I don't have much time to elaborate now, but I'll be happy to explain when I get a chance. For the sake of intrigue, a very good movie called The Wedding Banquet has something relatively small to do with it.

What really bothers me about it is everything that surrounded the film. I already pretty much hate Annie Proulx, so that was a bad start (and I have read this short story, so I'm familiar with the story itself, as long as they didn't throw killer monkeys from space into the film). But then the movie started getting all this insane ridiculous attention and accolades for nothing more than dealing with themes that we've seen a thousand times, except this time it was two white cowboys.

The reception for the film was pretty obnoxious to me. The world acted like it was the first movie that dealt with homosexual themes that had ever been made. Ang Lee himself had made one earlier in his career that probably dealt with the same thing in much more complex ways (The Wedding Banquet).

I don't know, the level of attention Brokeback Mountain got for being "brave" and "groundbreaking" when it actually didn't break any new ground, even in terms of the director's own work, really bothered me. And it seemed like it was all because these two guys were cowboys, as if that somehow makes it braver or more groundbreaking.

Meh, I'm not saying this very well at all. I'm really, really not saying this well, but I think that covers enough of what I'm trying to say that you might understand. I felt so much hypocrisy and backpedalling in the insane reception the movie got, and it highlighted so many of the ways middle America continues to ignore the significant progress that HAS already been made for acceptance of homosexuality and homosexual rights (and how liberal America makes such a teenage fuss over anything that challenges those conservative values...)... bah... I should have collected my thoughts better before I started writing this.

It was frustrating for me. I should watch the movie, though, and I want to. I might really enjoy it.

Tortured love story with an ending that kicked you (the assault/murder) and wrung you out (the visitation to the parents) and you're out the theater singing the praises , I guess.