Hated It

Yesterday, I watched Brokeback Mountain for the first time.

Romance? That’s misconstrued. In fact, I categorize it as a horror movie with romantic overtones. The implied evil is worse than any creature feature. The implied evil is society as it existed then. In small-town America, it still exists today.

If you think I’m wrong, just look at Trump’s rabid fans, and the outpouring of “All Lives Matter” vs. “Black Lives Matter.” We haven’t moved past prejudices outlawed over 150 years ago. How do we move past prejudices that, in some states, are still legal today? Religious Freedom is just another name for hate.

If you think I’m wrong about the story, or the message, Annie Proulx herself said the story is a social commentary and her audience largely missed the point.

I love Heath Ledger, and I’m sorry that this movie is part of his legacy. Yes, it’s a commentary on history, and inequality, and living in the closet. However, it’s MARKETED as a fucking ROMANCE. I take issue with that. It’s the saddest fucking not-HEA (Happily Ever After, for you non-writers) romance I’ve ever seen. I get that it’s based on reality, and anything else would have been a fantasy. Even so, this movie fucking sucked as a romance. If some poor child thinks he’s watching this for an example of gay romance…this movie should be accompanied by a two-hour “It Gets Better” video.

(Honestly, they should fucking call you when it’s over just to make sure you’re okay.)

I’m glad I waited this long to watch such an epic disappointment. I’m also grateful to my favorite authors for giving me something real to compare. Thank you for HEA.

Dear young gay kid looking for reality and romance: watch Looking. Find it on HBO Go or Amazon. Watch the two seasons, and then watch the two hour movie instead of watching Brokeback Mountain (which they joked about–I found that incredibly ironic since I watched both movies the same day).

Do yourself a favor and avoid a few hundred dollars of therapy. Then, call me and we can watch Weekend together.