My own experience

[Isaac31]

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.  (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.

[JennyC]

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]

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.

[starboardlight]

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.

[RouxB]

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

[Phillip Dampier]

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!

[opinionista]

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.  (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.

[vkm91941]

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

[ednbarby]

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. 

[SFEnnisSF]

Issac31,

Thank you for your post. 

Eric

[YaadPyar]

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

Ditto everything!  Welcome.  More please...

[redilirvi]

I guess I was lucky, in that I didn't know much about the film before I saw it at the beginning of January. I hadn't read any reviews and the only reason I went to see it was that a friend of mine wanted to go. Also, I had never seen Heath or Jake in anything before, so I had nothing to compare their Brokeback performances to.

I was totally engrossed in the film, right from the first guitar note. I must admit I thought the first tent scene was a little abrupt (and I'm a gay man), but on subsequent viewings I noticed the subtle indications of their growing fondness for and attraction to each other which made the first tent scene a believable progression for them.

Like many others have stated, I became totally involved with Ennis and Jack as real people, not just as characters in a movie. I can't describe the devastation I felt when I found out about Jack's fate. Ennis's discovery in Jack's bedroom had me breathing through my mouth so I wouldn't sob out loud. The final scene in his trailer pushed me over the edge.

I obtained a copy of the short story, but I delayed reading it until after I saw the movie a second time. When I finally read the story, it had just as great an impact on me as the movie. I've never had a piece of fiction tear me apart as that story has.

I then went through months of obsessing over the movie, always bringing the topic of conversations with friends and family around to Brokeback. I would spend hours on IMDB, I always kept tissues next to the computer because tears flowed so easily.

Jack and Ennis became friends of mine and, dare I say it, I fell in love with them. I definitely fell in love with their love and with the movie.

The passion is starting to subside, but I think I will always be a Brokeaholic. I hope I never lose the connection I have to this movie.

Jack

[ednbarby]

That's lovely, Jack.  And eerie, too, in that you just described my experience with it down to the tiniest detail.  I, too, saw it once for the first time in early January, bought the story and then deliberately saw it again before reading the story.  Then the story devastated me all over again.  I think all of us share the experience of thinking of Ennis and Jack as real, as friends, of loving them, of feeling our own loss when we learn of what's happened to Jack as if he was a longtime friend of ours, too, and of loving their love for each other.

Welcome to the asylum.  Actually, as the movies often depict, I happen to think the sanest people going are all right here.

[YaadPyar]

Jack and Ennis became friends of mine and, dare I say it, I fell in love with them. I definitely fell in love with their love and with the movie.

The passion is starting to subside, but I think I will always be a Brokeaholic. I hope I never lose the connection I have to this movie.

Wonderful.  Thank you.

[redilirvi]

Welcome to the asylum.  Actually, as the movies often depict, I happen to think the sanest people going are all right here.

Barb (I feel I know you because I've read so many of your postings on IMDB),

I used to worry about my obsession with Brokeback, but I told myself and friends that "it's my new hobby." Ha! Who was I trying to fool?

I'm now able to limit my Brokeback "allotment" and have actually watched quite a few other movies in the past month or so. Of course, I tend toward movies featuring Heath and Jake. 

Jack

[alec716]

I too greatly enjoy reading about other people's experiences with this story, both because it helps me revisit and re-examine my own, and also because it convinces me that, even if I am crazy, I am not alone!     Ever since I first saw the movie in February with one of my closest friends, she and I cannot stop talking about it or ... worse yet... cast our daily conversations in the language and quotes of Ennis and Jack.  Another one of the great things about these discussion threads is that they force me to articulate my thoughts and questions better, and so I learn more all the time -- about the story and about myself. 

[ednbarby]

I too greatly enjoy reading about other people's experiences with this story, both because it helps me revisit and re-examine my own, and also because it convinces me that, even if I am crazy, I am not alone!     Ever since I first saw the movie in February with one of my closest friends, she and I cannot stop talking about it or ... worse yet... cast our daily conversations in the language and quotes of Ennis and Jack.  Another one of the great things about these discussion threads is that they force me to articulate my thoughts and questions better, and so I learn more all the time -- about the story and about myself.

Sure enough.  That's some high-class entertainment, if you ask me.  For what it's worth.

(You're gonna fit right in around these parts, Alec.  )

Jack, I've actually branched out and started watching (and even enjoying!) other movies again too.  I must admit I did get a little stuck on "The Good Girl" there for a week or two, but I haven't watched any others featuring Heath or Jake, so it's a start, right?