Author Topic: My own experience  (Read 6530 times)

Offline Isaac31

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My own experience
« on: June 05, 2006, 06:49:54 pm »
First I would like to say thank you to whoever created this forum, I have been posting at IMDb, and I saw the post about this forum and came here.  Wow, what an absolutley fantastic place. 

I have seen BBM about 5 or 6 times now, I recently bought the DVD, and I think I am in the final stages of "Brokeback Obsession."  Today was the first time that I watched the movie without crying during the final lake scene between Jack and Ennis.  However, the shirt scene, and "Jack I swear..." scene still had me crying. 

I am a 17 year old straight guy, and I've never had any homophobic feelings, because of the atmosphere I grew up in, but when this movie first came out, and for the entire time it was in theaters I had no interest in going to see it, simply because I thought it looked like a boring movie.  Then I saw Jarhead, and I loved Gyllenhaal's performance.  I noticed that BBM was coming to OnDemand, and I looked forward to ordering it.  I watched it, and my life has changed since then. 

What an incredibly beautiful, tragic, moving love story.  I find myself in the most random times feeling sad for Ennis and Jack.  This movie is so much more then just a movie, if it can make me feel that way.  I know this is sort of a rambling, and I'm sure all of you have had the exact same experience, and have read about 5,000 other people having the same experience, but I feel compelled to write it all anyways.  ;D (Love the smileys too by the way.)

Jake Gyllenhaal was absolutley robbed of the best supporting actor for this role, I don't care how good Clooney was.  Same thing goes for Heath.  When I watch this movie, I honestly cannot see any of Swofford from Jarhead in Jake, I can't see an actor, all I see is Jack F'n Twist.   I know saying that is sort of a cliche, but I've never felt that about actors before.  Heath and Jake where Ennis and Jack, period, and I've never had that experience with a movie before.  It is mind blowing how good they were.

Again, sorry if this type of "personal experience" post is frowned upon, just wanted to put my opinions down for other brokies to see.  Long live BBM.

Offline JennyC

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2006, 07:11:49 pm »
Isaac,

Thanks for sharing your Brokeback Mountain experience with us.  We have all been deeply impacted by the movie, the story.  Many feelings are mutual; however, each story is special and unique in its own way.    Believe it or not, as “a 17 year old straight guy”, you do bring unique perspective into this community.

Welcome on board, and dive in any conversation that may interest you.  Hope you enjoy this place as much as I do.

gattaca

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2006, 07:14:38 pm »
Excellent post, Issac.

I felt much the same way - these two actors are approaching the peak of their craft and, like you, I did not see Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal acting like Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist,; rather, I experienced Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist as real people in and of themselves.

You're observations are spot-on, I think.

Offline starboardlight

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2006, 07:34:28 pm »
welcome Isaac and gattaca. and I still don't get tired of reading personal reactions to the film. It's strange that our experience is unique and common at the same time. I've never had an experience like this with any other movies. Yet, here we are, sharing this unique reaction. Like Jenny said, jump in on any discussions. I'd love to read more of your thoughts.
"To do is to be." Socrates. - "To be is to do." Plato. - "Do be do be do" Sinatra.

Offline RouxB

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2006, 11:52:05 pm »
I, too, love to hear the impact the movie had on others-it always brings me back to the first time I saw it and the incomprehensible impact it had, and continues to have on me. Isaac, thank you for sharing your story and Gattaca, thank you sharing yours on the "Where are you in your process" thread. It's great to have you both here!

Ruby

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Offline Phillip Dampier

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2006, 12:16:10 am »
Again, sorry if this type of "personal experience" post is frowned upon, just wanted to put my opinions down for other brokies to see.  Long live BBM.

Welcome aboard.  What sets BetterMost apart from a standard movie fan forum is that is is absolutely appropriate (and welcomed) to have people share their personal experiences here.  This is a social network community that fosters using the film as a catalyst for change in one's own life, and then sharing those experiences here (and enjoying group support from those messages!)

I am very glad to have you here!
You're a part of our family - BetterMost, Wyoming

Offline opinionista

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2006, 04:38:45 am »
First I would like to say thank you to whoever created this forum, I have been posting at IMDb, and I saw the post about this forum and came here.  Wow, what an absolutley fantastic place. 

I have seen BBM about 5 or 6 times now, I recently bought the DVD, and I think I am in the final stages of "Brokeback Obsession."  Today was the first time that I watched the movie without crying during the final lake scene between Jack and Ennis.  However, the shirt scene, and "Jack I swear..." scene still had me crying. 

I am a 17 year old straight guy, and I've never had any homophobic feelings, because of the atmosphere I grew up in, but when this movie first came out, and for the entire time it was in theaters I had no interest in going to see it, simply because I thought it looked like a boring movie.  Then I saw Jarhead, and I loved Gyllenhaal's performance.  I noticed that BBM was coming to OnDemand, and I looked forward to ordering it.  I watched it, and my life has changed since then. 

What an incredibly beautiful, tragic, moving love story.  I find myself in the most random times feeling sad for Ennis and Jack.  This movie is so much more then just a movie, if it can make me feel that way.  I know this is sort of a rambling, and I'm sure all of you have had the exact same experience, and have read about 5,000 other people having the same experience, but I feel compelled to write it all anyways.  ;D (Love the smileys too by the way.)

Jake Gyllenhaal was absolutley robbed of the best supporting actor for this role, I don't care how good Clooney was.  Same thing goes for Heath.  When I watch this movie, I honestly cannot see any of Swofford from Jarhead in Jake, I can't see an actor, all I see is Jack F'n Twist.   I know saying that is sort of a cliche, but I've never felt that about actors before.  Heath and Jake where Ennis and Jack, period, and I've never had that experience with a movie before.  It is mind blowing how good they were.

Again, sorry if this type of "personal experience" post is frowned upon, just wanted to put my opinions down for other brokies to see.  Long live BBM.


Welcome Isaac! Feel free to express your opinions and feelings about the movie here, and don't worry about repeating topics or thoughts, because people's experiences and opinions are always different even if they look the same.

As for Jake deserving the Oscar, I totally agree. Didn't think Clooney's performance was Oscar worthy. It was good but not that good.
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

vkm91941

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2006, 06:12:03 am »
Issac if you have any more personal messages to share like this one PLEASE do.  It is always good to read and share others experiences with this lovely film.  I could not agree with you more about the quality of the performances.
Welcome, I hope you stay a while and let us get to know you better.  You too gattaca
« Last Edit: June 06, 2006, 01:23:17 pm by vkm91941 »

Offline ednbarby

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2006, 09:40:40 am »
Welcome, Isaac and Gattaca.  Please don't feel ashamed for sharing your story here.  It *never* gets old hearing about experiences like yours (which are like all of ours, but as others have said, each unique and special in its own way).  Isaac, I totally know what you mean about experiencing these characters as if they are real people.  I still think of them as real after 12 viewings.  The first time I saw the movie, I felt as if I'd seen a documentary made about real people unbeknownst to them - it was so real, I felt like a voyeur.  In lo the many hundreds of films I must have seen, I've never experienced that before.  Even when a performance, like Judi Dench's in "Mrs. Brown" or Ralph Fiennes' in "Schindler's List" transcended all and made me see just the character (or historical figure) at the time, I could still walk away after seeing both those films and realize those were "just actors."  Great ones, but just people playing a part.  What Heath and Jake have done here goes way beyond that.  They both created characters that seem to actually exist apart from them.  I couldn't agree with you more that no other performances were more deserving of awards last year - hell, none even came close.  And don't even get me started on George Clooney.  I've yet to see him in a single film where I don't see him acting.  OK, I got started, but I'll stop.

These guys got so lost in their characters, when I see them now, it's as if someone else must have been walking around on camera, because I don't see anything of Jack and Ennis in either of them.  They're amazing.  Thank God at least Dustin Hoffman got it at the Oscars.  When he presented shortly before the dreaded "C" word was uttered and my whole illusion of any kind of justice in the world came falling down around my ears, he said he thought it was a shame that actors are looked upon as competitors and have to have their performances compared.  Then, he quietly said, "Mr. Ledger, I bow to you."

Thanks for sharing your story here, Isaac.  I hope it doesn't sound trite in some way, but I can't tell you the good it does my heart to see posts like yours from straight males who love this film as much as we here all do.

Welcome, again, and I hope to see lots more from you and from Gattaca.  :)
« Last Edit: June 06, 2006, 09:42:18 am by ednbarby »
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Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: My own experience
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2006, 01:40:35 pm »
Issac31,

Thank you for your post.  ;)

Eric