MFTM
Laura Dienslake, Colleen Kjellburg, Haley Libert, Vince
Nowaczyk, Lauren Ulrich
 The story overall is about a forbidden and secretive
relationship between two cowboys and their lives over
the years.
 The movie was released in September of 2005.
 Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar
 Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist
 Anne Hathaway as Lauren Newsom
 Randy Quaid as Joe Aguirre
 Michelle Williams as Alma
Ennis gets divorced and
Jack dies. Ennis keeps a
picture of Jack in his
trailer and a shirt of
Jacks hung up.
4 years go by and they arrange
to meet again. Their love
connection sparks and they
continue to arrange fishing trips
to see each other
When the summer ends, the two men go on
with their lives. Ennis marries Alma and has two
little girls. Jack remains unmarried until he
marries a rich girl named Lureen.
After sharing a cowboy’s backbreaking work load,
facing the troubles of the weather and shortages of
food and wild animal attacks, their working friendship
eventually develops into something more.
It all starts in the summer of 1963. Two young men
(Ennis and Jack) meet when they find work sheep
herding for the summer on Brokeback Mountain
 Gay rights are a big issue going on today
 In this movie, everybody lost because no one ended up
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happy.
Homosexuals would get beaten to death back then if it
came out so there was no option for Jack and Ennis to be
together.
Although we have progressed as a nation into accepting gay
rights since the 1960’s, it is still considered controversial.
It is relevant to the younger generation because they are
more accepting of change.
Even though this movie was set in an earlier time, it still
sheds light on the issue today.
 1960’s – negative attitude towards homosexuality
 Ennis’s fear of social out lash  prevents happy life with
Jack
 Jack and Ennis try to conform to society by marrying
women, but fail to achieve happiness
 Marry  Get a Job  Raise a Family
 People who somehow defied this belief were considered
outcasts and were not welcomed in society
 Jack and Ennis can be classified as “not straight”, they
struggle to fit in and become increasingly frustrated
with the forces against them
 Ennis is unable to break away from the role society has
set for him
 The film emphasizes the idea that all family members
need to express themselves freely in order to achieve
happiness
 Not associated with “macho men”
 Jack and Ennis are both depicted as hard working
macho men
 They are also cowboys
 “Macho” men, cowboys, and ranchers are rarely seen or
viewed as being gay, but are usually depicted as being
straight and sometimes even homophobic
 Homophobia
 Ennis describes his first encounter as a fluke or a one
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time thing.
Both Ennis and Jack get married to women
Jack Aguirre does not re-hire Jack
Ennis has flashbacks of a rancher being tortured and
killed for beliefs of homosexual activity
Jack encourages Ennis to leave with him to go back to
Brokeback Mountain but Ennis refuses.
 Homophobia(continued)
 Ennis tries to push back another meeting with Jack as
the end of a finish trip.
 Alma, Ennis’ wife, get into a fight over the fishing trip he
goes on, even after they are divorced.
 Ennis keeps trying to avoid his real feelings for Jack
 In the end Ennis holds the two bloody shirts and says
“Jack I swear…” after he asked his daughter if her fiancé
really loves her.
 Despite the destructive message that some can
interpret from the movie, Brokeback Mountain shows
the true connection and attractions between two men.
 The sex scene is depicted as being a magical and
sacred union.
 The movie is currently
 Pulled from Jordan Commons entertainment complex
movie theaters because owner Larry H. Miller claimed
the film got away from traditional family values and
that it could be dangerous.
 Conservative television show hosts such as Bill O’Reilly
and John Gibson accused Hollywood of pushing a left
wing agenda.
 Several conservative Christian groups criticized the
film harshly even before it’s release.
 These same groups have accused Hollywood of pushing
a right wing political agenda after movies like Brokeback
Mountain and Transamerica received awards and critical
acclaim.
 Advertisement and marketing for the film avoided
showing the homosexual theme of the movie.
 Some film critics criticized the Academy Awards as
being homophobic for not awarding the movie with
the Best Picture.
 The relationship between Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar
quickly escalates when the boys connect and fall in
love with each other on Brokeback Mountain in
Wyoming, during the summer of 1963
 This love affair went on for 20 years.
 Ennis feared that they would be found out and killed
due to societies negative perspectives on
homosexuality
 The theme of tragedy really shows when Jack Twist was
found out and was beaten to death.
 Ennis is miserable and disengaged from his family
 Jack’s marriage is surface level only
 Jack and Ennis’s kids suffer
 Ennis…unhappy marriage results in divorce.
 Strained relationship with his daughters
 Jack…anger towards family members.
 Lashes out at father-in-law
 Relationship between Jack and Ennis
 A love story that never seems to work out
 Jack and Ennis can’t achieve the one happiness they’re
looking for
 Jack is beaten to death…
 Laura… 2.5
 Colleen… 4
 Haley… 4
 Vince… 4
 Lauren… 3