Brokeback on Oprah- Page 2

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 11:40pm

Someone should tell that new woman to watch out.

Kudos for Heath Ledger for making those (albeit tame) statements about letting others love whom they choose. I know the marketing team behind the film is trying their best to steer away from politics, but I don't think the film's actors have talked enough about what is arguably one of the central issues of the movie.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 12:34am

I'm so out of the loop; I didn't even know Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams were a couple. And Heath Ledger is a little potbellied now, which is hot *on him*.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 12:59am

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 12:59am

"Was it just me or did Oprah say that even people who are comfortable with gays find gay marriage controversial? Maybe I misunderstood what she was trying to say but that's what I took it as. Heath bascially told her he thought it was sad that people criticze how others choose to love."

Her wording was a bit confusing but she seemed to be saying that it's conflicting for gay men to marry women and have children (which seems obvious).

I'm not sure Heath understood what she was saying (or maybe I didn't).

[PJ]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:36am

They are re-airing it here in New York right now. So far, I think it's good. I love that Oprah was really praising Michelle's acting in the fishing pole scene. She is truly sensational and had better win that SAG and Oscar.
Updated On: 1/28/06 at 01:36 AM

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:41am

Well when Heath or Jake said people should live their love who ever they want or something along those lines, Oprah noded her head to agree with them. Oprah has to play both sides. It is a talk show. You wont agree with everything people say.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:44am

Mr. Midwest, I think she confused Heath. He looked utterly perplexed to me -- I think she was saying that to her, it seems like it must be very (interally) conflicting for a man to get married and have children as he "ought" to, while having a gay affair on the side.

[PJ]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:48am

In case anyone still missed it, it's available on youtube.com.

[Jilani]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 11:41am

I think the part I liked best was when Anne Hathaway responded to Oprah's question about whether her character knew the truth about Jack and Ennis at the end by telling Oprah she thought the answer was pretty obvious.

Also, I agree with what has previously been said about Jake Gyllenhaal - I already was a big fan, but his performance in this interview made me like him even more.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 12:18pm

Oprah's question ending with "he's at least conflicted, yes?" had no possible meaningful answer. What could Ledger say, "yeah, my character was conflicted?" Duh. Revelation! My take: O seemed to want to work in the "adultery" aspect (which conservatives like the insipid Michael Medved are landing on). And Oprah is so proud of her "down low" episodes, remember. Had to work that in.

Heath wisely sidestepped it, opting to make the bigger point, that disparaging love between any two humans is wrong. He made the leap that these 2 men were restricted by society that judges their love, and thus felt that had no option but to become husbands.

And to Medved and other sniveling arbiters: "Adultery" in this story is not portrayed as a moral failing, but the only bleak and ultimately unworkable solution witin a rigid culture.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:12pm

Well put, Auggie.

I watched the clip again. Michelle Williams needs a stylist, because her taste in dresses is just horrendous.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:14pm

She looks like a completely different person as a blonde.

Heath seemed a little less nervous this time, which I was glad to see. He handled that well, I thought -- a wise side-step indeed. He comes off as really intelligent, IMO. I like that.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:21pm

I thought Heath was the most well-spoken during the interview.

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:47pm

Anyone else think it was odd that Oprah asked Anne about the end of the movie? Was she trying to spoil it for people that hadn't seen it? How was Anne supposed to talk about her character without saying what the ending was? That was a pretty lame question for a talk show host.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 2:03pm

Well she's a pretty lame talk show host.

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 2:12pm

agreed

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:44pm

I just watched it, thanks for the link, PJ.

Not that I felt one way or the other about Oprah until I saw that, but now that I did see it, she has lost all credibility with me. She makes herself out to be this intelligent, strong woman who others should strive to be like, having her own magazine and book club, as though she's an authority on anything worthwhile. Her demeanor in that interview portrayed her as an uneducated, uncultured, worthless gossip queen with no intellect. She thinks can throw her money wherever she wants and make herself out to be a gay icon (she's a "co-publisher" of the book WHEN I KNEW by Robert Trachtenberg), or a supporter of the Broadway community (The Color Purple). It takes more than your money to be deemed the next role model or activist. I honestly think Oprah does a disservice to up and coming young women and gay men in our society. Instead of representing how women can succeed as equals, she simply reinforces society's stigma that women are lesser, dumber, not knowledgable and only worthy of cheap talk.

Updated On: 1/28/06 at 04:44 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 8:03pm

She's an extraordinarily positive influence on the world and more often than not, the culture wars (loaded phrase)I believe. With BROKEBACK, consciously or not, she simply chose to highlight the more commercial aspects of this film -- yes, her curiosity about the kissing scenes will sell tickets -- as Towleroad.com suggests.

This film has been praised to the rooftops for its artistry, and its depth, and even its universaity, the power to transcend "gay" issues. So Oprah's show arrived 50 days into its release, and also suggested: you will be titillated, entertained, moved. In very traditional ways. I'm sure Focus features is delighted (read the terrific interview with Schamus at Towleroad.com) They know the movie's value, and only want to sell it. This was a piece of marketing strategy, and the Friday slot didn't hurt either.

And by the way -- Oprah is the first show (not Leno) to show more vividly the sexuality in the film. We did see one major kissing sequence. To those who grumble about Focus playing up the married folk aspect, the clips on Oprah certainly made it clear to all: this is a movie about a great passion between two men.

Updated On: 1/28/06 at 08:03 PM

[respeck]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 8:08pm

Damn Oprah for making her show at 9am in Chicago! Why! Why! I love her but that's just too early.

[LaVieHilary]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 10:19pm

Oprah is awesome but yes WAY early.

And she always has to stay in the middle of everything so you never really know what her real views are

I like Ellen better :) <---besides the point

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 10:59pm

My only problem I have is that she gave way too much away about the movie. (SPOILERS) When I saw it I had no idea that Alma would find out about her husband so soon. I'm sad that she talked about this and spoiled it for people who haven't seen the film yet. However I really don't care that much because I got to watch Heath Ledger for 30 minutes!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/29/06 at 5:34am

OK, I'll back down. I can understand the marketing aspect of her approach and that this will (hopefully) draw more people to theaters to see the film. And I also understand that Oprah does do lots of good. I guess I'm just expecting too much, too soon. I wish that talk show hosts with large viewerships and fanbases would focus less on the "what was it like to kiss another man?" crap and more on the meaningful aspects of the film and how and why it is so groundbreaking. Oprah didn't have one sentence of thought-provoking positive criticism to say about the film. And this is a woman who people listen to. She has so many people out there listening and listening. I just wish she could have shown more support. I have no respect for cowardly "leaders" who display no opinion either way on gay civil rights and marriage. And going out of your way to show support should be a no-brainer, especially for an African American woman who knows plenty about oppression and a lack of equal rights.

Politicians are like this too, and I'm talking about Democrats--they stay quiet on the subject (Hillary Clinton comes to mind), so everyone can think whatever they want and have no qualms with the person. (At least the Republicans can stand up and say that they hate us.)

Oprah can do what she wants, but the leaders--talk show hosts, politicians, celebrities--that aren't willing to stand up and show support for their fellow human beings aren't the ones who are going to change ignorant people's minds. They'll keep their viewership and continue to make money, but they won't provoke thought that can lead to change.

Updated On: 1/29/06 at 05:34 AM