Every year, Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater is packed with showbiz elite for the Oscars, a showcase of the best and brightest Hollywood has to offer. It is the pinnacle of cinematic achievement, and the ultimate goal of anyone who has ever memorized a monologue or sat in a film class. As the awards turn 78 this Sunday, two things are all but assured: E!’s red carpet coverage will renew my fiery hatred of Ryan Seacrest, and Brokeback Mountain will come away with Best Picture honors, brandishing the fattest middle finger to Conservative America in recent memory not attached to Michael Moore.
If you know nothing else about this year’s awards, you’ve at least been informed that Brokeback Mountain is up for Best Picture. There’s just no escaping the buzz surrounding Ang Lee’s acclaimed feature about homosexuality in the rugged grasslands of Wyoming. The film has reached such iconic proportions as to spawn a litany of jokes and internet parodies, most notably Brokeback to the Future, in which edited clips of Doc and Marty McFly reveal a homoerotic side to their creepy-old-neighbor-to-impressionable-teenager relationship. Even David Letterman featured a Brokeback-inspired Top 10 list on his show in December, bringing the issue to a network TV audience. When a simple Google search of the phrase “gay cowboy” no longer exclusively returns pornography, our cultural landscape has been indisputably altered.
In a time when gay marriage is still considered taboo by many representatives on Capitol Hill, Brokeback Mountain is part of Hollywood’s ongoing response, along with more under-the-radar films like Capote and Transamerica, to the conservative conceptions of acceptable sexual practices. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this year’s Academy Awards will be hosted by Jon Stewart, whose rapier wit as lead anchor of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show dismantles the policy of the Bush administration on a regular basis. Beyond all of the theatrics and bombast this Sunday, the ceremony will likely prove to be a subtle act of political dissent.
But I’m not sure that Hollywood’s efforts to bring leading gay characters into mainstream cinema will work. The first thing I’m told by anyone who’s actually seen Brokeback is how impressed they were with the cinematography; the second, the inevitable, “It’s not a film not about homosexuality, but of a love fostered between two people.” Comments like these ostensibly speak to the mastery of the director or the talent of the performers, but I think they hint at a much deeper part of the viewer’s subconscious. Even if you make these claims, no matter how liberal you are or purport to be, you may still struggle with the idea of a great American gay love story.
What is most interesting about the Brokeback Mountain phenomenon is that it is far from the blockbuster hit the level of media infatuation with the film would ordinarily dictate. Although a success, given its relatively meager $13 million production budget, the film has grossed only about $75 million domestically in nearly three months in theaters. Comparatively, Steve Martin’s remake of The Pink Panther, which was panned in almost every circle of critics, has made $61 million since its opening on February 10th. But I suppose I should not be surprised by the American moviegoer’s preference of slapstick over substance, the basis of Rob Schneider’s unfortunately prosperous career.
Perhaps Brokeback Mountain will be the first in a long line of homosexually charged films with mainstream aspirations. It has been reported that Brad Pitt, the epitome of modern male heterosexuality, has asked his agent to look for a gay character for him to portray in an upcoming film. I just hope demands like this one will not evolve into another Oscar bias, such as the one the Academy has had in the past towards the portrayal of the handicapped. Although Tom Hanks put forth an excellent performance as Forrest Gump, it seemed as though he was nominated for Best Actor before production even wrapped up. It would be a shame if a similar bias developed toward gay characters; we don’t want the mantra of “Play a queer, rent a tux” to ever run through the mind of award-seeking superstars.
The western is one of the proudest traditions in cinematic history, a genre that has truly defined our nation in microcosm. Our struggles, ambitions, hopes and dreams have all been played out by the likes of such iconic figures as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. But as Hollywood seeks to redefine the rules of one of America’s most treasured modes of storytelling, it will find a great deal of resistance from national audiences. Sadly, gay characters may never be more than mere stereotypes, and films that center on them may all be forced to live in the shadow of Brokeback Mountain. Barring the involvement of Rob Schneider, of course.
Sean Bartlett, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
