'Brokeback' finds a welcome in the 'burbs

The Los Angeles Times ^ | December 19, 2005 | R. Kinsey Lowe

[jcav]

Will "Brokeback Mountain" play in Plano? In the movie's first weekend in the Dallas suburb where the 2004 Mel Gibson film "The Passion of the Christ" earned some of its biggest grosses, the answer appeared to be yes.

After setting a record for the per-theater average for a dramatic movie in limited openings in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, critically acclaimed "Brokeback Mountain" faced its next obstacle as Focus Features expanded the so-called gay cowboy movie to strategically selected smaller cities.

The movie, directed by Ang Lee and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two ranch hands who develop an enduring emotional bond, "Brokeback Mountain" took in an additional $2.36 million in its first foray outside those three metropolitan cities, rising to No. 8 at the box office, Focus Features estimated Sunday. Its 10-day total is $3.3 million.

The closely watched debut in Plano, Texas, "was a revelation about the accessibility of this movie," said Focus head of distribution Jack Foley. "This is not gay-dependent. Attendance at those theaters indicates the film has the attention of suburban moviegoers."

It was the first time since Disney's animated "Pocahontas" in 1995 that a movie in fewer than 100 theaters cracked the top 10 box office ranking, according to tracking service Nielsen EDI Inc.

[andyandval]

This ought to be fun!

[boomop1]

This broke dic* dog film will go down in flames.

[notbuyingit2]

I hope the LA Times isn't holding it's breath. Or maybe on second thought...

[Rightone]

No, no, it won't go down in flamews Hey, it's showing well even in little towns across America! /sarcasm

Yeah right, in the LA Times wildest dreams.

[Semper Paratus]

the film has the attention of suburban moviegoers

When the trailers were shown there was derisive laughter everywhere.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

I don't think it will flop. The movie industry and organized gay groups will ensure they get the correct PR. I suspect it will have a rent a crowd mob of queers following the select showings. This is another sickening test for them...a test to see how far they can continue to push(so to speak)

[cincinnati65]

"After setting a record for the per-theater average for a dramatic movie in limited openings in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco,..."

Not to mention setting a record for per-theater average for an independent film about two gay shepherds eating chocolate pudding in the woods......

or maybe,

setting a record for the per-theater average for movies in which the two lead characters ride horses and hump each other in the rump.....

The records are endless!!!!!

[LanPB01]

It'll probably make about $100 bucks here in Kentucky, and most of that will come from people who crossed the river from Cincinnati to watch it in Covington.

[woofie]

This film will do well wherever gay cowboys are found

[infidel dog]

Do the gerbils pay half-price for tickets?

[roylene]

It is NOT a cowboy movie. These men(?) tend sheep.

[mewzilla]

I thought cattle folks didn't like sheep folks?

[RushLake]

"The movie industry and organized gay groups will ensure they get the correct PR. I suspect it will have a rent a crowd mob of queers following the select showings."

Well, the people's Detroit Free Press "movie critic", Terry Lawson gave it four out of a possible four stars on Sunday. Lawson is a distinguished alumni of the Josef Goebbels school of journalism. I'm sure the for sale Ebert and Roper have given it two big thumbs up as well.

[Lurking Libertarian]

$3.3 million in 10 days in limted release is not bad for a movie that cost $14 million.

[ElkGroveDan]

As my brother said today, "I think given the choice, I'd rather watch a movie about a cowboy having sex with a sheep than with another man."

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I'm sure the for sale Ebert and Roper have given it two big thumbs up

Up what???

[utahagen]

I live in Los Angeles, and saw the trailers in a movie theater in HOLLYWOOD...and people were snickering!

[cowtowney]

As David Letterman said - it's a good movie for anybody who likes to see men kissing

[bpjam]

This sounds incredibly conspiratorial, but it has a fairly long history. If the studio released this movie in a theatre in some red state, they would also tell a variety of people that it was coming there with the exacting expectation that they would travel to that place to see the movie em masse when it opened. It only takes about 300 gay people from Dallas to go to Plano to make this opening 'a hit' as far as Plano goes.

Its not unfamiliar for a studio, a producer or even a star to 'stock' an opening by paying for people to attend an opening weekend. And if their movie really sucks, they can claim that people bought tickets to other movies but really went into their movie but were trying to dampen the numbers by buying the wrong tickets (hello, Spike Lee).