Just when we hoped the Brokeback Mountain jokes would go away, OK! claims Heath Ledger’s “in talks” for a sequel to his gay cowboy drama.
Although we won’t be seeing his pal Jake Gyllenhaal, 26, Heath Ledger, 28, is currently in negotiations to reprise his role as Ennis. “It will follow the nasty process of being openly gay in 1963 Wyoming, an insider tells OK!.� “Ennis will finally come out of the closet.”
First, that sounds kind of like bullshit. Two, what exactly is the “nasty process of being openly gay in 1963”?
Harnessing their journalistic imaginations, the OK! staffers end by suggesting Ennis find a new profession with the Village People. The wit!
Jon
Um…the movie ended in something like 1985 and he was still way in the closet at that point.
Leland Frances
Despite “OK’s” error in the year that would be involved in Ennis “finally” coming out—it would be 1983 or after—are you suggesting it wouldn’t have been difficult to come out in Wyoming in 1963?
adamblast
I can’t see how this would be anything but a disaster. Not that I believe it in any case, coming from OK! magazine.
The original was a famous story by an important author, adapted for film by another important author. Who would be writing the sequel? Some commercial hack?
SeaFlood
… please don’t do this fates that be.
Jon
A sequel would not work. The only reason the first film was a success was because it was an A-list director with hetero stars doing a gay theme. It was a novelty. Now that it’s been done there is nothing left to say. If you take away the novelty factor, Brokeback was nothing more than a Lifetime TV movie with men.
Mr. B
I agree with everyone. This sounds like a horrible idea.
Leland Frances
“If you take away the novelty factor, Brokeback was nothing more than a Lifetime TV movie with men.”
If we took away your keyboard, Jon, you would just be a drooling cretin with nowhere to type nonsense.
adamblast
Jon sez: “If you take away the novelty factor, Brokeback was nothing more than a Lifetime TV movie with men.”
And Jane Austin is just soap opera, and Hamlet is just a ghost story.
While I agree there was great novelty in it being an A-List gay love story, I sure can’t agree that it was *nothing* without that novelty. The movie had an incredible pedigree. If anything, Ang was too respectful and reverent about it, but the material did deserve to be treated with dignity. It’d be a shame to have its legacy cheapened by franchise commercialism–much like there were major social currents trying to cheapen the film throughout its run.
Jon
Leland,
I didn’t say it was a bad movie. I understand that a lot of people loved it. But in reality it was only OK, nothing special about it other than the significance to the gay community. It was the first of its kind and I recognize that, however, it WAS just a rehashed Lifetime TV movie, a chick flick for gay guys. You could have put Nancy McKeon or Tori Spelling together with some nameless male actor and you would have had the EXACT same movie on Lifetime or Oxygen.
Leland Frances
You’re still drooling, Jon. Replace “in reality” with, “in my opinion” and have at it. But don’t confuse the two.
Jon
Leland,
Anything written by anyone in the comment section of any blog is an “in my opinion”. That’s a given. It’s also a given that there’s always gonna be some hateful douchebag who attacks those opinions for no real reason other than to spread their bitterness with life onto others.
Jamie
It’s also a given that there’s always gonna be some hateful douchebag who attacks those opinions for no real reason other than to spread their bitterness with life onto others.
That’s funny.
Leland Frances
Quite happy with life, thank you, Jon. Though I could do without halfwits who can’t simply admit that they’ve written something stupid, but, instead, attack the person who pointed it out to them. Your mama apparently spoiled you to think you can do no wrong. Well, I ain’t your mama. Thank the goddess.
Mrs Patrick Campbell
We didn’t see the movie because in our extensive experience the Hershey Highway leads only to misery. Still, our gorgeous ex-husband(the well built 36 year old Latino with the large uncut sizemeat and huge low-hangers)who dumped us 2 years ago SKYPED us again last night regarding our getting back together again. We love Paris so much we can’t make up our mind! Anyway, will Homosexual Jake and Fudgepacker Heath get back together again also? Stay tuned!
George Deeming
…wait a minnit…it depends on the story line. Suppose that Ennis finally got it together & has his own ranch – say he’s in his late 40’s & one day Gyllenhaal show up as his own son now in his early 20’s (or mid 20’s)…whatever & tells Ennis that his ‘momma’ said that Ennis was his fathers best friend as well as one of the best cowboys she has known. The kid wants to know more about his father & the relationship. Go from there — maybe the kid is gay and maybe Ennis tries to not get involved but is drawn like a moth to a candle…etc, etc., etc.
adamblast
George, were you reading much of the slash fan-fiction that was coming out in droves around the time of the BBM release? There were actually several good ones plotted along the lines you mention. I’m leery about a sequel nonetheless, as I figure these characters have already reached their most artful conclusion.
Mrs Patrick Campbell
What if they should connect in a public restroom when they are both past 70?
Mrs Patrick Campbell
“”” hetero stars “””
If you say so, Mary……..and we have a bridge to sell you…
thatguyfromboston
yeah, you could do a whole larry craig treatment with this.
Take a doll, Leland
Leland, you’re coming across as not only mean but a little bit crazy. You disagree with someone about a movie and suddenly you’re talking trash about his mama? Get a life, girl.
Leland Frances
“Take a doll”? Take a doll? Showing your age aren’t you, Dear? I’ve heard eyesight is one of the first things to go, but can’t you afford reading glasses on Medicare? We didn’t trash Jon’s mother. We LUV HER! She tried her best, but he still turned out to be, uh, “challenged.”
Matt
I don’t quite understand all the vitriol this post is generating. “Brokeback” was (redundant “in my opinon” added to avoid having my nice whitebread middleclass upbringing impugned) a commercial “event” movie that, for all the hype about how Progressive and Thoughtful it was, really just followed the old, established Hollywood formula regarding the depiction of homosexuals outside of comedy: they are ultimately miserable and lonely (if not blatantly psychotic) and either wither away or die horrible, violent, retributive deaths to atone for their fundamentally sinful nature. It was, sadly, (in my opinion) not The Greatest Film Ever Made, or A Brilliant And Subtle Film, or robbed of its Oscar. It was OK at best, generally less offensive than most depictions of homosexuals, and way too heavy-handed on the long, slow, contemplative nature imagery. As for “Ennis Strikes Back”, just spare me.
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES
Heath Ledger married his onscreen “wife” and actually got her pregs during the shooting and then married her. Wow !!!! acting gay has some testerone reaction for hets, eh? LOL.
I KNOW what it was like to go to gay bars before Stonewall. Dance bars were like speakesies….no more gay than lesbians allowed on the dancefloor so that you could switch partners in a raid.
The local bar I went to was frequented by very cute vice cops dressed to entice the libido. If the bartender tipped off the customer, they both were arrested.
The owner was my friend, and since I was cute and 21, he and I had a code. I would say, “the usual” and if my gin and tonic wasn’t served, I drank my beer and discussed politics and religion and sports with the angry vice cop and then I would leave. This approach protected both my friend and I.
Yes, this was difficult. My father was a provincial legislator (MPP) and a Tory at that.
Imagine Canada today. Imagine Spain today…under Franco, it was prison for life….now you can marry.
Matt
Great stories, Rt.RevDr.RES! Thank you.
adamblast
Matt, I know I’m not going to convince you of its artistic merits. And yes, the film, like the original story, is about closeted men… one who is murdered and the other who has only taken baby steps toward self-acceptance by the end of the film.
So what? Surely you don’t think gay film should be denied the full range of comedy and tragedy, or that films about gays in bleak social surroundings (or the past) should be avoided.
The film is a crying howl against homophobia, external and internalized, and a great view of the damage done by the closet to both gays and those who become collateral damage in their sad marriages of gay-avoidance. And the love story works despite Ang’s formal approach, mostly due to the exceptional committment of the actors.
George Deeming
O.K. Here’s a better plot — Gyllenhall’s kid now mid -20’s inherits his grandfathers estate — BIG MONEY — buy’s huge ranch & comes to find Ennis as Mom has told him that his father considered Gyllenhall – ‘the finest cowboy I have ever known’ — the kid , of course, is an identical twin to the old man & Ennis takes the job as ‘ranch foreman’ — the movie is filled with guilt, temptation, hot teasing scenes, anguish & a lot of beautiful scenery & wild-life (of all kinds)that leads to the kid finally coming out (tears, laughter & hot sex)
ernesto
Can’t wait when do you think it will be shown???
cameron
Sadly, this will now not happen. Heath have brought your message and now have left us. Bless your family and especially your young sweet daughter. You will be forever missed. Good-bye Heath.