My view on this changes daily.
On a good day it would have ben roses round the door and happy ever after,as society with passing years grew more accepting,so allaying Ennis fears.He would grow more confident wrapped in the security of Jack's love for him and his own.
On a bad day,Ennis would continue, with his fears being too deep rooted by now ,to ever leave him completely at ease.Jack would battle daily and eventually become worn down by the negativity and so find himself indulging in illicit affairs.
As a side note,an aquaintance and I were talking about BBM only last week.He is a gay man,wise in a way I can only dream of.Anyway he is late 60's and has been with his partner for 30 years now.So were together openly around the time of the mid 70"s.
They were in rural area of the States and he commented that he had more problems here in Florida than he ever had in rural states.He had been married before he came out and here is the interesting thing,he got custody of the kids!!!!! O.K hs wife was a drug addict,but even so,an openly gay man bringing up kids with his partner,back then.
His sympathy in the film lay with Alma,which I thought was also interesting.He argued that,he had decided he could not live a lie so left his wife,who already had drug problems by then and took his courage in both hands to live the life he wanted.
He openly says it has not been easy,and has had his own battles on route,including loosing a child to drugs and his own alcoholism(now dry for 15 years)The point I am making is that even back then,there were people who just took the plunge.
I take nothing away from the film which will always be my firm favorite,no other even comes close.It just seemed interesting in view of the topic.
This man had to deal with enormous prejudice which I cannot even conceive,imagine the parent teacher meetings!!! Yet he still persued his dream and is with his partner still.
So I guess I wish that Ennis had been possesed of that courage too.But then if he had I would probably not have been as affected by the film.Happy ever after, does not wring out the emotions in the same way.
Also would their love have survived permanance,or was the flame kept alive by the infrequency.Who knows,but it is certainly interesting to speculate.
On final note,if it had been happy ever after,would it have so radically affected so many peoples lives.It certainly made me face up to my demons,and confront some isues,and I know that has been the case for many here at Better Most.
