Author Topic: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?  (Read 53101 times)

Offline Artiste

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #10 on: April 03, 2008, 11:35:15 am »
Quelle surprise !!

2 surprises!!

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #11 on: April 03, 2008, 12:19:08 pm »
Yes the long amount of time that Ennis seems to date Cassie (and the long duration of Jack's relationship with Randall) makes the conversation between Ennis and Jack during the evening of their final camping trip particularly odd.

Ennis seems to be mentioning Cassie here almost for the first time (referring to her as the "waitress who wants to go to nursing school or something") and Jack's little fib about the ranch foreman's wife here also seems to be the first time that a veiled reference to Randall comes up in Jack's conversation.

Given that the Childress charity dance was in the late '70s and this camping trip happens in 1983... that's a long time for Jack and Randall to have been involved potentially.  And, Ennis was already with Cassie by the time of that charity dance.

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Offline BlissC

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #12 on: April 03, 2008, 12:33:54 pm »
Yes the long amount of time that Ennis seems to date Cassie (and the long duration of Jack's relationship with Randall) makes the conversation between Ennis and Jack during the evening of their final camping trip particularly odd.

Ennis seems to be mentioning Cassie here almost for the first time (referring to her as the "waitress who wants to go to nursing school or something") and Jack's little fib about the ranch foreman's wife here also seems to be the first time that a veiled reference to Randall comes up in Jack's conversation.

Given that the Childress charity dance was in the late '70s and this camping trip happens in 1983... that's a long time for Jack and Randall to have been involved potentially.  And, Ennis was already with Cassie by the time of that charity dance.

Wow! I'd never paid that much attention to that part of the timeline! That does make that conversation on their final camping trip very odd then. I guess given the condensed nature of the timeline in the film, it could have been that the charity dance was intended to be later, but if it was intended to be later, why didn't they just make it later? And the story isn't much help because the dance scene isn't in the story (just me thinking out loud here). Very strange indeed.


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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2008, 12:37:05 pm »
I would guess that Cassie probably is somewhat homophobic, like the majority of people in her time and place. But as far as the plot goes, I see that as a non-issue. She doesn't show any sign of wondering about Ennis' sexual orientation. Even if she does have suspicions, she doesn't act on them. Ennis breaks up with her, not the reverse; clearly she wants to get back together. So Cassie's attitudes about gay people really have no bearing on the story.



Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #14 on: April 03, 2008, 12:57:44 pm »
Wow! I'd never paid that much attention to that part of the timeline! That does make that conversation on their final camping trip very odd then. I guess given the condensed nature of the timeline in the film, it could have been that the charity dance was intended to be later, but if it was intended to be later, why didn't they just make it later? And the story isn't much help because the dance scene isn't in the story (just me thinking out loud here). Very strange indeed.

I'm at work... so I can't look the details of this up right now (or run and check my DVD)... but I think there's a banner in the dinner dance scene that specifically states the year (and I think it's 1978 or 79... or something).  Maybe I'm mis-remembering this, but I thought that this was the case... and was why the dinner dance is an important time-line marker (at least in the film).





the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline Artiste

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2008, 01:03:27 pm »
Elaine thanks!

Sorry if I am late replying!

You say:
  She had no idea why he suddenly stopped calling her and ignored her notes. 


.........

Elaine, that is just it.... she kept on trying, so must have figured something? Like  maybe Ennis is gay?

Just a question. No harm done!

Au revoir,
hugs! I  must rush as I am late in my work... creating paintings!!

Offline brokeplex

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #16 on: April 04, 2008, 12:10:00 am »
Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?

no, she was a sweet lady whom Ennis disappointed, not any more complicated than that. I hope she had a good life with "whatever that tall cowboy's name was".

Offline Artiste

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #17 on: April 04, 2008, 12:23:47 am »
Brokeplex, nevertheless, how long did she go out with Ennis?

Or saw him?

Any proof... like others think?

Hugs!

Offline brokeplex

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #18 on: April 04, 2008, 12:25:47 am »
Brokeplex, nevertheless, how long did she go out with Ennis?

Or saw him?

Any proof... like others think?

Hugs!

I think that it was several years, maybe 1977 to about 1983?

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Was Cassie in the Brokeback Mountain movie homophobic?
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2008, 01:48:17 am »
The Childress Dancehall Banner says 1978 and the scene where Ennis meets Cassie is directly the one before. The STS also names 1978 as the year Ennis meets Cassie, so they have dated for five years before the tell you what conversation. Same goes for Jack and Randall.

But five years are hard to believe, aren't they? This would make the conversation by the lakeside very odd and additionally, it would make Ennis's way to break up with Cassie somehow implausible. After five years of relationship (even if it wasn't the closest), one would rather think something has happened to your lover than contemplate the possibility he has dumped you if you don't hear anything from him. I think Cassie would have been worried about Ennis and not come to the conclusion he dumped her.
And since Cassie was a somewhat "pushy" type, I'm sure she would have sat on the steps of Ennis's trailer one night and would not have settled with some unanswered notes. I think she just would not have "gotten" the message and second, would have demanded an explanation even if she had an inkling about possibly being dumped.

But if they had been together much shorter, then it would make sense. Ennis's way to dump Cassie and his indifferent way of speaking of her make much more sense if they had known each other only for a relative short period of time.

The timeline is really such a tricky subject  ::).


On the OP: we have not one iota of information about her being homophobic (or not homophobic). Like indeedcrayons already said: it's a non-issue in the movie.