Brokeback Mountain (2005)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

Annie Proulx (short story)
Larry McMurtry (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Love Is A Force Of Nature

Plot:

Based on the 'E. Annie Proulx' story about a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the years.

Plot Keywords:

Homosexuality | Rodeo Clown | Wedding Dress | Gay Bashing | First Gay Sexual Experience

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 77 wins & 64 nominations

Cast

Heath Ledger	...	Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Jack Twist
Randy Quaid	...	Joe Aguirre
Valerie Planche	...	Waitress
David Trimble	...	Basque
Victor Reyes	...	Chilean Sheepherder #1
Lachlan Mackintosh	...	Chilean Sheepherder #2
Michelle Williams	...	Alma
Larry Reese	...	Jolly Minister
Marty Antonini	...	Timmy
Tom Carey	...	Rodeo Clown
Dan McDougall	...	Bartender #1
Don Bland	...	Biker #1
Steven Cree Molison	...	Biker #2
Anne Hathaway	...	Lureen Newsome
Duval Lang	...	Announcer
Dean Barrett	...	Bartender #2
Hannah Stewart	...	Alma Jr., Age 3
Scott Michael Campbell	...	Monroe
Mary Liboiron	...	Fayette Newsome
Graham Beckel	...	L.D. Newsome
Kade Phillips	...	Ennis, Age 9 (as Kade Philps)
Steffen Cole Moser	...	K.E. Del Mar, Age 11
Brooklynn Proulx	...	Jenny, Age 4 (as Brooklyn Proulx)
Keanna Dubé	...	Alma Jr., Age 5
James Baker	...	Farmer #1
Pete Seadon	...	Farmer #2
Sarah Hyslop	...	Alma Jr., Age 9-12
Jacey Kenny	...	Jenny, Age 7-8
Jerry Callaghan	...	Judge
Cayla Wolever	...	Jenny, Age 11
Cheyenne Hill	...	Alma Jr., Age 13
Jake Church	...	Bobby, Age 10
Ken Zilka	...	Roughneck #1
John Tench	...	Roughneck #2
Linda Cardellini	...	Cassie
Anna Faris	...	Lashawn Malone
David Harbour	...	Randall Malone
Kate Mara	...	Alma Jr., Age 19
Will Martin	...	Carl
Gary Lauder	...	Killer Mechanic
Christian Fraser	...	Grease Monkey
Cam Sutherland	...	Assailant
Roberta Maxwell	...	Jack's Mother
Peter McRobbie	...	John Twist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jon-Paul Khouri	...	Hippy (uncredited)
Mary McBride	...	Singer (uncredited)
Barb Mitchell	...	Western Dancer (uncredited)
Rodrigo Prieto	...	Young Mexican (uncredited)
Ken Roberts	...	Signal Bartender (uncredited)
Kailin See	...	Hippy Girl (uncredited)
Jayson Therrien	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Ang Lee

Writing credits (WGA)
Annie Proulx		(short story)
Larry McMurtry		(screenplay) &
Diana Ossana		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Costigan	....	executive producer
Scott Ferguson	....	co-producer
Michael Hausman	....	executive producer
Larry McMurtry	....	executive producer
Diana Ossana	....	producer
William Pohlad	....	executive producer
James Schamus	....	producer
Tom Cox	....	executive producer: Alberta Film Entertainment (uncredited)
Murray Ord	....	executive producer: Alberta Film Entertainment (uncredited)
Jordy Randall	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gustavo Santaolalla

Cinematography by
Rodrigo Prieto

Film Editing by
Geraldine Peroni
Dylan Tichenor

Casting by
Avy Kaufman

Production Design by
Judy Becker

Art Direction by
Laura Ballinger		(co-art director)
Tracey Baryski

Set Decoration by
Catherine Davis

Costume Design by
Marit Allen

Makeup Department
Mary-Lou Green-Benvenuti	....	hair department head (as Mary Lou Green)
Linda Melazzo	....	key makeup artist
Manlio Rocchetti	....	makeup department head
Penny Thompson	....	key hair stylist (as Penny Lea Thompson)
Sharon Toohey	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Tom Benz	....	unit production manager
Gerry Robert Byrne	....	post-production supervisor
Scott Ferguson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Hausman	....	first assistant director
Travis McConnell	....	trainee assistant director
Brad Moerke	....	second assistant director
Katherine Ringer	....	third assistant director
Pierre Tremblay	....	additional first assistant director

Art Department
Barbara Chandler	....	scenic painter
Coral Dambrauskas	....	greens lead
John Dambrauskas	....	greens best boy
Kelly Fraser	....	buyer
Pat Goettler	....	graphic artist
Anne Beiser Haywood	....	key scenic
Charmaine Husum	....	on-set scenic artist
Rick Janzen	....	lead signwriter
Brad Kaughman	....	paint forman
Loyola Lewis	....	scenic painter
Chris MacRae	....	lead dresser
Justin Onofriechuk	....	assistant props master
Sara Ossana	....	assistant to production designer
Melodi Petrigo	....	prop graphics
Christopher J.A. Smith	....	on-set dresser
Sheila Thomas	....	painter
Landin Walsh	....	set dresser
Jordy Wihak	....	on-set dresser and props assistant
Cory Wills	....	props trainee
Ken Wills	....	property master
Sherrie Wills	....	props buyer
Art Proctor	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Michael J. Fox	....	adr mixer
Eugene Gearty	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugene Gearty	....	supervising sound editor
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Frank Kern	....	supervising foley editor
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Avi Laniado	....	sound mix engineer
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Geo Major	....	second boom operator
Peter Melnychuk	....	boom operator
Igor Nikolic	....	first assistant sound editor
Wyatt Sprague	....	sound effects editor
Reilly Steele	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sara Stern	....	post sound intern
Philip Stockton	....	supervising sound editor
David Warzynski	....	foley assistant
Larry Wineland	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Kelly Coe	....	special effects assistant
Maurice Routly	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Ara Khanikian	....	Inferno artist: Buzz Image Group
Bruno-Olivier Laflamme	....	digital effects artist
Jean-Francois Lafleur	....	digital effects artist
Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput	....	digital artist
Louis Morin	....	visual effects supervisor
Matthew Rouleau	....	digital effects artist
Robin Tremblay	....	digital effects artist
Mark Tureski	....	digital opticals effects
Mark Tureski	....	film scanning

Stunts
Kirk Jarrett	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Bang	....	second assistant camera
Kirk Chiswell	....	assistant camera
Kimberly French	....	still photographer
Trevor Holbrook	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Tom Kolafa	....	best boy rigger
Tim Milligan	....	key dolly grip
Damon Moreau	....	camera operator
Kim Olsen	....	key grip
Stephen Osborn	....	camera operator: additional photography
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer
Gordon Schmidt	....	rigging gaffer
Christopher G. Sprague	....	gaffer
Alison J. Stewart	....	best boy grip (as Alison Rigby)
David Vernerey	....	best boy electric
Landin Walsh	....	lamp operator
Peter Wunstorf	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Jessica Daniels	....	casting associate
Erin Flasch	....	casting assistant: Canada
Elizabeth Greenberg	....	casting associate
Deb Green	....	casting: Canada
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Alyson Lockwood	....	extras casting
Trish Robinson	....	casting: Vancouver

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Renée Bravener	....	assistant costume designer
Devora Brown	....	costume truck supervisor
Wendy M. Craig	....	costume supervisor: USA
Jeffrey Fayle	....	costume set supervisor
Kelly Fraser	....	costume supervisor
Kelly Fraser	....	key extras costumer
Katie Klingvall	....	daily costume dresser
Christine Thomson	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Kate Abernathy	....	editing room assistant
Drake Conrad	....	digital color grading
Tom Mayclim	....	negative cutter
Beth Moran	....	assistant editor
Kimberly Saree Tomes	....	first assistant editor
Lawrence Howard Williams	....	post digital media operator

Music Department
Christine Bergren	....	music legal
David Richard Campbell	....	music arranger: strings (as David Campbell)
Richard Emerson	....	conductor
Richard Emerson	....	orchestrator
Rick Garcia	....	featured vocalist: "Quizas, Quizas"
Kory Kruckenberg	....	scoring assistant engineer
Annette Kudrak	....	music editor
William V. Malpede	....	song recordist: "Quizas, Quizas"
Kathy Nelson	....	music supervisor
Jen Pray	....	music legal and clearance
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor
Gustavo Santaolalla	....	score producer
Jason Stasium	....	recording engineer
Brian Valentino	....	scoring engineer
Marcelo Zarvos	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Ray Breckenridge	....	picture car coordinator
Danny C. Klepper	....	unit transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jill Antal	....	payroll accountant
Liat Baruch	....	assistant: Mr. Gyllenhaal
Karen Bédard	....	script supervisor
Neil Bell	....	assistant: Mr. Ledger
David Benning	....	production assistant
T.J. Bews	....	wrangler coordinator
Cameron Chapman	....	production assistant
Hudson Cooley	....	production coordinator
Rob Doak	....	video coordinator
Joy Ellison	....	dialect coach
Sean Finnan	....	trainee assistant location manager
Jay Floyd	....	clearance administrator
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant: Trevanna Post
Paul Getto	....	assistant: Mr. Schamus
Flax Glor	....	publicist
Evan Godfrey	....	production assistant
Darren Grout	....	set paramedic
Steven Hanulik	....	office production assistant
Ed Heury	....	trainee location manager
Christine Kilpatrick	....	assistant to cast
Flo Krisko	....	animal trainer
Ross L. Kulma	....	medical advisor
Dan Kuzmenko	....	key location production assistant
Ruth LaBarge	....	head bear trainer
David Lee	....	assistant: Mr. Lee, New York
David Linck	....	unit publicist
Catherine McGovern	....	assistant production coordinator
Anikah McLaren	....	assistant: Mr. Schamus
Tony Muro	....	publicist
Mathew Provost	....	assistant to producers
Karen Redford	....	assistant: Mr. Lee
Robert Roscorla	....	assistant accountant
Aron Scraba	....	assistant wrangler
Jodi Shapera	....	post-production accountant
Trisha Leigh Short	....	daily production assistant: locations
Darryl Solly	....	location manager
Jay St. Louis	....	assistant location manager
Jamie Switch	....	stand-in: male lead
Dave Targan	....	assistant: Mr. Schamus
Chantal Teasdale	....	head craft service
James Tyce	....	stand-in: Heath Ledger (as Scott Urquhart)
Timothy Schwalk	....	assistant dialect coach (uncredited)

Thanks
Rick Garcia	....	special thanks
Alejandro González Iñárritu	....	special thanks
Geraldine Peroni	....	in loving memory of
Gustavo Santaolalla	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Alberta Film Entertainment
• Focus Features
• Good Machine
• Paramount Pictures
• River Road Entertainment

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2006-2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution (2005) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2005) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Bioscop (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Canvas (2008) (Belgium) (TV) (first national airing)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Entertainment in Video (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Focus Features (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Paradise Group (2006) (Russia) (all media)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Shaw Organisation (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Wise Policy (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Buzz Image Group (visual effects)
• Cine-Byte Imaging (digital opticals)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting
• Verve Records  soundtrack
• yU+Co.  titles

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Norway:11 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:7 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:R21 | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Japan:PG-12 | France:U | Brazil:16 | Taiwan:R-12 | Germany:12 | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Poland:18 | India:A | USA:R (certificate #41600) | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | Ireland:18 (video rating) | South Korea:15 (uncut) | China:(Banned) | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Philippines:R-18 | New Zealand:M | Denmark:11 | Venezuela:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Alberta Film Entertainment

Trivia:

Over 90% of the footage was shot within 70 feet of a road.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ennis, standing in the river washing a coffee pot with a rag, pauses to look up and spots Jack on horseback in the distance on a mountainside. Ennis then slings the washrag over his right shoulder and starts to exit the river. In the next scene, as he exits the river onto the riverbank, the washrag is gone from his shoulder and back to being held in his right hand.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Aguirre: You pair of deuces lookin' for work, I suggest you get your scrawny asses in here pronto.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The King of Queens: Buggie Nights (#8.15)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Devil's Right Hand

Powerful, Numbing

I just saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to a packed house (with Ang Lee present for today's screening). And I have to say, it absolutely transfixed me and was worth the watch. Out of 24 movies I screened at the TIFF this year, this was the only one I rated a 10/10! Three things really stood out for me making this a stand-out of a film:

1) HONESTY: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal really pulled this off. I wasn't expecting performances so real and nuanced, and was warmly surprised. Kudos, also, to Mr. Lee for making such a poignant and refreshingly honest film!

2) STORY: Great story-telling. In fact you're not actually being *told* a story. The story unfolds and the viewer watches what happens pulling you in. What a great experience! In fact, I want to experience this story again -- I'm going to look for the short story.

3) NUMBING: In a thought-provoking kind of way. I left the theatre digesting the story even as I sat on the streetcar thinking about the characters. I cared for them, and wondered what could/might happen to them after the screen went black. My mind was playing out scenarios and in that sense, it was numbing, in a thought-provoking, emotionally heavy way.

This is powerful cinema and is definitely worth checking out. It's the best Ang Lee film I've seen to date (I've seen most, but not all of his feature films).