omg thank you for this thread. i love this idea. i love examining scenes and discussiing them.
the scene in which you ask about is one of my favorites.
first of all, this scene at the river was after alma confronted ennis about jack. we all know his response, and like true to ennis's character, you cannot make a fool of ennis. he always hated being made a fool of, and i think this weighed heavily on his mind during this camping trip. i think he was shocked and scared and pissed that alma had discovered his secret.
i think he wanted to know if jack had experienced the same thing. "if my wife found out, did yours too?"
ennis, in his own fears, was paranoid his whole life of this, and thought maybe jack would feel the same way...but jack didn't have the fears that ennis had. i think jack was oblivious to the idea or consequences of being discovered, which i'll point out later.
as far as the dishes floating down the water, well, i think that's part of ennis's clumsiness. ennis had many many clumsy moments. remember, how many times he tripped over stuff? how 'bout the first tent night when he grabbed his blanket and headed into the tent...he tripped, knocked over stuff. when he got spooked by the bear, and chased the mule, he tripped over the packs and food. when he made it back to the camp after the bear incident, and he was cut and all mad, he tripped, and kicked something before he sat on the log. when he yelled at alma for taking an extra shift at the store, he tripped and kicked over a bucket while chasing after her. ....so, when the dishes went floating away, and he said "yeah you're a real thinker...jack fuckin' twist' i think it was adding a little comedy to the fight. not funny comedy, but a little lightheartedness to a serious issue. i think it was just showing their differences in how they deal with being gay, and their differences in character. i think that was the main point of this conversation. i think the writers didn't want us to forget how scared ennis was of being detected.
also, soon after this fight, i thought the scene with leshawn's (i think i spelled that wrong) husband was very profound. he asked jack about the cabin, and going up there just the two of them....and after the invitation, jack sat there solemn and silent. i think jack may have been thinking about the conversation with ennis, and wondering how leshawn's husband knew he was gay. i think at this point, jack saw what ennis meant....like "when people look at you and they know"
also, aguirre found out about jack and ennis, and jack never told ennis that because he knew he'd be upset. i think jack didn't see the seriousness of being discovered.
ang lee said about jack , "he's the hopeless romantic", and i think true to jack's character, he runs with how he feels, and doesn' worry as much about being found out as ennis does.
as far as the texas comment. personally, i think jack just meant that he doesn't have the same diffuculties that ennis was facing. i think he thought ennis was paranoid, but i also think he thought maybe ennis wouldn't feel that way in texas, or maybe it was the people in wyomming that made ennis feel that way. i don't know what else to read into it. maybe jack just wanted ennis closer to him, and maybe it was one last offer, but i'm not sure. i'd love to hear other ideas.
thanks again for this thread.
forsythia (leigh-ann)
