest in seeing a gay cowboy movie as I have in seeing the next Jennifer Lopez movie. I'd rather be entertained by a movie and I'll get my social messages elsewhere.

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I look forward to seeing "Brokeback Mountain". If it even comes here (There is talk that the movie will not play here because I just happen to live in the South) This movie will have alot of controversy just like Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" had.

"Most do not want to see gay sex being acted out on a big screen." The "SEX" scene is less then one minute long. And its acting/fake sex. I suggest you and other straight guys check out this article:

The straight dude’s guide to ‘Brokeback’
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10342237/

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Karina, your own post here is evidence of how much work GLAAD has to do. You deny that a mainstream Hollywood film that respectfully and honestly follows a strongly masculine gay romance (name another one, honestly) isn't historic, and then mock GLAAD's work to counter stereotypes by calling it "packets of gay learnin'." You further insinuate that since you didn't get one of these packets, it must only be distributed in rural areas (?!?!), and by following your own flawed logic, you posit that GLAAD thinks rural people are stupid bigots. How self-absorbed is that? I got one, and I'm right here in NYC. Did it occur to you that there might be other reasons GLAAD didn't single you out for special treatment?

I agree that the movie can speak for itself, but you miss the point entirely: it's exactly the subtle, nearly-imperceptible homophobia of places like Cinematical that need a context reaching beyond their own nose.

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Dear Karina,
I am so offended by your obvious refusal to stop fence-sitting on this whole Big Gay Issue and take a side. Which is it gonna to be? I can't have you over for my weekly Bill O'Reilly or The L Word parties until you decide.

PS: Hey, thanks for that gift certificate to Toys in Babeland for my birthday. You're a real friend.

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You guys are getting wrapped up in the semantics of the verbiage and not seeing the real picture; the focus of this movie.

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I saw this movie 2 nights ago. It's not sentimental, it's not even "romatic" (in that Charlize Theron dying kind of way), it's just the truest story about love I've ever seen, but not the "conquer's all" part. The other part, the part that makes you wish you were dead. And while this is tight, small, perfect, picture, it is not and "Art House Message film". Anyone that thinks so should should only films with a minimum 45 min. of car chases. Gay-Shmay, this movie is the best I've seen in years, because there is one melodramatic, phoney-hollywood note in the entire picture -- it just rings true. GLAAD, of course, has every right to "approve" this movie, it's an awesome movie and gets under your skin.

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I had heard about Brokeback Mountain and finally saw it yesterday. Great film. I would have wished that it would have been happily ever after for a gay film for once but the gay content was handled well. However, here in California I would have expected it to be showing everywhere but I had to see it at an "art" theatre and found out later that it was being shown at one regular theatre but they did not advertise it. Are the regular theatres being bought up by the religious right and regulating what we can see?

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I agree with Karima. I loved this movie -- as a cinephile I found it to be a wonderful work of art. It was also a story that resonated with me. However, I do get queasy when political groups exploit a movie (for good or evil). Accept it for what it is -- a wonderful, heartbreaking love story. Leave the politics out of it. I think it taints the purity and beauty of the move. It's powerful enough to stand on its own.



Besides, is anyone surprised that GLAAD supported it? What surprised me more is that Christianity Today gave it a positive review (albeit with a caveat of not endorsing the "lifestyle" choices).

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