Why not read the original short story by Annie Proulx?

[BBMGrandma]

and I see I've posted this in the wrong thread!!  SORRY...sometimes I just 'lose' myself in here....with the wonder of everyone and everything here in our safe place.

Oooopsie...sorry....Nancy

I bought Wyoming Stories just yesterday and I haven't read it yet.  Soo...I can't comment on it yet!!  I've read BrokeBack Mountain though....a trillion times it seems.  And each time...I love it a little bit more.   

[iristarr]

Jack, so much appreciated your posts on BBM - the film, vs. the story.  Many good points raised. I have surely enjoyed the process in which this film engaged me -- the symbols and metaphors, the analyses, the comparisons, the studies of the tiniest, most subtle gestures, glances, words.  All of this has been entirely new to me, this intense interest in one particular film, to which I return again and again. Never ever happened before in my life. This afternoon I saw it for the eleventh time, not to check out any particular detail or effect, but just to bask in it, to revel its beauty and sadness. I likened the experience to having a really excellent meal, or a wonderful deep massage, or totally gratifying sex, something one is called back to revisit time after time after time.  What a gift it is!  And I thank you for contributing to my deepening understanding. Iris  

[donnaread]

Jack, so much appreciated your posts on BBM - the film, vs. the story.  Many good points raised. I have surely enjoyed the process in which this film engaged me -- the symbols and metaphors, the analyses, the comparisons, the studies of the tiniest, most subtle gestures, glances, words.  All of this has been entirely new to me, this intense interest in one particular film, to which I return again and again. Never ever happened before in my life. This afternoon I saw it for the eleventh time, not to check out any particular detail or effect, but just to bask in it, to revel its beauty and sadness. I likened the experience to having a really excellent meal, or a wonderful deep massage, or totally gratifying sex, something one is called back to revisit time after time after time.  What a gift it is!  And I thank you for contributing to my deepening understanding. Iris  

Iris, I know what you mean about never feeling like this about a movie before.  It is the same for me.  Never have I wanted to sit and just absorb every sound, word, gesture, facial expression....EVERYTHING about his beautiful movie.  It is in my heart and has affected my whole being.  I almost never buy movies.  One I can't afford many, and two I live in a small place, and don't have room for a lot of "stuff", lol, and most of mu stuff is furniture and books!  The only two movies I ever bought are AS GOOD AS IT GETS (some homosexual characters, starring Jack Nicholson &  Helen Hunt), and FINDING FORRESTER (friendship between a black teenager and a middle aged man played by Sean Connery).  Awesome movies that I've watched so  much that I know the dialogue, lol.  But NOTHING has ever touched me the way BBM has.  It haunts my every waking moment...just wish I could dream about it, too, ha ha.  I've really enjoyed your posts.  Donna

[Fla_Tim]

Is it just me or am I the only one who needed a dictionary to get through Annie's prose?

I, on my thirtieth reading of BBM, decided to sit in front of my terminal and google all the words and phrases i was unfamiliar with.  It was great !!  Resistol, Blue Heeler, species of plants, animals etc.  It made the story much more compelling.

I'm with you Patrick, I read the short story last weekend in about 20 minutes (I do read fast), but I found myself rereading certain passages and unsure about the meaning of some words. I thought myself pretty literate too, usually I'm the one asked to proof stuff at work and my partner is constantly calling me to ask him to spell some word he can't get close enough for a spell checker to correct.

I ordered Wyoming Stories, the soundtrack and the making of the movie this week and am looking forward to digging into he other works. Besides falling in love with BBM, I fell in love with her writing style. It is so gritty and real.

[Jack_ME]

OH Jack....how TRULY fortunate you were to have had that openess and love shared between you and your Dad.  There are SO many who have never had that experience.  It was YOUR initiation of the talk...that did it!!  If you hadn't....perhaps you and he would NEVER have known the love between the two of you.  Bravo to you Jack!!!  What a lovely memory...indeed!!  One that I'm sure you'll treasure...always.  A REAL 'Alma Jr./Ennis moment for sure!! 

Warm HUGS.....Nancy 

Thank you Nancy for your nice comments.

That event with my Dad took place about 25 years ago, but to this day, when I think of it, I can clearly see my Dad's joyous smiling face...and I DO treasure that memory. And I thank God that I was able to understand and act in time. For me that was a real blessing in my life.

I have known friends, other guys, and some gals, who "hated" their parent and the parent died and so these guys are left trapped in that attitude. Of course there are some parents who are truly bad and fully responsible for negative relationships with their offspring, but in my observational experience, many of these troubled relationships are focused on two factors: lack of real communication, and sexual orientation. It takes real work to come to grips with ones own sexual orientation (especially in years past, but I'm sure still today), and then it takes even more work to accept a parent's negative views on that, and to try to get that parent to learn to understand, either that it is no reason to condemn, or that the two CAN have a real loving relationship even if they can never come to agreement on the issue of sexual orientation. But that does take work, and from both individuals.

Jack in Maine

[Jack_ME]

Jack, so much appreciated your posts on BBM - the film, vs. the story.  Many good points raised. I have surely enjoyed the process in which this film engaged me -- the symbols and metaphors, the analyses, the comparisons, the studies of the tiniest, most subtle gestures, glances, words.  All of this has been entirely new to me, this intense interest in one particular film, to which I return again and again. Never ever happened before in my life. This afternoon I saw it for the eleventh time, not to check out any particular detail or effect, but just to bask in it, to revel its beauty and sadness. I likened the experience to having a really excellent meal, or a wonderful deep massage, or totally gratifying sex, something one is called back to revisit time after time after time.  What a gift it is!  And I thank you for contributing to my deepening understanding. Iris   

Iris, I know what you mean about never feeling like this about a movie before.  It is the same for me.  Never have I wanted to sit and just absorb every sound, word, gesture, facial expression....EVERYTHING about his beautiful movie.  It is in my heart and has affected my whole being.  I almost never buy movies.  One I can't afford many, and two I live in a small place, and don't have room for a lot of "stuff", lol, and most of mu stuff is furniture and books!  The only two movies I ever bought are AS GOOD AS IT GETS (some homosexual characters, starring Jack Nicholson &  Helen Hunt), and FINDING FORRESTER (friendship between a black teenager and a middle aged man played by Sean Connery).  Awesome movies that I've watched so  much that I know the dialogue, lol.  But NOTHING has ever touched me the way BBM has.  It haunts my every waking moment...just wish I could dream about it, too, ha ha.  I've really enjoyed your posts.  Donna

Iris, Donna, and all,
I too know just what you mean.

It is truly amazing how there has been such interest in and intense analysis of every aspect of this film's characters' lives and motivations. And what is the most amazing part, and the indication that this film is a real masterpiece, is that the film STANDS UP to this intense examination! Too many films I've seen don't bear close examination. There is either nothing there worthwhile to learn, or what one learns is that the film actually lacks any cohesive integrity of character. Not BBM! A real work or art.

Jack in Maine

PS: Donna, I just have to ask, is your user ID, actually your name, or does it mean something else, or is it possibly a trbute to another Donna Reed? The TV show was great, but several of her film roles were truly wonderful...I love D.R.! SHE would have been great in a film like BBM. She had that "genuine human" quality. (Way off topic again! sorry)

[juneaux]

  (By the way, the expression on her face when he agrees to attend her wedding makes my heart soar.  Not just for the characters either.  I see it as a testament to the ability of humans to learn from our mistakes and to make a conscious effort NOT to repeat them.)

Juneaux, this scene is so great!

I love the change in Junior's face from sadness to joy, and how that actress acomplished that so wonderfully with barely even moving her head, just changing her facial expression. It's great!

It had real resonance for me, because I saw that same wonderful change of expression on my Dad's face when I finally had my first REAL talk with him face to face. We had had a difficult relationship, and though I do have some small isolated pleasant moments from my childhood with him, in general we never spoke and I tried to avoid him. I left home at age 13 for school, and finally for good at age 17, and over the next decade analyzed and examined my relationship with Dad and gradually understood why and how it was that way, and finally realized I needed to speak to him, and so I did. After many aborted attempts. When I was 27 years old I sat across the table from him and I told him for the first time in my life that I loved him and that I was proud to be his son. I will never forget the change in his expression. (he had been a bit nervous as I had announced I was coming and needed to speak to him privately) But when I said that I loved him.....his face grew such an enormous wide smile from ear to ear. His faced changed just like Junior's did when Ennis told her he would go to her wedding. It's my greatest memory of Dad.

I also "reminded" my Dad at that talk that I was homosexual and I asked him if he knew what that meant. For me it was just important to say that to him, especially in the context of telling him I loved him and was proud to be his son. He and I only had about 10 years left, and only about 7 of those to communicate, as he got ill with Parkinson's and deteriorated badly over the last 3 years. But I have my memory, and I know I gave him something wonderful too. If I had to pick one accomplishment from my life that I was proudest of, it would be that moment and giving to my Dad the love he deserved, and opening up to him, so I could receive from him the love I deserved.

(this is way off topic! Sorry! Phillip feel free to move it to a Personal Blog space if you feel it should be)

Jack in Maine

Jack, It is wonderful that you have shared these times with your father.  Mom passed 5 1/2 years ago and it amazes me that the memories that mean the most are the ones in which we genuinely share with each other.  True emotional connections are rare for me~ maybe that is why this movie and short story have so much of my attention.

[iristarr]

Donna, I really enjoyed hearing from you.  I have to say this will be the first time in my life I've ever bought a DVD/Video.  Although I've always loved going to the movies, I've never studied one in the way I am doing with BBM, and it makes me curious now about other films that I liked at the time and what several viewings might reveal about them.  Also I'm hoping to find a class or group that exists to view and discuss films.  To that end I just last night signed up with Netflix, so I could view Ang Lee's previous work, and see Jake and Heath in other roles.  Looking forward to seeing TransAmerica tomorrow.  Peace, Iris

[donnaread]

Donna, I really enjoyed hearing from you.  I have to say this will be the first time in my life I've ever bought a DVD/Video.  Although I've always loved going to the movies, I've never studied one in the way I am doing with BBM, and it makes me curious now about other films that I liked at the time and what several viewings might reveal about them.  Also I'm hoping to find a class or group that exists to view and discuss films.  To that end I just last night signed up with Netflix, so I could view Ang Lee's previous work, and see Jake and Heath in other roles.  Looking forward to seeing TransAmerica tomorrow.  Peace, Iris

Hi Iris, thanks for the kind words.  I used to be a movie fanatic.  Love them to death, but since BBM I'm obsessed with it and ONLY it.  I saw it in the theater yesterday evening for the 9th time.  I am wondering how long it will be before the glow wears off and I'll be able to enjoy other movies again.  BUT, "There ain't no reins on this one" and I'm going to ride it as long as I can  .  I've been trying to see Jake and Heath's previous movies too.  Heath was really good (so sad, again) in Monster's Ball, and been trying to rent Jarhead, but it is always out, lol.  The only other obsession I've ever had is the Beatles and that was a long, long time ago.   Donna

[iristarr]

Donna, I know what you  mean about not wanting to see any other movies right now -- it seems almost sacreligious, in a way; as though doing so would pollute the pure emotions we've all been having on BBM.(Although I must confess I took a couple of my grandkids to see Shaggy Dog a couple of weekends ago!)  That said, I'm at the same time getting excited about seeing particular films now, like TransAmerica, that deal with gender issues, and other gay-themed films. Things that thread off from the BBM experience. Have you seen Angels in America, BTW? Another magnificent ground-breaker.

Nice to be getting to know you, Donna.  Peace, Iris