Production Mistakes I think they Made on the Movie

[RossInIllinois]

I work in the film business and I can't get over how the set decorating and Ang Lee screwed up when it comes to the Twist family home. This set looks more like Little house on the prairie than a home of 1982/1983 what were they thinking?  The Kitchen had an "Ice Box" in it thats just ridiculous. The appliances toaster etc on the counter look to be of vintage 1930s.  There are no pictures of "Jack" anywhere nothing in the house to make it looked lived in all these years. I'm shocked Ang didn't make them correct that ugly mess of a set. It looks like they found an old barn had the painters put a grenade in a couple buckets of gray paint once they exploaded gray paint on EVERYTHING  then added a table and Volla the Twist family home. This set/concept is shameful for such a movie.  Maybe thats why Ang portrayed Jacks parents as Mental institution zombies on Valium to make the look of the set work better???

[opinionista]

Welcome to Bettermost Ross. Your comments are very interesting. I seldom pay attention to decoration details. However, I did notice the Twists home was a bit too empty to be a home. Granted, they wanted to show their poverty but Ennis's home, for example, did not look as empty as the Twists's home did. However, Jack's room was more believable, IMO that is. The closet, the figurines on the desk, made it look like what could've been Jack's room in real life.

[RossInIllinois]

Welcome to Bettermost Ross. Your comments are very interesting. I seldom pay attention to decoration details. However, I did notice the Twists home was a bit too empty to be a home. Granted, they wanted to show their poverty but Ennis's home, for example, did not look as empty as the Twists's home did. However, Jack's room was more believable, IMO that is. The closet, the figurines on the desk, made it look like what could've been Jack's room in real life.

Hi  Exactly, You can make a house look "poor" but lived in. This looked like no thought at all went into it almost like a "rush job" on a budget of about $100.00
I think Jacks bed room was OK too but still to sparse for a kids room of that time. Where did he live as a teenager in the 50s in THAT room? I don't think so.  I'm assuming they wanted us to think Jack came from semi "Normal" parents didn't they? I would be afraid to sample a piece of cherry cake from that lady in that kitchen    I think its problems like this that could have kept BBM from winning Best Picture. People in the business REALLY look at the details when giving such awards for Best Picture.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Hi  Exactly, You can make a house look "poor" but lived in. This looked like no thought at all went into it almost like a "rush job" on a budget of about $100.00
I think Jacks bed room was OK too but still to sparse for a kids room of that time. Where did he live as a teenager in the 50s in THAT room? I don't think so.  I'm assuming they wanted us to think Jack came from semi "Normal" parents didn't they? I would be afraid to sample a piece of cherry cake from that lady in that kitchen 

It seems to me that Jack's bedroom is pretty faithful to Annie Proulx, whose description in the story makes it sound very Spartan, but I wondered some things about that house, too. I wondered about the "ice box"; I couldn't tell if it really was an actual ice box or a very old "electric ice box." I'll have to watch for the toaster next time.  Also there is some cross-shaped, clearly religious thing hanging on the wall. You can't really see what's in the center of it, but on the face of it, that didn't seem quite right for a fundamentalist Protestant/"believes in the Pentecost" home. I could be wrong but that impresses me as more Roman Catholic-like, and therefore not appropriate for the Twist home.

[ifyoucantfixit]

     Well here i am, on the opposite end of the stick again.  I thought that house represented, the entire idea.  Of the old mans influence.  The spartan, no frills allowed.  And none granted, atmosphere he made in that house.  The ice box, because he wouldnt pay for a new one, even if they had electricity in the place.  Which im not sure of.  It showed the fact that no one was allowed to shine in that house. No photos, no family mementos, and no sympathetic, feelings.  In short a home without love.  The only place at all Jack showed up was in his, still sparse room.  But what he had was in stark contrast to the entire rest of the house.  Just showing what a special person he was to have emerged from such a sad and lonely place.  I thought it was perfectly set... I didnt think it at all wrong.
                                                                                   Janice

[RossInIllinois]

     We here i am on the opposite end of the stick again.  I thought that house represented the entire idea of the old mans influence.  The spartan, no frills allowed.  And none granted atmosphere he made in that house.  The ice box, because he wouldnt pay for a new one, even if they had electricity in the place.  Which im not sure of.  It showed the fact that no one was allowed to shine in that house. No photos, no family mementos, and no sympathetic, feelings.  In short a home without love.  The only place at all Jack showed up was in his still sparse room.  But what he had was in stark contrast to the entire rest of the house.  Just showing what a special person he was to have emerged from such a sad and lonely place.  I thought it was perfectly set...                                       janice
I didnt think it at all wrong.

Hence why I said it looked more like a house of the Mentally ill than that of "more normal folk" of the time. Yes they do have electricity check out Jacks closet and 1930s desk lamp. When I say Ice Box I mean Ice Box not something thats plugged in to a wall outlet. You would at least have a fridge from the 50s in 1983 don't you think? This set should have been more "All in the Family" only less kept up and a bit more sparse and country looking.

[serious crayons]

I think the blank, white-washed look of the house was supposed to be sepulchral and other-worldly. That doesn't explain the dated appliances, though! 

[mvansand76]

I have to disagree. I think the Twist house was deliberately this Spartan. Ang Lee's films are all about symbolism and Brokeback is no different. I think that he was trying to show us that even though Jack came from such sober surroundings, he still became the person he wanted to be: the lively, exuberant person who deep down loved life and always wanted the best for himself and for the people he loved.

And it shows us that there is still something like your own identity that has nothing to do with how you grew up and the influence of your parents.

Also, there is a big difference between the downstairs area and Jack's room. Jack's room had much more personal stuff in it, not to mention the shirts, the symbol of their eternal love.

[RossInIllinois]

Well sober surrondings are fine. But in 1983 not seeing ONE ITEM looking like it was made after 1940 in the house is just whacky and unrealistic IMO.

[ifyoucantfixit]

    Well i have to say again.  I dont know if it would be called a house, of the mentally ill, or not.  However i can say when you live way out in the middle of nowhere, and have a father,
that isnt even as bad as old man twist, it can be a harrowing experience.  What kind of person in
their right mind would do the things to their child these days that was done to Jack.?  But there are a lot of kids of that time period that got periodic beatings.  And it was fully accepted as the norm.  A fathers prerogative if you will.  I dont know that the appliance
thing would have been any different on a farm that was not doing well at all.. No money left to replace, what he felt was aleady adaquate...  Just my opinion...