Brokeback Mountain and Pajama Game deserved to win.
And whoever said Brokeback Mountain made them feel bad for being gay....why? Are you a gay cowboy in North Dakota in the 60s? Did you personally identify with the characters and their situation? No film is going to make me feel bad for being gay. I have never felt bad about being gay. The film was about those characters in that particular setting during that particular era. Personally, I found most episodes of Queer as Folk more detrimental to the gay community than Brokeback Mountain.
As for Pajama Game, it was a sparkling revival of a classic show that received mostly rave reviews and has played to a sold-out run. The Sweeney revival relied so heavily on its concept, opinions were sure to be divided. Reviewing the track record of the Tonys, it's really not that big of a surprise. I was never convinced Sweeney's concept was necessary or accessible. It is interesting and theatrical, but setting the show in an asylum in 19-whatever, played out by musically inclined inmates, using symbolically suggestive props, is going to guarantee raves or awards. A Sondheim score does not mean an automatic Tony. LuPone and Cerveris to not mean automatic Tony. The concept received a Tony for the director, the tricky orchestrations received a Tony, and that's highly commendable. But it is entirely possible to love the concept, but be more entertained by another show.
In the past, I have usually found that the winners of Best Score and Best Book should have won Best Musical (with the exception of Ragtime), but in this case, I agree with the winners of Best Musical and Best Revival.
But Brokeback, the most international critically acclaimed and award-winning film of the year should have won Best Picture.
"Mentally and physically handicapped people don't seem to get a break from all these stupid comedies."
And if they are heterosexual, they still have more rights than gays and lesbians, of which state and federal governments have clearly shown that they support discrimination.
"There is nothing COMPLEX about Brokeback Mountain, it's the same as any other love story except its a GAY love story, appealing to queens all over. Nothing special about that."
The fact that it is a GAY love story is what made it more complex. Its characters were dealing with a more specifically defined struggle than most hetero love stories. If you put the love story in context with the setting and period of the film, it was extremely complex for those characters (which was brilliantly illustrated in their performances). Its overwhelming international success means that it appealed to more than just "queens" and as clearly demonstrated on this board, not all "queens" found it appealing. That derogatory statement you made seems to illustrate why you probably didn't like the film.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Updated On: 6/16/06 at 10:46 AM