[Michael Reuben]

Quote:

I think it got an R due to subject matter.

I don't know about Canada, but in the U.S., I suspect Anne Hathaway's topless shot would guarantee an R, regardless of subject matter.

But the debate over what exactly got it a particular rating seems rather pointless. In both subject matter and treatment, it's a film for adults. Most kids would probably find it dull.

M.

[KevinGress]

Quote:

Shows how prude MPAA is...

Even Christianity Today magazine (?) praised the film, in spite of the content.

To clarify, this is what Christianity Today (12/16/05) had to say:

"As for the 3-star rating (out of 4), that is only in reference to the quality of the filmmaking, the acting, the cinematography, etc. It is not a "recommendation" to see the film, nor is it a rating of the "moral acceptability" of the subject matter."

[Patrick Sun]

Michelle Williams also got in on the topless action.

[Jay_B!]

even though I am a gay male, part of me is hesitant to see it knowing that this is a movie with stereotypical overtones to please "not comfortable with gay" audiences

Spoiler:

such as gaybashings and unhappy endings

I personally want to see a movie come out about gays that doesn't have the superficiality of the typical "Trick" style comedy (aka, the two protaganists are not pretty boy 20-somethings that few of us in real life will wind up with, and the movie is fluffy) where the gay characters wind up happy ever after and it's a good movie, and there are no mentions of AIDS (I have been out of the closet for nine years... I have one friend who is HIV+, that's all I know, but of course homophobes spin it that all we do is carry AIDS) nor transvestites nor are any of the characters "Will" types where they are happily gay, but you never see them getting laid.

The lesbians got D.E.B.S., so it's our turn. I applaud Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal for doing a gay-themed movie, but how about a gay-themed movie with the same happy ending it would have if it was Heath and MAGGIE Gyllenhaal?

[Henry Gale]

Jay_B....threadkiller!
Really I was amazed this had not received a post in over a week. Why would I have to do a search to find a thread on a first run film of this quality?
Went to a 1PM showing in San Antonio today and it was sold out. Came back for the 1:45 screening which also filled up!
A great film and since we're mostly declaring ourselves here, I'm straight.
Will probably see this on the big screen again and I know I'll get the DVD.
Beautiful movie and well acted.
I'm gonna say this...
If you're a guy that thinks you don't want to see this because of the gay theme...well you probably already know what I think of you.

[Michael Reuben]

Quote:

Really I was amazed this had not received a post in over a week.

Bear in mind that it's still in limited release -- 269 theaters according to Box Office Mojo (up from 217 during the Christmas week). Even that's a faster expansion than Focus Features originally intended.

M.

[Thi Them]

Quote:

Some strong performances, I'll give it that. Particularly Williams and Ledger.

But, I just don't think much of this film. It's an overly long forbidden love story. Corny melodrama at worst, and thin drama at best.

I've seen it a million times, but tighter and better (though, with lesser performances). I'm left wondering why all the hype? I know why, of course...the film is a zeitgeist capturing 'film of the moment'.

I pretty much agree with Quentin. For the time they were together, the characters' emotional love for each other just never really came across and the relationship seemed to exist on a physical level. There's another forbidden love story with little dialogue that is currently out which I feel is better: The New World.

~T

[Robert Ringwald]

It's really upsetting that people had such heartbreaking coming out stories. I don't ever plan to tell my father and haven't spoken to him in almost two years. He's the type who'd disown his own children because of it.

The way I see it, if parents are so rotten as to disown their own children because of their prejudices, then they're not worth having in your life anyway.

But, back to the movie...

Am I the only one who found the whole "bashing" to be ambiguous? I thought personally that it might NOT have been a bashing, but Ennis automatically assumed it had been because of the horrible childhood memory he had of the older man who was bashed. The "flashes" appear to be nothing more than his own mind showing him what happened. Leaving the audience to decide what actually happened.

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Quote:

I pretty much agree with Quentin. For the time they were together, the characters' emotional love for each other just never really came across and the relationship seemed to exist on a physical level.

Hmmm. Could it be you are missing the point? These guys didnt know what they were experiencing. They could barely show emotional or physical love for their wives. You think they knew how to express it to a man?

[Quentin]

You think they knew how to express it to a man?

I think Twist did, clearly.

Unfortunately, we barely saw WHAT they felt or did with their wives. This was a horrible weakness of the film. It glosses over that part of their lives with montage and a couple key scenes. There is simply not enough to really get into.

As for Ennis - yes, he had a hard time expressing anything to anyone. Oddly, he is the one character who (through Ledger's performance more than anything) shows the audience the MOST emotion in the film. His reaction when they part for the first time, his anger toward his wife, and the final scene of the film. He's an interesting character brought to incredible life by a perfect performance...but, it's not enough to save the movie.

[Kirk Tsai]

I think it would have been pretty interesting to see more interaction between the husbands and wives in a different film, but I think the film already indicates that there isn't much of a relationship at all, so I did not feel it is a weakness.

Robert, I agree with your interpretation.

Watched part of CTHD the other day, and noticed that Lee uses a similar framing for the last shot of Brokeback as a Chow and Yeoh conversational scene. Both show nature in a frame, but outside what the characters can reach to.