“Brokeback Mountain” was released at a time when mainstream Hollywood was only just beginning to explore the idea of same-sex relationships. The film not only managed to gain commercial and critical success but grossed a whopping $178 million worldwide, not to mention the film bringing home three Oscars.
The film paved the way for filmmakers and actors to explore a world that hadn’t yet been touched – marking a turning point in Hollywood history.
Brokeback Comic Book
As of 2020, five members of "Brokeback Mountain" have appeared in films portraying iconic comic book characters. Heath, in one of his most memorable roles, as "The Joker" in "The Dark Night," Kate Mara as "Sue Storm" in "Fantastic Four," and Jake Gyllenhaal as "Quentin Beck/Mysterio" in "Spider-Man: Far from Home."
In 2019, David Harbour was cast as "Hellboy" in "Hellboy" and "Red Guardian "in "Black Widow." And finally, Anne Hathaway as "Selina Kyle/Catwoman" in "The Dark Knight Rises."
Cowboy Bootcamp
As previously mentioned, Heath Ledger had a way with the horses. So much so that he refused to go to a one-month cowboy camp that had been organized for him and his co-star.
He had grown up on farms in Western Australia and thought there was no point in him attending. Jake Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, was required to attend, as he needed "roughing up."
Trouble Directing Sheep
Though he won Best Director, Ang Lee struggled continually with the sheep during production. It turns out, sheep don't drink from running water, only still, like that of a pond.
Ang tried to get them to drink from a stream, but they simply wouldn't. It was a shot he so desperately wanted but ultimately had to give up on.
A Hated Scene By All
There was a scene in the film in which Jack and Ennis help some hippies get their vehicle out of a river. According to Ledger, the sequence took three days to shoot and was hated almost instantly by everyone involved.
The scene was written as an attempt to show Ennis and Jack in a heroic situation, but it does not appear in the original short story, the published screenplay, or even the final cut of the movie.