Brokeback Mountain (2005)
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Two cowboys develop a complex and enduring romantic relationship while working together in the American West.
The story
In 1963, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist are hired by a rancher to herd sheep on Brokeback Mountain. While working in the rugged landscape of the American West, the two men find themselves drawn together, evolving from coworkers into close friends. However, their growing intimacy leads to a secret romantic and sexual relationship that they must navigate while maintaining their lives in a traditional, demanding environment. As they face the challenges of their situation, they must decide how to manage their bond while dealing with the expectations of their community and their own personal identities.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1963, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist are hired to herd sheep on Brokeback Mountain. They develop a long-term romantic and sexual relationship, which they keep secret from the world. After their contract ends, they part ways; Ennis marries his fiancée, Alma, and they have two daughters, while Jack moves to Texas, marries a woman named Lureen, and has a son. Despite their separate lives and marriages, the two men continue to meet for trysts over the years. In 1975, after Ennis and Alma divorce, Jack suggests they live together, but Ennis refuses to leave his children. Jack eventually dies in a car accident. Ennis is left to live alone, eventually becoming an old man who keeps a memento of Jack—a shirt and a postcard of the mountain—as a reminder of their shared past.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ang Lee
- Writers
- Larry McMurtry · screenplay; Diana Ossana · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Heath Ledger · Ennis Del Mar; Jake Gyllenhaal · Jack Twist; Linda Cardellini; Anna Faris; Anne Hathaway · Lureen Newsome; Michelle Williams · Alma Beers; Randy Quaid · Joe Aguirre
- Genres
- romantic drama; neo-Western
- Themes
- sexual repression; identity; forbidden love
- Tone and mood
- somber; poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- Western; LGBTQ+; Period Piece
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1997 short story by Annie Proulx
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of the lead actors, and was considered a commercial success and a landmark in LGBTQ cinema.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · scale: percentage · review count: 253; Metacritic · score: 87 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Production trivia
- The film was the first major film to be released simultaneously on both DVD and digital download via the Internet.; The shirts worn by the main characters were sold on eBay for over $100,000 to benefit a children's charity.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2018.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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