Hollywood Rocked: 'Gay Cowboy' Movie Becomes an Oscar Frontrunner

Drudge Report ^ | November 6, 2005

[RWR8189]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN NOV 06, 2005 19:28:02 ET XXXXX

HOLLYWOOD ROCKED: 'GAY COWBOY' MOVIE BECOMES AN OSCAR FRONTRUNNER

Arriving with nudity and explicit gay sex scenes between two cowboys, UNIVERSAL/FOCUS FILMS's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has quietly become an award season frontrunner, interviews with Academy members reveal.

"It could very well be the last film standing at this year's Oscars," a top Hollywood producer not associated with the film explained from Hollywood.

"There was not a dry eye in the house at the screening at Telluride [Film Festival in Colorado]," says the producer, who asked not to be named out of respect for the cast and crew of the producer's own Oscar contender. "Watch it come out of the gate at the Golden Globes with super controversy."

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS critic Jack Mathews predicts the gay cowboy movie, which takes place in Wyoming, may be "too much for red-state audiences, but it gives the liberal-leaning Academy a great chance to stick its thumb in conservatives' eyes."

Director Ang Lee's movie staring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger won the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this fall.

But will a movie even Madonna calls "shocking" sit with the heartland?

Playwright and lifelong Wyomingite tells the STAR-TRIBUNE of Casper this week that she has never encountered a gay cowboy, and doesn't think it's right for Hollywood to portray Wyoming as a state with gay cowboys.

Her message to the writers of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: “Don't try and take what we had, which was wonderful -- the cowboys that settled the state and made it what it was -- don't ruin that image... There's nothing better than plain old cowboys and the plain old history without embellishing it to suit everyone."

Meanwhile, Michell Howard of the state's Travel and Tourism Division says her agency is already hearing a buzz that people in other countries are expressing interest in visiting Wyoming because of the film.

“It's gotten rave reviews from the international community,” she said. “I don't know if they're more tolerant or something, but they're viewing it as a great Western movie.”

Developing...

[U S Army EOD]

"Get your lasso off of my thing".

[rlmorel]

Yup. I'm with you on this. They should make a real movie about Tailgunner Joe, about how he sacrificed his life and reputation to save this country.

It will be interesting to see what Clint Eastwood does with Iwo Jima.

[U S Army EOD]

And "Lash LaRoo" used to be one of my heroes, I wonder now what he used the whip for most of the time.

[laney]

The point is during the cowboy era? Did they know what a Gay Cowboy was? these guys were doing Saloon girls, sheep other cowboys, who knows what they called themselves??

[Slings and Arrows]

In the photograph, I notice the cowboy has a big beaver on him.

Someone call Wynona.

[Seizure]

"Nope...just trying to imagine what the dialogue would be like in a Western where the male leads have sex with each other."

What else do you imagine about male leads? lol

[razorbak]

The Hours goes West.

[SweetCaroline]

Here's a movie that nobody in the States has seen yet and a movie that will surely bomb yet it's already an Oscar contender. What a rigged game the Oscars are.

....WELL LOOK WHO'S MAKING THE PREDICTION!!

interviews with Academy members reveal

[RichInOC]

Truly, as little as humanly possible.

[Seizure]

"Someone call Wynona."

Given the fact that I have never paid on whit of attention to "Primus", this sure is an entertaining coincidence.

[jws3sticks]

Maybe we need to re-think what the Lone Ranger and Tonto were really doing on those Cold lonely mountain range nights!~

Lone Ranger: Tonto, we're surrounded by Indians!

Tonto: What do you mean "we", white man!

[Slings and Arrows]

Given the fact that I have never paid on whit of attention to "Primus", this sure is an entertaining coincidence.

Me either - their costumes are more entertaining than their music.

[Seizure]

Well, that sure is a relief. Speaking of relief, I guess the boys will need some Preparation-H after a long ride.

[0siris]

Oh, I'd love to see a remake of Lesbian Spank Inferno, starring Jennifer Connelly, Thandie Newton, Heather Graham, Cahterine Bell, and Salma Hayek. And I'd offer my services to star as the one male heterosexual in the film, who converts these lesbians into bisexualdom, all at the same time of course. It would be a long shoot, however, because it would take many many many many many many many many many many many takes. Many takes.

[Slings and Arrows]

Oh, I'd love to see a remake of Lesbian Spank Inferno, starring Jennifer Connelly, Thandie Newton, Heather Graham, Cahterine Bell, and Salma Hayek.

How do we know you'd be true to the original director's vision?

[apackof2]

REAL COWBOYS HERE...YEEHAW!

[Jrabbit]

Nooooooooooooooo.....written by Larry McMurtry!! Why,why,why would he write such a disgusting book?screenplay? Lonesome Dove is one of my all time favorite books and movie....maybe he had a stroke or something. How old is he? Senile? arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Keyes2000mt]

it gives the liberal-leaning Academy a great chance to stick its thumb in conservatives' eyes

And gives Red State America another reason to stay home from the movies.

[pollyannaish]

And a "Rural/Red State Americans are intolerant and therefore not worthy of consideration" movie.

[0siris]

"I wouldn't look for any CYA (heh) from Gyllenhall. He's the guy who said the only bad part about making the movie is that Ledger slammed him against the wall a little too hard in the big sex scene (shudder). He said he thinks all guys have a gay side. I think he ought to just speak for himself there."

No wonder Kirsten Dunst dumped his sorry butt. His gay side probably came up a couple of times, and he expressed interest in recreating the infamous Sopranos scene starring Ralphie and Janice.