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

Drudge Report ^ | November 6, 2005

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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...

[BenLurkin]

don't forget the "Bambi and Thumper" of Bond movie fame:

[Paul8148]

It going to be a real liberl year this year, between this, Good Night, and Good Luck, Muncih (if they do it like the book), and others....

[laney]

She looks like she is taking a bath with Pepperoni!

[Rastus]

I didn't and wouldn't see Jarhead, so I don't know.

[Kimmers]

I felt the same as you....saw the previews and decided it was not worth time in the saddle for that one....I hope this movie goes out to pasture without ever getting broke....

[Robert A Cook PE]

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

That's what it's all about, of course. The idea of making good movies anymore is, at best, secondary.

That's what it's all about, of course. The idea of making good (any) money anymore is, at best, tertiary.

[mollynme]

Tell you one thing podner, this is the only gay cowboy movie I'll ever watch:

You are aware that Cesar Romero was of the "gay" persuasion, aren't you?

[laney]

It's Okay some funny parts in it, and it's really about Swofford ie: Gynnellhal

[DoughtyOne]

I don't like supporting Hollywierd with any more of my money than I have to. I seldom attend movies in the theater for that and other reasons. Our culture has deteriated to the point that it's almost a masachistic exercise to try to attend and enjoy a presentation in the theater.

I do buy previously viewed movies. I figure I spend about half what I would if I attended a movie in a theater, and I have a lasting copy to boot.

It's a mixed bag completely ignoring what Hollywierd has to offer. If you ignore it, you don't completely know what's going on. If you don't, you have to expose yourself to some pretty ripe "stuff".

There are some movies I will not see. From the titles and trailers I can tell where they are headed, and I won't go there.

Then there are the movies that are advertised as one thing, then turn out to sell a completely different set of values when you attend the viewing.

[GadareneDemoniac]

Now wait a minute. I'm supposed to believe that a male human is going to pass up Anne Hathaway to get some from another guy?

Anybody that can make that believable deserves an oscar.

[Pharmboy]

See related story from today's NY Times

[visualops]

I don't know what would possess someone to want to play such a character...but I suppose they think it's all artistic and "challenging". But if it gives them the heebiejeebies then they are lying to themselves about their true feelings.

[laney]

I decided I will not watch Pay per view as the last two I ordered COnstatine and Monster in law sucked so bad I was asleep in the first half hour! waste of $8.00!

[Guenevere]

I remember Midnight Cowboy from waaaay back...

..and if my memory serves me, the 'cowboy' was a hustler....looking for rich women to buy his 'wares'....and only resorted to male hustling when he was desperate...

..It was never portrayed as something romantic or all consuming...

..it was portrayed as ugly, evil, sick and the 'cowboy' was disgusted with himself.

[Tanniker Smith]

You know, this could be a good thing. This could be the film that finally leads to Lesbian Porn getting the artistic recognition that it deserves.

Lesbian Spank Inferno deserves many accolades, it should get Oscars in every category, including best screenplay, what there is of it.

TS
(a-hem. if I mention anything like "tongue-in-cheek", I'd probably get in even more trouble, so let's just skip over that.)

[Robert A Cook PE]

Technically speakin', "cowboys" and "Sheepherders" (working on a sheep ranch) are very different critters. (Actually, they only work with different critters.)

No one working on a sheep "ranch" (?????) wants to be called a cowboy - who work on a "cow" ranch.

And vice-versa.

[laney]

Yes but I don'r believe they want to be called sheep boys!?

[Windcatcher]

I'm at the point where I wait for cable, and if I want something I just record it with a capture card and burn to DVD (and if I really want a good version of something, I buy used from Amazon). Either way, however, I wait until a movie has been thoroughly vetted. Nothing would make me happier than to read somewhere that a major studio like a Dreamworks or a Paramount has had to file Chapter 11.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"Must we destroy all of our cultural icons?"

Well, obviously not; the Clintons still walk free. *Rolleyes*

I agree, though. Enough is enough. And really, both these guys are talented actors. They need to fire the agents that told them that THIS movie was their 'Stairway to the Stars.' Yeesh!

(And remember, Hollywood tried to fool us with "Million Dollar Baby," too.)