The two young men never planned or expected to fall into the situation they found themselves in, and have no idea how to react to it themselves, once they’ve realized what’s happened. The concept of a man falling in love with another man is so alien to them, that they don't even know the words to describe their feelings; Ennis can only call it "This thing".
When the summer ends, they go back to typical Western ranching, herding cattle and horses, competing in the rodeo, selling farm equipment and existing in the standard cowboy life, fathering children, attending church, Fourth of July celebrations, and arguing with their wives.
Some women will get bogged down with the two men cheating on their marriage vows, and that’s very valid, but the point of this tragic tale is that the intolerances of the time, that still exist now, have forced these men to make commitments they never wanted. Jack and Ennis were committed to each other before their marriages, and that bond lasted long after the ashes settled on their straight facades.
As for the objectionable “explicit” sex scenes so many bible pounders are up in arms about — Huh???? It must be the scenes between the husbands and their wives, because in the intimate scenes between the men — hell they're never shown with their jeans off together, and only one is shirtless! Jake and Heath are shown completely nude (separately) only once each in the whole film, with no frontal nudity at all. Heath’s scene is out of focus to boot!
If all you attend a movie for is sex scenes, you'd be better off straight, gawking at the women in their sexy attire and bare breasts in the bedroom or the back seat of a T-bird. With all the sex in today’s movies between men and women bordering on pornography, it’s actually disappointing in a way that you don’t see the men expressing their physical love for each other. In fact, the sex between the men is done in classic Alfred Hitchcock fashion and you'll swear you saw more than you actually did, because it's left to your imagination (and wonderment as to what all the fuss was about.) After you’ve played it a second time you'll be astonished that no sexual contact is actually shown at all - except what you "thought" you saw!
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jet in Columbus
As this was posted, I forgot the skinny dipping scene, why? There's no contact between them, and even on DVD it's out of focus.
I highly recommend you check out the deals you can get on Amazon.com, just click on the images above. The soundtrack is great too... It won an Emmy!
Jet
2 - Jet in Columbus
Wal-mart has decided to face down all the "pro-family" jerks who plan to phone harrass and picket them by selling this DVD in their stores. I'd suggest a counter attack-if you don't get it on Amazon.com, I'd suggest a quick trip to Wal-mart to pick up a copy!
There seems to be an error in the link, by the way that says it's not available, it comes out tuesday april 4th...
3 - chantal stone
an emmy?? you sure about that Jet?
4 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks so much for pointing that out. It was of course an oscar, the grammy will come later...I hope
Lots of love
Jet
5 - Brian
Bravo for this beautiful film and your honest dvd ****** review, Jet! I'm on my way to Walmart for my copy and to make my purchase count!Thanks for the heads up.
6 - Jet in Columbus
This if my first review and I appreciate the incouragement.
Jet
7 - Jet in Columbus
I checked with a friend of my that works at our local Wal-mart. No protestors. Apparently what they're doing is phone harrassing the managers about how dare they display posters (which are identical to the DVD sleeve) at the front doors where children can see them.
Jeez
8 - Joan
Lovely review!! Well written, balanced, and obviously done by a person who "gets" the film as intended!
Bravo!
9 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Joan. I've learned an interesting trick. If you order a DVD on line that hasn't been released yet, they ship it so it'll arrive on the release date. Department and video stores aren't allowed to sell it till that date, almost always a tuesday. For this particular DVD the date was April 4th, but they usually over estimate how long it'll take to arrive, so I actually got this DVD last Saturday.
Just a handy hint...
10 - Michael
Oh yes, the whittled horse. I would love to have that. I wonder if it's up for auction. If some clever queen can come up with replicas and sell, it could really go. Think about it.
Thanks for the fine review.
11 - Michael
And thanks Wal-Mart.
12 - Jet in Columbus
You're welcome Mike. Did you spot any protestors there, did you see the posters at the front door?
13 - Jet in Columbus
#10 Micheal, as much as this movie has meant to people, I won't be surprised if memorabilia starts showing up all over the place, I'd just be careful of it's genuiness.
Can you imagine how much the tent would go for?
14 - Jet in Columbus
Let's see...
Can you imagine what the postcard marked DECEASED would go for?
Jack's black hat from the mountain
The fur pelt from the wolf Ennis killed
Ennis' tan hat from the scene when they broke up!
15 - Jet in Columbus
Personally, I'd empty my checking account for the original scripts used by either Heath or Jake! As long as they were autographed.
16 - Hellbreeder
Getting a little cultlike there, Jet.
But I'm impressed that WalMart is selling it. Another case of good business sense winning out over hollow moralizing. Sam Walton is likely spinning in his grave.
HB
17 - Jet in Columbus
Dear Hellbreeder, "Cultlike", hmmm, yeah, I guess you could say that, but then gays get so few entertainment venues that they can relate to, that when one comes along, many grab hold tightly.
We go to straight love stories on film all the time, and can identify with them, and finally one comes along that straights can watch and see our trials and tribulations, and we can proudly point at it and say, "that's us!" "that's our struggle".
Most gays, don't lisp, or mince, or wear dresses, and unless we told someone, you'd never know we were gay, but the religous right, paints us as child molesters, recruiters to keep our "kind" going, and evil, that we can't be allowed to just be loving, caring, people.
The truth is 99% of gays are everyday people, earning livings, paying rents or mortgages, cussing in traffic, and loving or being loved.
If Jack and Ennis had been given that luxury, back in 1963 or today even, they wouldn't have had to marry women they didn't love, and live lies in order not to lose the love of people they cared for.
18 - Jet in Columbus
If I'm to believe everything I read about Sam Walton, I don't think he'd be "spinning in his grave." It seems to me that anything to get a product out that the people want at a reasonable price was his motto, and obviously people want this or they wouldn't be buying it...
19 - Jet in Columbus
See my related article on the AFA vs this DVD!
Jet
20 - Jet in Columbus
John wrote:
Why should it? It looks like a true honest face to me. Wow, ll times. That's great!! I wanted to see it more, but some of my friends wouldn't let me. I will with the DVD though. It definitly was robbed of the academy award for "Best Picture" though. Oh well, it is for me and always will be.
Actually friends kept showing up at my door to take me, to try to cheer me up. I'd just gotten out of my 9th surgery in a year and a half from nearly being beaten to death during a robbery.
After about the 7th time it got too distracting, because I was noticing all the inconsistancies I started noticing because they did it on a shoestring budget like,
Heath's empty pierced ear
The log that Jack puts on the stump to split that disappears
When Jack and Ennis ride to the mountain in his red pick up truck, there's only one person in the truck... unless Ennis is bent over out of sight of the window... hmmmm
Glad you enjoyed it
21 - chantal stone
I noticed the pierced ear too ... LOL
damn details!
22 - chantal stone
btw Jet...you have too many threads going here, I can hardly keep up!
;)
23 - Jet in Columbus
Well exxxxxxxxcuse me.
Should I write less to give everyone else a chance?
24 - chantal stone
Nope, you're doing just fine....it's all good
25 - RogerMDillon
You should certainly comment less on your own posts.