Posted on 12/16/2005 4:23:29 PM PST by NYer
Washington DC, Dec. 16, 2005 (CNA) - "Brokeback Mountain," originally rated L (limited adult audience) by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been reclassified as an O (morally offensive) after several pro-family organizations expressed concern for what they saw as an implicit endorsement of the USCCB film critic to the controversial gay western.
Brokeback Mountain is the story of two sheep-herding cowboys in Wyoming who begin a homosexual relationship on the range in the 1960s, and continue their affair even after they marry women.
The $13-million film garnered seven Golden Globe nominations from foreign film critics.
Director Ang Lee’s homosexual Western premiered last weekend in limited release. Showing in five theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the film grossed $544,549, averaging $108, 910 per theater. A wider release is slated on December 16, with a nationwide release in January.
In the original comment posted on the USCCB's website, the reviewer wrote that the Catholic Church "makes a distinction between homosexual orientation and activity," and that "Ennis and Jack's continuing physical relationship is morally problematic."
"While the actions taken by Ennis and Jack cannot be endorsed, the universal themes of love and loss ring true," said the original USCCB's review, which also called the movie "a serious contemplation of loneliness and connection."
"Looked at from the point of view of the need for love which everyone feels but few people can articulate, the plight of these guys is easy to understand while their way of dealing with it is likely to surprise and shock an audience," the original USCCB review said.
“Brokeback is the ‘Perfect Storm’ of Hollywood’s war on morality,” said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America’s (CWA’s) Culture & Family Institute (CFI). “It combines high production values with a lowdown attack on morality. It’s a mockery of the Western genre embodied by every movie cowboy from John Wayne to Gene Autry to Kevin Costner. I can’t think of a more effective way to annoy and alienate most movie-going Americans than to show two cowboys lusting after each other and even smooching.
After several pro-life and pro-family websites strongly criticized the original review, the USCCB decided on Friday to change its classification, while still providing a very positive description of the film.
"Brokeback Mountain, originally rated L (limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling) has been reclassified as an O (morally offensive). This has been done because the serious weight of the L rating -- which restricts films in that category to those who can assess from a Catholic perspective the moral issues raised by a movie -- is, unfortunately, misunderstood by many. Because, in this instance, there are some who are using the "L" rating to make it appear the Church -- or the USCCB -- position on homosexuality is ambiguous, the classification has been with revised specifically to address its moral content," says the new USCBB posting.
The new full review of the USCBB can be seen at:
http://www.usccb.org/movies/b/brokebackmountain.shtml
That's a whole wagonload of horseshi_.
Homosexuality is a deathstyle, not a lifestyle. Therefore, there's no way it's about 'love.'
Ping!
Ping!
It's not meant to be overlooked, it's meant to be dealt with. What you take away from the movie doesn't have to be what the moviemakers wanted you to take away.
If a movie is honest, it will show the cost of repugnant behavior, even if the repugnant protagonist isn't the one who pays. It sounds like that's the case in "Brokeback Mountain."
Lavender bumpus ad summum
Wish I could take the credit for that one, but another freeper coined it "Raw Hind."
You have no feeeelings you unsensitive cow.
I really don't think we should let this director lead us, like sheeple, into a lot of conversation on something really not that worthy of conversation. Of course, I am taking the bait by participating in this very thread. And it will fill our magazines. Build up to Oscar night. Will be featured all over TV tabloid and soft features on news networks and local stations. I hate letting this crowd set the agenda for the national conversation.
The media are chomping at the bit (pun intended) to elevate this film to Golden Globe and, eventually, Oscar status. It has now been blessed by the Communist News Network.
Love has nothing to do with it, you're right.
Well, I'm with you there.
LOL!! That really is a disturbing image, you know.
What is a "sheep-hearding cowboy"?
Thanks for posting this, NYer. what a load of of garbage! We're getting new bishops all over the country--when are they going to start taking over or dismantling this hi-jacked organization???
while staring at a Krispy Kreme doughnut: "I wish I knew how to quita ya!!" *sniff*.. lmao
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