After several months of anticipation, I saw Brokeback Mountain the day it opened in Washington, DC, December 16 2005, at the Dupont Circle 5, a small "multiplex" in the Dupont Circle area of DC. Dupont Circle has long been known as one of the gay neighborhoods in the DC area. BTW, the Dupont Circle 5 theaters will be closing after this weekend. I saw BBM alone on Friday afternoon Dec. 16 in a theater full of mostly gay men. I remember many laughing when Alma saw Ennis and Jack kissing, but I didn't think it was funny. After the movie, I met a few friends in the area for dinner. They wanted to know about the film. I was moved, but I had mixed feelings. I knew I wouldn't be able to get it out of my head. I told them that I liked it, and I knew I had to see it again, but I wasn't exactly sure what to say. Two days later, Sunday morning, I went back to see it again. Fortunately, I had bought a ticket on line, because BBM, which was showing every hour on the hour from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., was completely sold out for the entire day.
I watched it again, with the same type of audience (primarily gay). While mostly quiet throughout the film, they found the scene where Alma sees Ennis and Jack kissing amusing once again. The main reason I mention this is because I saw the film five more times in another theater with a more mixed/straight audience and I don't remember any laughter during that scene. I was much more moved after this second time I saw BBM. When I left the theater that day and walked down the street, I broke down in tears about a half a block from the theater.
I cried all the way home.