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Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star as Ennis and Jack, young cowboys who take a job herding sheep in the mountains of Wyoming during the summer of 1963. Isolated from the rest of the world for months on end, the two men fall in love and decide to keep their relationship a secret. Both marry women (Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway) and have children, but continue their affair through clandestine fishing and hunting trips over eighteen years. Jack continually pleads for the more reserved Ennis to live a more open life together, but by the time Ennis decides to follow his heart, tragedy intervenes.
Under the gentle, austere direction of Ang Lee (Life of Pi, The Ice Storm), Brokeback Mountain is a beautifully made film in every way. Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show) and Diana Ossana’s adapted screenplay is a masterclass in exercising restraint to deeply touching effect. Heath Ledger gives a career-best performance as Ennis, a reticent man who buries his emotions until they make him sick. Jake Gyllenhaal plays his release — a more carefree spirit who never gives up on the idea of sharing a life together, even though the world would condemn them for doing so. Michelle Williams gives a remarkable supporting performance as Ennis’s wife, a woman who suffers from unspoken betrayal after secretly discovering the men’s true feelings for one another. The film is further elevated by its scenic beauty and minimalist, acoustic score.
Though the film takes a broad, maudlin turn in its last act, Lee is delicate enough with the material to make it feel grounded and real. Love stories are a dime a dozen, but Brokeback Mountain strikes a profound chord. It is one of few films to portray same-sex romantic love so realistically and compellingly. Other films have been as bold, but none were as successful. Brokeback Mountain earned over twelve times its budget in ticket sales and won a slew of major awards. Ten years after its release, perhaps not entirely by coincidence, same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States.
Based on a short story by Annie Proulx (The Shipping News). With Randy Quaid, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Kate Mara, and Anna Faris.
Academy Awards: Best Director (Ang Lee), Adapted Screenplay (Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana), Score (Gustavo Santaolalla)
Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Actor (Heath Ledger), Supporting Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams), Cinematography (Rodrigo Prieto)