Defamer Screening Report: 'Brokeback Mountain' Q & A
A Defamer operative generously fulfilled our greedy request for a report on last night's screening and cast Q & A for Brokeback Mountain at the Aero, during which Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger once again faced the "What's it like to pretend to be gay cowboys?" question:
Question: “Have you had any interviews where you WEREN'T asked what the love scenes were like to film?”
Answer: “No”
Q: “What is the subtext of the question people ask about the love scenes?”
Jake's answer: “I want to ask people 'Why do you ask? What are you feeling?'”
After a seemingly endless string of months answering the same query, we can understand why Gyllenhaal is still a tad defensive about the whole thing, especially considering he probably had to flip over and let Ledger have his way with him several dozen times before director Ang Lee was satisfied that cowboy-bottom verisimilitude was achieved. The rest of the screening report follows after the jump:
The Aero Theater was filled with BROKEBACKERS on Monday night for the sold-out showing of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN with cast. The line to get in the theater was down Montana with a few hopefuls wishing for a ticket. How good it was to be on the Westside for the BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN showing. CRASH is just SO Sunset and Vine.
Around me were people who had seen the film 5-10 times and knew every nuance, every flirtatious glance, every sly “under the cowboy hat” look. The crowd was varied but a bit top heavy with Gay Cowboy Wannabees and 20-something girls looking like they want to throw their panties at the screen every time there was a fevered lip lock.
After the film ran the excitement shot through the crowd as the Newsweek moderator took the stage to introduce the guests. Sadly, Ang Lee was stuck in Connecticut and couldn't fly out with the Winter storm. So while Ang was shoveling snow the other guests were hanging out in the alley behind the Aero. I refuse to take the low road and suggest the irony of Jake and Heath spending time in a dark alley even if it is off of Montana.
Taking the stage in order were Gustavo Santaolalla (Composer), Rodrigo Prieto (Cinematographer), Diana Ossana (Producer/Writer), Michelle, Jake, and Heath.
I know what you people want to know so I'll be direct. Michelle looked too skinny in that “I have to wear a designer dress to the Oscars in just a few days and I've recently given birth so I think I'll stop eating.” Note: Nikki Finke may be on to something.
Heath had the energy level of a Cigar Store Indian but then maybe it is all Method Acting.
Jake was a pleasant surprise with interesting, thoughtful comments and answers (“I prefer Revelation to Rationalization”) but let's be honest, his parents are well read (see past Defamer postings).
It was a good Q & A. We all know that there is nothing worse than sitting through a bad Q & A in this town. Even more surprising was the interesting questions coming from the audience. Here's a sampling:
Question: “Have you had any interviews where you WEREN'T asked what the love scenes were like to film?”
Answer: “No”
Q: “What is the subtext of the question people ask about the love scenes?”
Jake's answer: “I want to ask people 'Why do you ask? What are you feeling?'”
Q: What do you like to think happened to Ennis at the end of the movie?
Jake's answer: “I like to think that Ennis meets Jack's son.”
Favorite Audience comments:
“This movie does something for me that Will and Grace could never do.”
“What were you straight boys thinking?”
If you really want to hear the story on this film though my money is on Diana Ossana . Having pushed this project for 8 years she teased the crowd about the well known actors who wanted to do it and then drifted away. She felt their agents had dissuaded
them. Oh please Diana, name names. Was one of them named MARIO LOPEZ?Finally a fun fact to pass on: the trick that Jack Twist (Jake) picks up in Juarez Mexico is none other than Rodrigo Garcia the Cinematographer! However, there is no truth to the persistent rumour that Annie Proulx made a cameo as a sheep.
