acho in Love BY MILES CHR|S11AN DANlEl.S 11 case you’ve been hunkered down on Mount Kenya, Brokeback Mountain opened in limited distribution its first weekend last month. No hurri- canes destroyed Orlando. No meteorites were reported in Los Angeles. In fact, the film quietly attracted record-breaking crowds in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and premiered in other markets the following weekend. And so it seems Ang Lee’s film about two cowboys in love is — at minimum —- surviv- ing. Why is a question we’ll have to figure out later. Could be that all three open- ing cities have hefty gay popula- tions. Another option is that major right-wing groups, like Focus on the Family, are all but keeping silent in hopes the film just goes away. Or, it might have to do with Hollywood muscle hunks Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal and their huge female fan bases. Whatever the reason, - Exhibitor Relations Co. reports that over the opening weekend, the film brought in the highest per—screen average for any the- atrical release in 2005. And, if that’s not enough, Brokeback Mountain has already landed awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Associations and New York Film Critics Circle. Even some real-life cowboys applaud the flick. “I think it’s something that’s now just being more under- stood,” seven—time World Cham- pion Cowboy Ty Murray, a straight man, recently told ’ ABC’s Good Morning America. “Hopefully, this movie helps people further understand it.” But as a gay man from a small town like the one featured in Brokeback Mountain, I see the As a gay man from a small town like the one featured in Brokeback Mountain, I see ‘ the beauty of this film in its navigating away from stereo- types to convey the power and randomness of love. beauty of this film in its navigat- ing away from stereotypes to convey the power and random- ness of love. A welcome change, I’m sure, for many — especially gay Americans. Two years ago, I published a column called “Queer TV: Advancing Tolerance or Fostering Stereotypes?” In it, I questioned whether or not shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Queer as Folk were anything more than ratings ploys. And I wondered once they found themselves uninterested, what viewers might come away with. Would these programs help in showing the normalcy of being gay or would many viewers come away thinking we were indeed “different?” Hollywood has featured gay characters since the 1930s, usu- ally cast as the effeminate best friend of a leading man. Their orientation was understood, but not discussed. This continued through the 1950s, when gay - characters were portrayed as emotionally troubled, often sui- cidal. By the 1970s, both cinema and television started to discuss real-life gay issues. And, during the 80s and 90s, gay characters and gay-themed programming moved to the forefront. Still, the way in which they were depicted — in most cases — cultivated dated stereotypes. Now, through movies like Brokeback Mountain, Hollywood is shedding light on the fact that not all gay men are fashion gurus, hairdressers, inte- rior designers, and superior in the arts, but that some might be — god forbid — cowboys herding sheep in Wyoming. And, more importantly, capable of love- based relationships. Not all of us gay folk are comfortable with the flamboy- ance of gay pride parades. And many would rather sip a Killian’s in an Irish pub than dance to techno in a noisy gay bar. “Gay” has nothing to do I with lifestyle. And rather than coming out of the closet to make a declara- tion of individuality or identity, most of us “come out” so that we can share the gift of love _ openly with another individual. So when the numbers are tal- lied and the awards dispersed, my hope is that Brokeback Mountain is not only seen as a monumental moment in cinema history — but a daring and origi- nal attempt to prove that love is not bound by interpretation or stereotype. V Miles Christian Daniels is a‘ columnist and documentary film- maker living in New York City. He can be reached at danielsm@hmrifken.com.