Okay guys ... you know I have to jump in here about this ...
But Mr. Twist has been depicted as an asshole from the beginning. Though Jack never says so, we vaguely surmise that Mr. Twist ran Jack off because Jack is gay. (Subtly underscored by Jack's "your folks run you off, too?" as if hoping they ran Ennis off because Ennis is gay.)
I may be nitpicking here … but Jack does
not say, “your folks run you off,
too?” He simply asks him “your folks run you off?” To me, that has a different connotation. This may go back to the rationale that, IMO, Jack didn’t have sexual experiences with men prior to BBM. I know that I am in the minority regarding this topic. When I first saw BBM, I questioned if Jack had slept with men before meeting Ennis. I obviously changed my POV. My reasoning has to do with the following:
• Jack lived in a very homophobic state during a homophobic time.
• Jack was only 19.
• IMO, Jack understood he was attracted to men but was
also homophobic … certainly not to the degree that Ennis was, but homophobic just the same.
Don’t kill me here folks, but please humor me for a minute. In Annie Proulx’s essay, “Getting Movied” from the book, “Brokeback Mountain: story to screenplay” she says:
“The two characters had to have grown up on isolated hardscrabble ranches and were clearly homophobic themselves, especially the Ennis character … Although they were not really cowboys … the urban critics dubbed it a tale of two gay cowboys. No. It is a story of rural homophobia.”I bring up this point because, although we see Jack as being more “out” than Ennis, he is
not out completely. Look at the symbolism of Jack’s closet ... yes, the door is open, but the two shirts … his love for Ennis …. is still hidden.
Then he says, in effect, that he knows Jack was gay ("I know where Brokeback Mountain is -- spit ") and resents Jack considering himself too special to be buried in the "family plot." We might assume there's a figurative link here -- Jack thought he could break society's rules and be gay, rather than do the classic straight-man family-values thing, but Mr. Twist wants to hold him to the family "plot," as in story line. Surely a jerk like this must also be homophobic. On the other hand, it's possible he just means that Jack got snooty after he got some money and "thought he was too 'special.'"
I am nitpicking again … but I am laying this out to as part of my argument … Mr. Twist spits
after he says … “’Ennis del Mar,’ he used to say, ‘I’m goin’ a bring him up here one of these days ….’” The timing of this is important. He is showing his disdain towards Ennis.
Then Mr. Twist continues to demean Ennis by talking about Jack bring up another “fella,” It should also be noted that the
way Mr. Twist is talking is angry, bitter.
IMO, the argument/ possibility that Jack got snooty after he had money doesn’t hold water. First of all, Mr. Twist was abusive towards Jack (physically, verbally, and emotionally). From what I have surmised, Jack certainly did not stand up to Mr. Twist. His dad was a jerk who could see nothing good in Jack. Secondly, Jack would have given up his money in a minute. It was not that important to him. Had Ennis decided to live with Jack, he would have given it all up.
But wait -- is he a homophobic jerk? His jab at Ennis -- cruel as it is -- indicates that he accepts the relationships for what they are, reacts on their terms, understands that Ennis would feel bad about being dumped. In other words, his cruelty is no different from the cruelty he might exhibit to a heterosexual couple.
Also, Mr. Twist's main point of contention seems to be that Jack never got around to licking the damn ranch into shape (which Mr. Twist clearly would have welcomed -- the ranch appears rundown, AND we've heard Jack imply his folks could use a hand). Mr. Twist doesn't give a damn if Jack leaves his wife for Ennis del Mar or some ranch neighbor a his -- as long as he came to help. Mr. Twist's main complaint isn't that Jack wanted to ranch together with another man.
On the contrary, Mr. Twist's complaint is that Jack didn't!
And in any case, whatever resentment he holds doesn't provoke him to kick Jack out of the family (plot) but to insist that he stay in it.
You are right that Mr. Twist’s cruelty is no different than what might be exhibited towards a heterosexual couple. However, just because the cruelty could be transferred to a hetero does
not indicate that Mr. Twist accepts the relationships for what they are. What Mr. Twist is relaying is his contempt for Jack, Jack’s lover, and Jack’s lifestyle. IMO, Mr. Twist is giving Ennis, Jack, Jack’s ideas, etc. the finger. Since Jack could never please his father … do you really think Mr. Twist thought Jack would actually move up there and help run the ranch? Mr. Twist makes it clear that Jack’s ideas were foolish and that, “like most of Jack’s ideas it never come to pass.” What would have been Mr. Twist’s reaction if Jack actually
did decide to move up there? We will never know. I find it hard to believe that the “stud duck” would have allowed that to happen.
As for the family plot … it is not that Mr. Twist cares if Jack goes in it. He just wants to make sure that Jack’s final wish is not honored. Again, it is a way of giving Jack the finger … even in death.
Yes, the more I think about it, the more I see how Ennis came away from the Twists with much new food for reflection on how other people might approach someone being "queer", much thanks to Jack who told his parents as much as he did about Ennis and gave them the opportunity to respond accordingly when they meet Ennis. In addition to the confirmation of Jack's love for him that Ennis carries back home, it will help him come to terms with who he is and realize - in his heart - that far from holding the commonly shared opinion on the matter, his father was far out to one side of the scale, in the minority. I wonder if that sort of reflection could happen when the pain and grief about Jack was still so raw.
I am not convinced Jack told his folks anything except that Ennis was his friend. Mrs. Twist certainly knew about the shirts … I think she found them. Mr. Twist heard Jack talking about Ennis and concluded that it was more than a friendship … it was likely a gay relationship. It takes very little to conclude if a person is gay or not. Think of Lureen … her fears/ suspicions were realized when Ennis told her about Jack and him herding sheep on BBM in ’63. You can see the further pained look on Lureen’s face when Ennis said, “we was good friends.” Shoot … I have figured out that a few guys were gay before they were even willing to admit it to themselves!
When Ennis comes down with the shirts, he holds them away from Mr. Twist. John represents societal homophobia …. an abusive SOB who probably figured his son was gay when he was a child (could have John been gay himself and took it out on his son?? Just a thought). Mrs. Twist represents compassion and love … despite what others may think of her son and his lover. IMO, Ennis became even more homophobic after he left the Twist’s. He saw the hatred in Mr. Twist. He assumed (rightly or wrongly) that Jack had been murdered because someone “found out.” Even though Ennis received compassion from Jack’s mother, it is the male “role model” who shows that his sexuality should be hated and despised.