Brokeback Mountain

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Brokeback Mountain

R

2005

2h 14m

Romance

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

262 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, Jack makes a drunken pass at Ennis that is eventually reciprocated. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart, Alma and Jack marries a fellow rodeo riders, the two men keep up their tortured and sporadic affair over the course of 20 years.

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Critics Consensus

A beautiful, epic Western, Brokeback Mountain's love story is imbued with heartbreaking universality thanks to moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

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Audience Says

A timeless romance, Brokeback Mountain lays bare the stark beauty of the Wyoming landscape and the emotional connection between two souls who can’t quit each other.

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Rich Juzwiak

TIME Magazine

Jun 30

Brokeback ultimately transcends its representational imperfections with pure heart.

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Richard Lawson

Vanity Fair

Jun 25

Brokeback’s high emotion occasionally borders on the melodrama of classic Hollywood. There is plenty of aching nuance, but the film is, for the most part, generous and entirely legible in its pathology.

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David Stratton

The Australian

01/03/2024

Ledger and Gyllenhaal deserve nothing but praise for their brave, sensitive portrayals of troubled souls...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 22

3.5/4

Behind its convenient (and infuriating) designation as "the gay cowboy movie," this is as universal as any love story Hollywood has produced in recent times.

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Jarrett Hill

Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast)

Oct 7

This message [of queerness] is so loud and clear in this film, but it's never really addressed.

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Bob Mondello

Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast)

Oct 7

Sad story, terrific movie.

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Nov 13

The best thing I’ve ever watched in my life. Absolutely stunning.

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FutureFilmCareerHopefully .

Nov 10

the ending to this movie made me cry. This story is so heartbreaking and the whole time I was hoping for Jack and Ennis to no avail. It made you really feel for the characters. Not to mention the small details and the acting in the movie. It was great. 10/10.

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Sergio A

Nov 2

I revisited this film and was struck by how well it has stood the test of time. The performances are outstanding, the cinematography remains stunning, and the love story still feels universal and deeply human.

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Thomas S

Oct 24

How did I not see this movie before? I was completely taken by it—the vast, lingering shots of nature, the restrained storytelling, the raw acting. But what struck me most was the way two lives unfold before our eyes: in sharp cuts, small moments—the meeting, the sex in the car, the baby—each scene feels like a flicker of memory, as if we’re inside their minds, remembering what they once lived for. When Jack dies, there’s no grand tragedy, no manipulative score, no romanticized ending. Life simply goes on, as it does in reality. That restraint is what makes the film so human, so devastating in its quietness. One scene that stayed with me is when Ennis visits his daughters for Christmas. Alma’s new husband is carving the turkey with an electric knife—mechanical, lifeless. The girls are clearly bored around him, and ask their dad to tell them a story. When he finishes, the stepfather just resumes his task. Nothing dramatic happens, yet everything is there: the ache of lost connection, the ordinary heartbreak of life. Brokeback Mountain isn’t about forbidden love as much as it is about the passage of time, the weight of choices, and the small, unspoken ways people keep surviving. Poignant, human, unforgettable.

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JoParkerBear P

Sep 28

Heart-breaking and beautiful. Brokeback Mountain is a rare masterpiece.

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Elena K

Sep 17

Incredible!!!! I sobbed as a baby at the end

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Ang Lee

Director

Heath Ledger

Ennis Del Mar

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jack Twist

Linda Cardellini

Cassie

Anna Faris

Lashawn Malone

Anne Hathaway

Lureen Newsome

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Alma's Engagement

2:56

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Visiting Jack's Parents

2:18

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - See You Around

2:19

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Reunited

2:34

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Jack's Death

2:57

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Lovers

1:48

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Ennis Opens Up

2:02

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - I Wish I Knew How to Quit You

2:54

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Nobody's Business But Ours

1:05

Brokeback Mountain: Official Clip - Jack and Ennis Brawl

1:39

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Brokeback Mountain: 20th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer

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Synopsis

In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, Jack makes a drunken pass at Ennis that is eventually reciprocated. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart, Alma and Jack marries a fellow rodeo riders, the two men keep up their tortured and sporadic affair over the course of 20 years.

Director: Ang Lee
Producer: Diana Ossana, James Schamus
Screenwriter: Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: River Road Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Focus Features, Good Machine, Alberta Film Entertainment
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality|Some Violence)
Genre: Romance, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 9, 2005, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jun 22, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $83.6M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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