US EditionHow Brokeback Mountain Holds Up—And Doesn’t—20 Years Later
- Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, originally released in 2005, follows two cowboys in a complex lifelong romantic relationship starting in the summer of 1963.
- The film adapts Annie Proulx's 1997 short story and became a landmark queer romance amid significant cultural resistance, including its 2006 Best Picture Oscar loss to Crash amid audience outrage.
- Brokeback Mountain won three Oscars, including Best Director for Lee, grossed $83 million domestically, and became a watershed for LGBTQ+ cinema, with enduring themes of repression and love framed by ongoing social challenges.
- The film returned to U.S. theaters for its 20th anniversary in June 2025, with screenings beginning June 22 and Gyllenhaal recalling a fan who saw it eleven times in ten days, highlighting its continued impact.
- Despite legal advances like Obergefell v. Hodges, Brokeback Mountain's depiction of hardship remains relevant amid persisting anti-LGBTQ hostility and violence, suggesting the film's message still resonates today.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Brokeback Mountain: Jake Gyllenhaal shares 'profound' fan reaction
Iconic queer romance drama Brokeback Mountain was released 20 years ago – and star Jake Gyllenhaal has recalled a heartbreaking reaction from a fan at the time. Released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain remains one of the most impactful queer films of all time. The romance drama, directed by Ang Lee, follows Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger as cowboys Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar as they embark on a forbidden relationship one summer. Co-star…
Take Me There: Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain
The popular conception of sexuality in America has doubtless expanded since the turn of the century, but its depiction on mainstream screens somehow has not. How many great queer dramas have we had since the year 2000? Carol, Moonlight, and Milk, certainly. A Quiet Passion and Pariah, too, although those didn’t exactly light up the [...] The post Take Me There: Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain appeared first on In Review Online.
These “Brokeback Mountain” Stage Play Clips Have Us Demanding A Revival
Images from the 2023 stage production of Brokeback Mountain are doing the rounds online—and if you’ve seen even a single clip, you’ll understand why people can’t stop watching. Mike Faist and Lucas Hedges in Brokeback Mountain. pic.twitter.com/RCPcnu3q1c — cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) June 15, 2025 Staged at @sohoplace in London, the 90-minute play paired Mike Faist and […]
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