Poll: Your opinion on Jake's silence

[optom3]

I was one of the people who originally was dissapointed that Jake didnt say or write anything about Heath's passing, but I feel different now that some time has passed.  I have  more of an understanding that Jake held Heath very close to his heart.  I dont feel he owes us or me or anyone an explanation.  Jake is going through much to much of an emotional grieving process. I believe he went through and continues to go through a lot of hurt at the lose of such a close friend.  No explanations needed.  I just didnt see Jake as such and emotional person like any one of us who has lost a loved one. I saw him as a Hollywood star.  We dont broadcast our feelings to teh world.  Why should Jake?  If I could change my answer to he owes us nothing that is what i would do.

Wow !  you have just summed up exactly how I have been feeling of late. Time has changed my opinion too. Why do we forget that these people we adore, are actually humans as well as film stars. I do anyway, and it serves me well to be given a reminder some times.

[sel]

For months I expected/waited for Jake to say something, now I know it was more to do with myself, if Jake had said something it would have  been of comfort to me. I no longer expect anything, respect his silence, we all cope with grief in different ways. 

[Brokeback_Dev]

For months I expected/waited for Jake to say something, now I know it was more to do with myself, if Jake had said something it would have  been of comfort to me. I no longer expect anything, respect his silence, we all cope with grief in different ways. 

Exactly it would be to comfort me and soothe my pain and hurt.   Heath is so very missed.  Now that some time has passed, I have dealt with some of my mourning.  Of course with the awards Heath is sure to continue to get for his portrayal as the joker I feel more sadness for the loss of such a talented actor and star among stars.  Heath will always be one of "our boys" from up on Brokeback.

[Katie77]

"Our boys" is right Dev........

Heath and Jake will always be Ennis and Jack to us.

[Brokeback_Dev]

"Our boys" is right Dev........

Heath and Jake will always be Ennis and Jack to us.

Always 

[Monika]

human relationships are so complex. Maybe the were very close. Maybe they discovered that after BBM, they really didn´t have so much in common. It´s impossible for anyone to say. Either way, I´m sure Jake grieved Heath and whatever his reasons were not to go public, I feel confident that those reasons felt valid to him.

Me too would have loved to (still do) hear Jake speak about Heath, but like someone said, that has more to do with my feelings and my own comfort (and yes - curiosity), than anything else.

we have to settle for the fact that we simply don´t know anything about their relationship or about Jake´s feelings or reasons for staying quiet.

Let be, let be..

[Brown Eyes]

Now that time has passed, I've come to terms with the Jake issue more.  I'm one (as you all know) who thought that Jake owed it to Heath to make some kind of eulogy.  I don't think Jake owes us... I think he owes Heath.  A eulogy is about honoring the person who passed away... it's not about appeasing a fan base.  Although, it's interesting that this issue is still bothering us and nagging at us (with the revival of this thread) after all this time. 

From a professional perspective... Heath was Jake's most important co-star in Jake's most significant cinematic achievement to date.  BBM will be the movie that gives (or has given) both Jake and Heath a true place in cinematic history (not to mention it was BBM that gave Jake so many of his prestigious awards).  Sure Heath had many other co-stars... many of them have made eulogies and some haven't.  But, I don't think there's any question... even among non-Brokies...  that Jake has a special status as "the" co-star.  When people think about the BBM poster... which is one of the main images many people in the public have of Heath... and will be one of the images to follow Heath into history... it's a joined image of both Jake and Heath.   So, from a professional standpoint I think it would have been more than appropriate for Jake to make a eulogy.

But, after seeing how brutal the questions about Heath seemed to be for Maggie to get through during a Golden Globes red carpet interview that I happened to see... I begin to understand better how almost impossible it would probably be for Jake to deal with similar questions.  I still think he's very deliberately avoiding interview situations, and I think it probably has more to do with strong personal, emotons than anything else (but of course, my sense of this is purely my interpretation, and could be way off base).

"Our boys" is right Dev........

Heath and Jake will always be Ennis and Jack to us.

And, I want to add that I completely agree with this.  I like Jake and Heath equally... I'm neither a Heathan nor a Gyllenhaalic... but I have an everlasting affection for both of them because of their status in relation to BBM.  Nothing I've said about Jake is meant to be a criticism... it's about my confusion over the situation.  And, I'm still worrying about this (like many of us clearly) after all this time because of the above-mentioned lasting affection.

[sel]

human relationships are so complex. Maybe the were very close. Maybe they discovered that after BBM, they really didn´t have so much in common. It´s impossible for anyone to say. Either way, I´m sure Jake grieved Heath and whatever his reasons were not to go public, I feel confident that those reasons felt valid to him.

Me too would have loved to (still do) hear Jake speak about Heath, but like someone said, that has more to do with my feelings and my own comfort (and yes - curiosity), than anything else.

we have to settle for the fact that we simply don´t know anything about their relationship or about Jake´s feelings or reasons for staying quiet.

Let be, let be..

It could be that even if they were close, the fact that Jake is Matilda's godfather makes me think so, their job, lifestyle "kept them apart". Actors are people costantly on the move, different continents, time zones and so on. No wonder their divorce rate is high, IMHO.

[delalluvia]

From a professional perspective... Heath was Jake's most important co-star in Jake's most significant cinematic achievement to date.  BBM will be the movie that gives (or has given) both Jake and Heath a true place in cinematic history (not to mention it was BBM that gave Jake so many of his prestigious awards).  Sure Heath had many other co-stars

Well, we and a lot of film organizations and his fellow actors think BBM is the most significant cinematic achievement Heath had applied himself to to date.  There's no reason to think Heath or Jake thought so.  Yes, they got awards or were nominated, but for them they could have just thought "Hey, my first stepping stone up."  Or as Heath himself said at one ceremony/Red Carpet the most important thing BBM had done for him was to give him "a family".  Heath wasn't about accolades or making history, he was just about the quality of work and the variety of roles.  He may have thought that his role in "Monsters Ball" or maybe "Batman" was his best performance.  I don't recall if he ever said.  Jake is concerned with quality too, to some degree, but I won't cast aspersion on either of them for starring in romantic comedies or blockbusters.  It is a job when you get right down to it and that may have been what both of them thought about BBM.  They're glad that it turned out to be more, but nevertheless they didn't want to be forever associated with it primarily.

[Brown Eyes]

They're glad that it turned out to be more, but nevertheless they didn't want to be forever associated with it primarily.

Well, we don't know that either. 

And, I'd assume that they'd both want to forever be associated with all the films they worked on... not to mention their best film.

When you think about Jake and Heath as "special" co-stars... it actually brings Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to mind and the special status they share together as co-stars of an important film, and longstanding friends (in the case of Kate and Leo).  Their (Leo and Kate's) status as "special co-stars" was actually made very clear in the way they were treated during the Golden Globes coverage this year.  Despite the fact that both Leo and Kate have had many important roles with lots of famous actors... there's an acknowledgement that they will forever be linked in a special way both in the public eye and in cinematic history. Leo and Kate are the icons associated with a love story that impacted so many people (not me actually, I never enjoyed Titanic) and I think that Heath and Jake have that kind of status, especially in the gay community.

It's interesting to think about since it seems that the BBM poster was designed with the Titanic poster.  To me, it seems that Jake and Heath have the potential to be that kind of duo as time goes along in terms of permanent association.  This is especially the case for Heath due to his tragic passing and career that's been cut short.  Even with Heath's important role in TDK, I don't think that those co-stars rise to the same level of association as Jake does for Heath.  And, I think this is particularly the case where serious cinematic history is concerned.