“Brokeback Mountain” will return to theaters very soon. Ang Lee’s iconic queer Western is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and Focus Features is bringing the beloved film back to the big screen.
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star as two cowboys who have lived with a secret romance. Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams played their respective wives. The official synopsis reads: “The film follows Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), two young men dispatched to work as on the majestic Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. During their experience, Ennis and Jack are drawn into an unexpected lifelong relationship, filled with love and loss and unfolding against the raw beauty and splendor of the American West. The complications, joys, and heartbreak they experience provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.”
“Brokeback Mountain” won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Original Score, but lost Best Picture to Paul Haggis’ “Crash.” (Williams recently recalled how the loss was a shock, and director Lee told IndieWire film editor Ryan Lattanzio in 2024 that the Academy discriminated against the film being a gay love story, saying, “Back then, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support — up to that much. […] It has that feeling. I wasn’t holding a grudge or anything. It’s just how they [the Academy] were.”)
Focus Features credits “Brokeback Mountain” with helping establish the studio as an “industry leader working with visionary filmmakers to bring resonant films to wide audiences,” according to a press statement.
“Brokeback Mountain” will be in theaters nationwide, with special showings beginning on June 22 and 25. Tickets are now on sale for the theatrical event, which will be accompanied by an all-new film poster, merchandise, and other initiatives.
“Brokeback Mountain” grossed over $178 million at the global box office upon its 2005 release. The film is adapted from the short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx, which was originally published in The New Yorker in 1997.
Focus Features recently also re-released “Pride & Prejudice” for its own 20th anniversary. What can we say, 2005 was a great year for film.
Check out the re-release trailer for “Brokeback Mountain” below.
