Brokeback as an Anti-Gay Polemic : essay by W.C. Harris

[Artiste]

Brokeplex, as your last paragraph states, that is so... I find.

But the script writers could have made that movie more gay oriented... in some ways.

Let us not forget that that these screen writers are female and male, straights??

And the director said he was straight?

Would that make a difference, towrds more hetero-normalizing?

Hugs!!

[Clyde-B]

The film as compared to the short story is heteronormed.

This is the point made in the essays and articles in question. Whether for good or ill, the heterosexual life of Ennis and Jack are emphasized over what we read in the short story. The question raised by the authors of the essays and the articles which I noted is : why does the screen play emphasize the heterosexual life of the boys more that the short story?

The conclusion of all of the authors is that this made the film more marketable to the general public. I agree with their conclusion.

Why then did this make the film more marketable?

Because of the heteronorming pressures in this society, most straight viewers would not empathize as fully with scenes drawn from only the gay elements in Ennis and Jack's lives, but would be able to empathize fully with showing those scenes linked to their heterosexual scenes. 

The movie contains more scenes of Jack and Ennis's family life than the short story.

The family life scenes show that both Ennis and Jack are out of place.

How does this make the film more marketable?

Please explain without gobbledygook.

[brokeplex]

Let us not forget that that these screen writers are female and male, straights??

And the director said he was straight?

Would that make a difference, towrds more hetero-normalizing?
Hugs!!

None, the reason the film was heteronormed had nothing to do with the sexual orientation or gender of the screenwriters or the director. The film was heteronormed over the short story because it made the film more marketable. In fact I would argue that the film would never have been made if the screen play had not been extensively heteronormed.

Focus Features is a business, businesses are about making money. If the films producers planned to market the film to just the roughly 3% of the population that is gay, then the movie would have been made much more closely to the short story and would not have been mass marketed. But then it wouldn't have grossed 200 million plus world wide, and would have cost much more than it made. We live in a world that is overwhelmingly heterosexual, any mass marketing must naturally appeal to their tastes and sensibilities.  

[Clyde-B]

If they were only interested in making money, where are the marketing tie-ins?  Many of us here have complained of the absence of BBM merchandise and have even resorted to making our own.

Also where are the sequels?  I personally wrote to Annie Proulx and begged her to complete the saga of Ennis's life and she politely refused.

Larry McMurtry was asked if there would be a sequel and was reportedly quoted as saying that was the stupidest idea he'd ever heard.

It's been two years.  They have the track record and the clout, and yet there is still nothing in the pipeline.

[brokeplex]

Please explain without gobbledygook.

What does the above term mean?

Do you mean to say that extensively showing the scenes of the heterosexual life of Ennis and Jack does not enable straight viewers to more completely identify with the two characters?

If not for that reason, then why would the screen writers add those scenes? Its just not a good enough explanation of the additions to say, that it "fleshes out the home life of the two characters", as McMurtry and Ossana have said.

OK, why "flesh them out" at all ? And why "flesh them out" in the fashion in which they were fleshed out?

If the screen writers are going to INVENT scenes wholesale, why not show more of Jacks philandering with Randall, or his undoubted cruising for sex in other area such as parks, bathrooms. Hey I'd like more of the scene with the Mexican hustler.

Why not show more of Jacks's cruising time  when he was bullrider? We can go on and on.

There has to be a reason for the extensive additions over the screenplay, and emphasizing Jack's closeted sexuality does nothing to market the product because I doubt that most mainstream viewers would not be interested in those hypothetical scenes.

But they just loved Ennis's scenes with Alma and the girls. And Jack's scenes with Lureen.

[Artiste]

Thanks Clyde!

Many or most films have no tie-ins as Walt Disney figurines did, and others!! You want a rubber Ennis  or Jack?? Life size, I would want them!! You have good ideas about making your own!!

Concerning Annie not making more, she is straight female?? Why did she really make that story?? Really?? She is afraid
 in some ways!! ??

Larry would not want likely to continue since he made his money and does not prefer to think of giving his money away now?

You have my thanks for contacting Annie.


Maybe now we can make our own BM II ?? Did you see so many, even gays, refused that when I mentioned it: that I wanted sequel, or BMII??

Except for copyrights, a similar film can be done. Who will have the guts to do so?? Gay ones, I hope this time...

what do you say? An less anti-gay one!! ??

Hugs!!

[brokeplex]

If they were only interested in making money, where are the marketing tie-ins?  Many of us here have complained of the absence of BBM merchandise and have even resorted to making our own.

Also where are the sequels?  I personally wrote to Annie Proulx and begged her to complete the saga of Ennis's life and she politely refused.

Larry McMurtry was asked if there would be a sequel and was reportedly quoted as saying that was the stupidest idea he'd ever heard.

It's been two years.  They have the track record and the clout, and yet there is still nothing in the pipeline.

I personally would love a completion of the story. The lost years before Ennis and Jack met, the lost years in between, the lost years after Jack's death. Perhaps there is no sufficient market to justify the expense. Perhaps the writers have lost interest.

[Artiste]

Yes, brokeplex, so would I, but who has the guts: straights again to do that?

Why do we gays always let straights do OUR work??

Maybe we gays, could turn this film around from anti-gay somewhat to become more pro-gay?

Hugs!!

[brokeplex]

Can the "Brokeback Mountain" universe be franchised, like the "Star Wars" universe was by Lucas? If so, there will be writers at work more fully completing the saga.

[Artiste]

Brokeplex, Star Wars were a serie of books!

So far Annie created ONLY ONE BM story!! And refuses to continue... it seems.

So what will/would you do??

Keep on with this essay as possibilties?? As... such, as for movie potential?

Hugs!