Hollywood

Some examples of a trailer that’s better than the movie is Jarhead, which we have playing on a screen at work. The trailer, not the movie. For anyone who has seen the movie, you’d know about the complete lack of action in the whole thing. I mean, the movie is basically about soldiers that sat on their ass during Desert Storm. I’m not saying it wasn’t a good movie but the trailer…I mean, it had tons of fast cutting flashes of action mixed with Kanye West’s Jesus Walks. It looks epic.

Hey, now. I bet you think Jake Gyllenhaal (yes, that is how you spell his name) might be out of line for saying that all the US troops did during the first Gulk War was jerk off….but you’re forgetting that he’s an actor, and this is his art

Many believe the movie warrants a second viewing because it’s too complex to understand the first time around, they’re probably right. And while this movie does have it’s good points- excellent performances by Jake Gyllenhaal as the brooding Donnie, Patrick Swayze as motivational speaker Jim Cunningham, and a great soundtrack that includes INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Joy Division- the story was just not interesting enough for me to warrant sitting through it again.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, this is a story about love as friendship and longing… love that goes beyond physical intimacy, beyond distances, love that is timeless. The chemistry between Ennis Del Mar the Ranch hand, (played by Heath Andrew Ledger) and Jack Twist, the cowboy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is almost tangible. The movie exemplifies the saying “Actions speak louder than words”… and in this case, a look does the trick.

Me and my fellow cowgirls are waiting for the rain to stop here in California so we can trial ride without our horses getting swallowed up in evil, black mud. We thought we’d kill a little time one afternoon by taking in the new cowboy romance movie, “Brokeback Mountain.”

In 1963, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), is a ranch hand looking for work, when he meets Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) at a prospective job interview. Both of them get work together as sheep herders in Wyoming, and spend their days and nights working closely together. During this, both men form a close bond, until unexpectedly for both of them, the bond turns into deep love. Ennis and Jack both go their separate ways after the work is done, and eventually both get married and have children. However, their love for each other refuses to die, and so they secretly meet once a year to continue the passion they have. Unfortunately, hatred and bigotry get in the way of them ever having a lasting relationship, and several unexpected twists and turns force both of them to find out how true love can hurt.

Jake Gyllenhaal is also simply terrific as Donnie. His nails his character perfectly as the weird, mysterious, but rebellious (and therefore, kinda cool) kid in class.

Except I've never worn platform anything (or had a pedicure) and (this may come as a shock to your tender sensibilities, straight people) hot guys have been kissing in my life for about 20 years. So, yeah, thank you Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger for risking the raw edge of career suicide to play two monosyllabic tough guys who kiss. While loudly proclaiming that YOU ARE OF COURSE COMPLETELY STRAIGHT and that you Deserve an Oscar for pretending to be attracted to Heath Ledger. (I'm sorry, I never say this, but...) Whatever!

I never expected to feel that way about Heath Ledger. “Oh, cool a gay cowboy story…Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal…uh-huh…Well, we’ll see how it turns out.”