Brokeback Mountain [WS] [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Ang Lee's adaptation of E. Annie Proulx's story Brokeback Mountain stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as young cowboys named Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar. Each of them is hired to corral sheep on the title location and they soon bond very closely. Their platonic relationship explodes into a physical one, but eventually the two are separated when their job comes to an end. Although the two follow different life paths -- one becoming a father of two and the other marrying into a successful business -- they have a reunion years later. Each is affected profoundly by the rekindling of their old feelings for each other. Those feelings lead each to consider what continuing their hidden relationship would cost them. The screenplay was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Stereo, DTS-ES 5.1
• Screen: Color
• Features:
  • A Groundbreaking Success
  • Music from the Mountain
  • Impressions from the Film
  • On Being a Cowboy
  • Directing from the Heart: Ane Lee
  • From Script to Scene: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
  • Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Original Score - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2005 (Diana Ossana, James Schamus)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• American Cinema Editors Guild

•     Nominated Best Edited Feature - Drama - 2005 (Dylan Tichenor, Geraldine Peroni)

• American Film Institute

•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• American Society of Cinematographers

•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)

• Berlin International Film Festival

•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• Boston Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 2005 (Dylan Tichenor, Geraldine Peroni)
•     Nominated Best Film Music - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• Broadcast Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Score - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla)
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Nominated Best Song - 2005 (Emmylou Harris)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)

• Chicago Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)
•     Won Best Original Score - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2005
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• Directors Guild of America

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Original Song - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla, Bernie Taupin)
•     Won Best Picture - Drama - 2005
•     Won Best Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Nominated Best Original Score - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• Iowa Film Critics Association

•     Nominated Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2005

• Las Vegas Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• London Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - Runner-up - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2005

• National Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Actor - Runner-up - 2005 (Heath Ledger)

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• Online Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Won Best Score - 2005 (Gustavo Santaolalla)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2005
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• Phoenix Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)
•     Won Best Cinematography - 2005 (Rodrigo Prieto)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)
•     Won Top Ten Film of the Year - 2005

• Producers Guild of America

•     Won Producer of the Year - 2005 (Diana Ossana, James Schamus)

• San Francisco Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005

• Screen Actors Guild

•     Nominated Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Ensemble - 2005
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2005 (Jake Gyllenhaal)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 2005 (Michelle Williams)

• St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - 2005 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Director - 2005 (Ang Lee)
•     Won Best Picture - 2005
•     Won Best Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)

• Telluride Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2005

• Venice International Film Festival

•     In Competition - 2005

• Writers Guild of America

•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2005 (Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Heath Ledger - Ennis Del Mar
       Jake Gyllenhaal - Jack Twist
       Michelle Williams - Alma
       Anne Hathaway - Lureen Newsome
       Linda Cardellini - Cassie

• Director:

  Ang Lee

• Producer:

  Diana Ossana, James Schamus

• Screenwriter:

  Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana

• Cinematographer:

  Rodrigo Prieto

• Composer (Music Score):

  Gustavo Santaolalla

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Kathy Nelson

• Editor:

  Geraldine Peroni, Dylan Tichenor

• Production Designer:

  Judy Becker

• Art Director:

  Laura Ballinger-Gardner, Tracey Baryski

• Co-producer:

  Scott Ferguson

REVIEW:

• Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain is an effective and affecting psychological study of a man so afraid of revealing emotions that he nearly implodes due to his inability to express himself. Heath Ledger gives a beautifully nuanced performance as Ennis Del Mar, a man of the land who for a number of reasons is unable to share himself in a real way with anyone other than the love of his life -- and even then he is unable to open up fully. The fact that his great love is another man provides yet another reason why he feels he must keep his emotions inside himself. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist, the more outgoing of the pair. His gregariousness wins over the taciturn Ennis, but it also is the character trait that will eventually cause the two to have their biggest fight. The film smartly observes the men's relationships with their wives. One realizes that Ennis' inability to communicate would have caused trouble in his marriage even without his affair. Jack, being the more outgoing of the two, actually attempts to find ways to satisfy his closeted impulses even though emotionally he is drawn totally to Ennis. The pair are more than ably supported by Michelle Williams playing a simple but very smart woman, Randy Quaid, and Linda Cardellini, who gives Ennis a piece of advice about love that rings remarkably true in a film that seeks nothing more than to show what is inside the heart of a man trapped by inarticulateness. The film's final scene is so small it plays at the time like an anticlimax, but when a viewer takes stock of everything the character has gone through, one realizes how profoundly the character has changed. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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