When Ang Lee’s seminal film (no pun intended, don’t even get me started) “Brokeback Mountain” hit theaters in the winter of 2005, its unanimous critical praise instantly pushed up against a wall of off-color jokes, Hollywood controversy and intense cultural debate. Depending on who you asked, the film was either one of the most moving love stories to play on the big screen in years, or it was “the gay cowboy movie,” where Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger were taking their chances on a diet of little more than water and canned beans. Funny the first time, maybe, but it gets a little tired after the zillionth, especially taking into consideration that the movie is relatively tame when it comes to its depictions of gay sex, but wild and sprawling in its portrayal of decades-spanning true love. The conversation surrounding the film was inextricable from the movie itself; one necessitated the other. “Brokeback Mountain” was an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. But no matter how obnoxious all of the hullabaloo was, it was a blessing in disguise. The non-stop hand-wringing turned “Brokeback” into one of the most important love stories ever made, still as relevant today as it was 20 years ago. As one of its stars, Michelle Williams, so astutely put it when recently asked about the movie losing its best picture nomination to “Crash”: “I mean, what was ‘Crash’?”
Now, two decades after its initial release, “Brokeback Mountain” is returning to theaters across the country for a special slate of anniversary screenings through June 25, ready for its theatrical reappraisal. Plenty has changed in 20 years, too. It’s not so unlikely to see a theatrical release for a film about two men falling in love. Queer people even have their own rom-coms now, with their own dedicated spaces for jokes that don’t involve canned legumes! But despite gay love stories being (somewhat) more common, there is still nothing quite like “Brokeback,” especially on the silver screen.
