Posted on 01/10/2006 4:34:06 PM PST by presidio9
HOT Oscar tip Heath Ledger yesterday compared US bans on his gay cowboy film to racism. Critics' Choice Awards Picture Gallery
Ledger said he was not surprised a Utah cinema had banned Brokeback Mountain, which depicts a lifelong love affair between two Montana cowboys. "I heard a while ago that West Virginia was going to ban it. But that's a state that was lynching people only 25 years ago, so that's to be expected," Ledger said.
"Personally, I don't think the movie is (controversial) but I think maybe the Mormons in Utah do. I think it's hilarious and very immature of a society.
"If two people are loving . . . I think we should be more concerned if two people express anger in love, than love."
Ledger was in Melbourne last night with his partner and Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams, and their daughter, Matilda, for the local premiere.
"She's (Matilda) been a big hit, had a big opening weekend and there'll probably be a sequel," Ledger said on the red carpet.
Ledger has been nominated for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for his performance and is tipped to be an Oscar nominee.
He earlier said he was "incredibly proud" of the film, but awards were the last thing on his mind when he was making the film.
"If you're thinking ahead and about people's opinions or how the film's going to be judged later it will affect the decisions you make on camera," he said earlier.
While filming the love story with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, Ledger was falling for on-screen wife Michelle Williams.
"It was obviously a very personal, beautiful kind of evolving life and love that was occurring off-set, and then we'd go to work," he said.
Ledger arrived home in Sydney eight days ago but said its paparazzi would make it impossible to live there for good.
One photographer has alleged Ledger's uncle spat on him – a claim Ledger denies.
Of the paparazzi, he said: "It sucks, because it's only like it when I come back to Sydney. It's not like that here or in Brooklyn, where we live now." Brokeback Mountain, based on a short story by author Annie Proulx, opens on January 26.
You loved and adored the characters he played, not him. He was just as much of a jerk then as now.
Why'd he have to turn out to be an idiot????:(
Because almost all actors are.
Hey Heath, I also bet you won't be hearing from Mel Gibson anytime soon about movie offers.
If I may......with all due respect.....
"Only goes to show....don't [feebly and clumsily attempt to] break down [supposed] "barriers" unless you are willing to face the consequences of the breakage."
Ledger and co. obviously aren't........
Speaking of box office figures, it is averaging $100,000 per week in the original six theatres it opened in (3 of which are in Greenwich Village). Get rid of those those receipts, and the "record box office" starts to look pretty pedestrian. Pillow biters everywhere are flocking to this movie out of civic duty.
For comparison, Walk The Line, which was the consensus Oscar favorite until Hollywood forcefed us was has made $100mm. WTL had a budget of $25mm. Mostly because execs were afraid that America wasn't ready for a Country Music film and insisted on Reese Witherspoon (not sure what Reese got here, but she made $15mm for her previous film). Brokeback appears to have made critics forget about WTL, but it is going to be lucky to end up with 1/5 the gross. It cost $14mm to make. By any standards, it is not runaway success that you have been led to believe. Oh, and it featured an all-star cast, and a hot director. And you can forget about the "independant" lable. Fucus films is a division of Paramount. Hollywood is currently experimenting with pseudo-indepedants the way Coors and Anheuser Bush experimented with microbrews a few years ago.
...Ledger was convinced by the big boys that if he sold his soul for this movie, he could be a contender.
His little star was fading fast, and he thought this would be his big chance.
But it's backfiring (no pun intended) bigtime, and little Heathcliff is crying and whining now.
I bet his uncle really did spit on him.
I screwed up and saw "Brothers Grimm." What a bunch of garbage. Judging from the trailers of "Casanova," Ledger better hope his "gay sheepherder" movie makes some money. If not, he better start practicing flippin' burgers unless he can get a job as the french fry guy.
Oh, jeeezzzzz. This from a 26-year-old Australian who probably couldn't find West Virginia on a map even if it was highlighted for him.
The "dark age" he's referring to when people were dropping like flies in West Virginia was 1980, BTW. Yep. That was a real "dark age," alright. Ronald Reagan was elected President that year.
Don't forget all Reagan did to ramp up the AIDs crisis, the worst epidemic monogamous heterosexual drug-free Americans have ever faced. Jimmy Brolin told me so.
I agree! I lived and worked in Hollyweird for 14 years...I know all about it! ;)
Thanks bert
A little thin-skinned there Heath Bar? Maybe this film hits too close to home?
Was Heath the pitcher or catcher in this film? Maybe he's still a bit cranky...
Huh? I'm sure this pic is going to do wonders for his career, especially Down Under!
It's a ban????????
He's one of those whiney types that expect the government to force private property owners to make things comfortable for them..........and that's OK. But when private property owners make their own decisions about how to run their business that's bad.
Yup - I get it now.
The concurrent release of "Casanova" was just too transparent. I can hear how is agent sold it to him: Appear on the big screen simulating anal sex with a dude and Hollywood will forever view you as an ac-TOR (see, Robbins, Tim). Meanwhile we will make a crappy movie that features you having sex with as many women. In terms of public image, the two cancel eachother out. Judging by the box office numbers, Casanova will be out on DVD by the end of February.
"I heard a while ago that West Virginia was going to ban it. But that's a state that was lynching people only 25 years ago, and that's to be expected...,"
Labeling the citizens of WV due to something he had "heard"? All people from Australia are so arrogant. /sarcasm
"I think it's hilarious and very immature of a society."
To judge an entire society based on the freedom of a PRIVATE business to select which ever movie they choose to feature in their theatres as being immature?!
How ironic.
"...I think we should be more concerned if two people express anger in love, than love."
"...anger in love..."?????????
An oxymoron? Is Mr. Ledger expressing anger in love, or his love of anger for those who do not love his "values"? /deep sarcasm
Mr. Ledger should play a super-villain; Captain Ironic. After all, his statements are laced with such zingers as,
"It's sucks, because it's only like it when I come back to Sydney..."
Mr. Ledger really wants it both ways. Liberal America is welcome to indulge him. I am not one of those individuals. Congratulations to those private business owners in the good state of Utah and West Virginia, and their citizens who chose to promote virtue rather than smut.
Thats the vernacular of a 14 year old girl at a Malibu slumber party.
Recent news events have shown us the kind of men that live and work in West Virginia. This sad little priss isn't fit to lace their boots.
Well, didn't you know that if you don't go to this movie and applaud queers at every opportunity that you are a narrow-minded, no toothed, ignorant, homophobic, racist redneck?
Liberal logic at its finest.
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