IF IT AIN’T BROKE(BACK), DON’T FIX IT
Illustration by Sophia Chen
Nearly 20 years after its release, Brokeback Mountain still hits different.
Ang Lee’s 2005 film told a raw, emotional story at a time when LGBTQ+ narratives were far less common or accepted in the media. The film was so devastating and deeply human that it pushed boundaries in a way that felt dangerous.
You could even say it moved mountains. Sorry, had to.
The film follows two Wyoming cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, respectively, who fall in love after herding sheep together in the summer of 1963. What begins as an affair turns into a decades-long relationship marked by secrecy and repression. Both men deny their sexuality and attempt to conform to societal expectations.
Upon its release, Brokeback Mountain was both critically acclaimed and controversial—grossing over $175 million and winning three Academy Awards—but also facing intense criticism, boycotts and accusations from religious groups that it was “morally offensive.”
At its core, Brokeback Mountain tells a story we instantly recognize today—forbidden love stretched across decades of longing, denial, and yearning. Sound familiar? (Ahem… “Heated Rivalry.”)
Brokeback served as a catalyst for change in queer media, even though that progress still feels unfinished. Today, stories with high-stakes queer relationships are stronger and more visible than ever.
Sophomore Kendall Soviero shared her journey of struggle and acceptance and the role LGBTQ+ media played in it. She said watching the movie Bottoms at 17 was a serious turning point in her identity and how she viewed herself as a queer woman.
“After watching these movies, I felt that being gay was such a beautiful thing that I didn’t need to grapple with, and was just something I had to live through to learn,” she said.
Soviero loves Brokeback Mountain because she believes there is something “so pure” about Jack and Ennis continuing their love, despite every aspect of their lives telling them not to. She notes how, although heterosexual relationships have long faced barriers rooted in class, race and religion, queer couples have faced hardship solely due to their sexualities.
She says that Brokeback was such a beautifully heartbreaking love story for its time, and now Heated Rivalry has become a meaningful show she and her friends watch together, since most of them are queer and can relate to its characters.
“The LGBTQ+ community is such a beautiful one with a history that inspires me every day to lead the life I love and honor those who fought for us to be here,” Soviero said. “More queer media!”