Poll: Your opinion on Jake's silence

[forsythia12]

well, i think there's a lot of mixed thoughts and emotions about this issue, and i think everyone has the right to feel whatever they feel.  personally, i wish jake would say something, just for the sake of the wondering public, if not for anything else.  when john ritter died, joyce dewitt and suzanne summers spoke to the press, and that show ended a million years ago, and i doubt they were very close after that...at least as far as i know....and when micheal landon died, his little house on the prairie co-workers spoke out, and melissa gilbert even said she hadn't seen or spoken to him in years, yet she had very touching things to say.  his co-star wife and the others even put out a dvd of tributes to the late mr. landon, and i doubt karen grassle and him were that close after the show ended.  in fact, she pretty much dropped out of acting all together....so, i think it's just a respectfull thing to do, close or not close, they were still co-workers.  there are several more examples of fellow actors who pay tribute to eachother after a passing, so, i don't know why jake is holding back. 
however, with that being said, i still love jake.  i'm still a fan.  i still respect him.  and , it's ultimately up to him to do what he sees fit.  also, i want to say that i respect everyone's opinion on this thread, even those i disagree with.

[Brown Eyes]

I was just thinking... concerning the frustration and confusion expressed here by a lot of folks about this state of "not knowing" or the lack of real information regarding Jake on this subject (leading to speculation and continual questioning... not only about his reaction to Heath's death, but about the status of their friendship, etc.)...

This really is a situation where "there's space between what we know and what we try to believe." 

It's the lack of closure that (to me at least) is frustrating and keeps me cycling back to this topic.

[Marge_Innavera]

As far as being "disappointed in Jake" is concerned, I don't feel I know enough to have expectations to be disappointed about.  Never met him, even seen him in person.

I do know what sort of reputation he has just from reading and seeing what I'd assume everyone else in the fandom has seen and read; and from that I feel satisfied that whatever the reason, it's something personal that might not even concern everyone he personally knows, let alone fans. 

I also think too many people are confusing Heath and Jake with Ennis and Jack.

edited to add:  did not vote in the poll, for the reason that none of the options came close to representing my opinion. If there was an "other" category, guess that's what it would be.

[serious crayons]

I wish we'd been allowed to vote for more than one. Because in this case, I could have checked just about every answer!

I don't feel he owes anyone a statement.

I can understand why he hasn't issued one.

I do think it's a little weird that he hasn't, though -- it wouldn't have to be a big deal.

I'm slightly disappointed, because I'd be interested in seeing what he said.

I like Jake fine, but am not such a huge fan that I have strong feelings about his actions in this matter.

When it comes right down to it, I really don't care about it one way or another, so that's how I voted. I can probably guess approximately what Jake would say if he did say something. And I might not necessarily believe it reflected his deepest most heartfelt feelings. So it really doesn't make any difference to me whether he says something or not.

[BlissC]

Hi Fran,
I agree with what you just wrote.  I'm also coming to this whole situation as a BBM fan... and not a person who really identifies as either a Heathen or a Gyllenhaalic.  I always have thought that the balance between the two was an important element to Brokie fandom.

Anyway,  like you mentioned, I'm perplexed by the situation from a "PR" standpoint too.  You're right that this is just becoming prolonged.  And as I mentioned on another thread... we're just all going to go around and around in circles speculating and debating (with very little to go on) until Jake begins to make real public appearances again.  I'm sure you're right that interviewers will be asking him about Heath when he begins to do promotions for upcoming projects, etc.  I'm sure we'll learn more about what's going on eventually. But for now, this really does seem to be a topic stuck in limbo.

Well I voted "I really don't feel that he owes us anything and I understand why he hasn't said or written anything about Heath's passing". Having suffered bereavements myself in the past, I can perfectly understand the feeling of not. We all deal with bereavement and grief in our own ways. That said, as Amanda and others have said, I do feel it would have been nice if he'd said something, and as it is people are always going to be wondering, and it's something interviewers are going to be asking. Who knows, maybe one day he may say something, but though I guess I am curious, I can't say it's something I'm going to be losing any sleep over.

The whole thing of whether you're a BBM fan or a Heathen or a Gyllenhaalic's an interesting point. I guess I'd identify as neither a Heathen or a Gyllenhaalic - Brokie, yes, BBM fan, yes, fan of both Heath and Jake, yes, but I can't say that either comes above another.

Do you know what has happenned here with all this stuff?That all of us,Brokies,Heathens and Gyllenhalics,moved by a love to the movie and,as a consequence,to all the persons who contributed to its filming,have confused the story with the reality.As if Heath and Jake must be a kind of little Ennis and Jack in real life,if not lovers,the best friends of the world.And maybe they were only coworkers in a successful movie and nothing else than a certain friendship that lasted what the promotional work lasted.That's what I'm coming to believe,according to what I'm seeing.

Another very interesting point. We all talk of Ennis and Jack being real, and to me they're very real, but, neither of them is Heath or Jake. I guess it's easy in some ways to blur the distinction between the story and reality, and I guess that given how much the story and the film moved us it's only natural in some ways that that happens, almost as though the feel of the film carried over into real life. In part I suppose it's a testament to Heath and Jake's acting that for 134 minutes they were Ennis and Jack, and they made us believe they were Ennis and Jack.

I guess ultimately as to whether they were only coworkers or best friends, only they will ever know, and it's obvious Jake doesn't want to talk about it (and is it just me, or do others feel slightly guilty somehow, though I'm sure sure guilty's really the right word, but uneasy at least, about discussing this?), but I guess we'll always wonder. That's only natural, but I feel in the end we paid our entrance fee to the cinema to be entertained for the length of the film (no-one told us about the lifetime obsession that came free with it), and that entrance fee didn't include an automatic right to know the thoughts and feelings of everyone who starred in the film. It's human nature to be curious though I guess.

[BlissC]

This really is a situation where "there's space between what we know and what we try to believe." 

So true Amanda. Yet again the words of the story sum up real life.

I guess another part of it all is the parallels between Jack dying in the film and Heath dying in real life. That makes it very easy for people to make assumptions based on the story and carrying them into real life.

[Brown Eyes]

I see your point about the other co-stars.  But, I still contend that BBM is different.  It stands as the most significant film Heath made and is also Jake's most significant film to date.  It's the film that each of them won Oscar nominations for (as well as all the other awards).  In terms of Heath's legacy, it really will be BBM that stands out (to me this just seems very clear). Before Brokeback, I had no idea who Heath Ledger was.  Brokeback really played such a significant role in Heath's prominence.  Even in terms of visual recall... in terms of Heath's memory... the image of Heath paired with Jake (a la the BBM poster) is probably one of the first things most people think of and will think of as time goes on.  Jake's role in this and the perpetuation of Heath's memory (as far as serious film goes) I think is at a different level than the other co-stars.

Also, I think we're more worried about Jake than the other co-stars simply because we're Brokies.  Maybe the fans of those other people are wondering about them, but it's of less concern to me personally than the reactions of BBM people (including Ang Lee's comments, Anne Hathaway's tribute and statements put out by Michelle).

[MilAn]

I voted "I really don't feel that he owes us anything and I understand why he hasn't said or written anything about Heath's passing".

It's interesting that no one has ever questioned why his co star in Casanova, Sienna Miller, hasn't issued a statement, or perhaps Julia Stiles from Ten Things I Hate About You.  I wish people would leave Jake alone.

Susie   

I think it's because they starred in BBM together and you all know BBM was huge also Jake is Matilda's Godfather and that's why people expected something. I don't even think the press contacted Sienna Miller or Julia Stiles, but i'm pretty sure they contacted Jake.

I wanted to add that those tributes to Heath are pretty nice gestures and are a great counterpart to the stories (which are probably mostly made up) written about him in rags.

[Fran]

Also, I think we're more worried about Jake than the other co-stars simply because we're Brokies.  Maybe the fans of those other people are wondering about them, but it's of less concern to me personally than the reactions of BBM people (including Ang Lee's comments, Anne Hathaway's tribute and statements put out by Michelle).

And let's not forget Diana Ossana's lovely tribute to Heath in The Advocate (March 11, 2008):

HEATH WAS AN OLD SOUL in a young man's frame, extremely masculine, extremely competent in all things, and yet sensitive beyond belief.  In person Heath was animated and kinetic and full of life, far different from the character he portrayed in Brokeback Mountain.  He was always disheveled, unconcerned with his appearance, because -- like my writing partner, Larry McMurtry -- Heath lived in his head.  Heath was a pure actor, much like Larry's a pure writer, and I was moved by the similarities between these two seemingly very different men.

One of my most endearing memories of working with Heath on set was the day we filmed the final scene in Brokeback.  Before the first take, Heath walked over to me, a big smile on his face, and said, "I think you're going to like what I've done with thhis scene."  Then he headed inside that bleak little trailer house, and the cameras rolled.  I watched the monitor as Ennis opened his tiny closet door and revealed the two shirts he had found hidden inside Jack's childhood bedroom, like skins, one inside the other... and realized that Heath, as Ennis, had chosen to reverse the order of those shirts, with his on the outside, embracing Jack's.  Such was Heath's commitment to the truth of our story and to the rawness and depth of his portrayal.  Afterward our grizzzled and thoroughly macho first assistant director marched over to me, bent down, and whispered in my ear, "Diana, I've worked in this business 50 years.  This is the first time an actor's brought a tear to my eye."

Heath was generous and dear, painfully shy and gifted, and I will miss him for the rest of my days.

[nova20194]

It's obvious that this is a very difficult subject.  I rarely express a strong opinion about anything on any forum.  This could be the exception.  I can accept and respect the fact that we have different opinions on this subject, and I don't like to argue, but I think that much of the anxiety I'm experiencing here has to do with the wording of the voting choices.  I, like some others, find it difficult to restrict my opinion to one of the statements which have been provided.  At this point, 40.6% have voted for the statement "I really don't feel that he owes us anything and I understand why he hasn't said or written anything about Heath's passing".  I agree almost without exception that "I really don't feel that he owes us anything", however, I don't understand how anyone can agree with the second part.  To anyone who can honestly state "I understand why he hasn't said or written anything about Heath's passing", please explain it to me and the rest of the world.  You must be in intimate touch with the depths of Jake Gyllenhaal's mind.  Perhaps I'm nit-picking with semantics, but the results of the poll thus far seems to me like "lying with statistics".  Yes, I'll admit I'm "disappointed", but there's no way I could ever say that I "understand".