Senior Citizens Reflect On Brokeback Mountain – 10 Years Later.

As Brokeback Mountain turns 10 years old, it's amazing to think how much has changed in the past decade.  Me being 41 now, I do not think I''ve changed too much in the past ten years besides less and more grey hair.  But those of us that were young back in 2005 when this came out, change might be easier to put a finger on.  Many think Brokeback Mountain was a catalyst for a great deal of conversation and change.  But what about those that were not my age, but more than double that?  What did they think about Brokeback Mountain then and what do they think about it now?

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VH1 reporter Terry Ferber interviewed four individuals that were 70+ when Brokeback originally came out.  Here is an excerpt from his piece.

 

It stands to reason that the younger generations, who were exposed to “alternative lifestyles” at an early age, are more accepting and open-minded to all types of love. But how did our elders feel about the film? Did it make them as uncomfortable as we assume it would? We asked a group of straight, 80+ year-old men, and their insightful, genuine feedback may come as a surprise. Here’s what they had to say when asked to reflect on Brokeback Mountain 10 years later.

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“I was 71 in 2005 when the movie Brokeback Mountain was first shown. Through my early years and even today, I consider myself to be basically free of prejudices. Growing up in the New York City area, I paid little attention to differences in race, color, religion, sexual orientation, etc. However, being an avid movie fan I was somewhat apprehensive about the potential for the showing of homosexual-related explicit scenes, which I do have a problem in viewing. I did see the film, – enjoyed it immensely and never did feel uncomfortable. In fact, in many ways, I felt that this story had to be shown. Generations of suppressing and ’hiding’ these issues simply had to stop.” – Sheldon, 81

“Brokeback Mountain was a movie about the relationship between two men. The movie was extremely well done and challenged one to think about those relationships. Both my wife and I enjoyed the movie and were not offended by any of it. We also enjoyed reading the book.” – Merle, 83

“An aspect of the movie Brokeback Mountain that I found most interesting was the strong homophobic response it evoked from many of my acquaintances whose backgrounds were similar to mine. I would never have anticipated such strong negative responses like ’disgusting’ and ’revolting’ to an honest attraction between two men. I wonder if their response would have been different had the story involved two ballet dancers as opposed to two rugged cowboys. Despite the setting, I saw the movie as an unconventional love story with a sad ending.” – Larry, 87

“An extraordinary portrayal of two men caught between their mutual sensual attraction and their inability to face living together in the wake of society’s condemnation. One encourages the other to be true to his feelings, but the resulting guilt, fear of discovery and lack of courage results in a later-in-life regret of a ’road not taken.'” – Terry, 80

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Surprised? Enlightened? Delighted? So are we. Give these guys some credit and leave with some warm and fuzzy feels, knowing we aren’t the only ones making progress. Every day, the old-school mindset is becoming more of an ancient artifact.  – vh1.com

 

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Did you talk to your parents or grandparents when Brokeback Mountain originally came out?  

Did things change in your life because of the movie?

Did it cause a stir in your family? 

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Read more of the VH1 story here.