Would it have worked? Merged with "Would a SWEET LIFE ever have been possible?"

[rtprod]

All great stories are about love and loss. 

Thankfully life doesn't always follow suit.

rt

[Kd5000]

I thought that the neighbors might have been a bit more tolerant if Jack Twist had taken over his dad's ranch. That's John Twist's son and his friend (euphemism in many parts of the country) who own that place.  Whether small scale ranches were feasible or whether their going the way of the passenger pigeon is quite possible. Economics of scale, you know.

Can they  have had a sweet life together, given the social environment of 1967 WY is of course an answer I can't give. I wasn't around in 67 but  I can imagine it being a very repressive environment. Sure, adults in the local community might have reconized that as long as ENnis and Jack keep it private, some tolerance is granted but it only takes some homophobic teenagers or ppl of that ilk to burn your place down and shoot down your cattle.  Then where are you left.

First we get to point A, is a cattle operation run by a same sex couple possible in 1967 WY,  then wonder if there was enough chemistry for Ennis and Jack to stay together as a couple for decades.  I would say yes. At least they deserved the opportunity, which was denied.

[MaineWriter]

This discussion is interesting and is making me flash back to this article, which was posted back  in the old days. Here's the link again, I suspect many here have not seen this before:

 Real Gay Cowboys

By Patricia Nell Warren

http://www.outsports.com/history/gaycowboys.htm

The story is long and has some nice pictures, so I am not going to copy and paste the whole thing here. Use the link.

L
xo

[Aussie Chris]

I don't see Ennis as QUITE as screwed up as some people do. He's shy and inhibited and hot-tempered, but those are fairly ordinary traits that don't necessarily preclude happy relationships. The only really big, relationship-hindering problem Ennis has is homophobia -- as long as that was an obstacle, he'd never take Jack up on his idea. In the actual movie, it took Jack's death to show Ennis that he shouldn't have let homophobia get in the way of their happiness. Once Ennis gets that, his attitude is much better; if he had it all to live over, I'm sure he would have done things differently.

When it comes to all the rational arguments and logical conclusions as to what would need to be different with Ennis, latjoreme got it 100% right in my book.  But today being rational and logical is for ninnies.  I'm going to let my heart rule and exclaim defiantly and proudly: OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SWEET LIFE, BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT, WITH A DAILY DOZIE EMBRACE!

[serious crayons]

When it comes to all the rational arguments and logical conclusions as to what would need to be different with Ennis, latjoreme got it 100% right in my book.  But today being rational and logical is for ninnies.  I'm going to let my heart rule and exclaim defiantly and proudly: OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SWEET LIFE, BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT, WITH A DAILY DOZIE EMBRACE!

I was about to say thanks, Chris, but, um, I guess not. However, I will say that when I let MY heart rule I agree with YOU 100 percent. Daily dozy embrace, whiskey springs, bluebirds ...

[Ellemeno]

By the end of the story, a remarkable number of people know (or knew) the truth about Ennis and Jack: Aguirre, Alma, Mr. and Mrs. Twist, Lureen, and possibly Alma Junior.

I know I'm in a minority here - but I would add Monroe and Jenny to that list.

[Aussie Chris]

I was about to say thanks, Chris, but, um, I guess not. However, I will say that when I let MY heart rule I agree with YOU 100 percent. Daily dozy embrace, whiskey springs, bluebirds ...

It *was* meant to be a compliment, although I might have been a bit quick to defend the SWEET LIFE fantasy.  I still feel strongly about it actually.  I need to believe that it could have worked.  All this domestic reality stuff about "they would have ended up arguing over money and such" just doesn't sit with me.  We're talking about soul mates and best friends here.  They spend most of their lives without money.  They spend the first summer up on the mountain with almost nothing but each other.  Ennis sacrifices decent jobs and the possibility of advancing because he ends up quitting to spend time with Jack.  If they didn't have to do this then why wouldn't their prospects improve?

It's such a leap of faith to ask the question in the first place, but as far as I am concerned if Ennis could get over his homophobia then a SWEET LIFE was more than just possible, it was likely.

[serious crayons]

It *was* meant to be a compliment, although I might have been a bit quick to defend the SWEET LIFE fantasy.  I still feel strongly about it actually.  I need to believe that it could have worked.  All this domestic reality stuff about "they would have ended up arguing over money and such" just doesn't sit with me.  We're talking about soul mates and best friends here.  They spend most of their lives without money.  They spend the first summer up on the mountain with almost nothing but each other.  Ennis sacrifices decent jobs and the possibility of advancing because he ends up quitting to spend time with Jack.  If they didn't have to do this then why wouldn't their prospects improve?

It's such a leap of faith to ask the question in the first place, but as far as I am concerned if Ennis could get over his homophobia then a SWEET LIFE was more than just possible, it was likely.

Oh, Chris, I agree 100 percent with this. Maybe even 200 percent. Aside from that homophobia thing, there could hardly be a more perfect relationship. Soul mates, best friends AND intense physical attraction. Many couples have to settle for two out of three, at best.

I know I'm in a minority here - but I would add Monroe and Jenny to that list.

So am I then, because I'm pretty sure about Monroe, and would consider Jenny a possibility.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Soul mates, best friends AND intense physical attraction.

You know, it's the loss of the "soul mate--best friend" that hurts me the most at the end of the film. We know that Ennis can get by on a couple of high altitude fucks once or twice a year, so it almost doesn't bother me that he loses his "physical" lover, but my understanding has long been that Jack was the best friend and closest friend that Ennis ever had, and it's that loss that really makes me cry for him.

(Katherine, if you see this, your last post was very well put. I didn't realize you were such a romantic! And I mean that sincerely and in the best possible way!)

[serious crayons]

Why thanks, Jeff! That's nice of you to say. I was about to say that everybody here must be a romantic. But come to think of it, I'm usually not -- this movie really brought it out in me, and I've heard (or seen) other people say the same.

And you're so right, the soul mate/best friend part is the saddest. Losing a soul mate is tragic under any circumstances, and losing a best friend is particularly sad for Ennis, a man who has no other close friends and probably never will. The physical part is just the icing on the cake.