This Is What It Looked Like When 'Brokeback Mountain' Premiered 18 Years Ago
| 11/29/23
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Brokeback Mountain is turning 18 in 2023! (Feel old yet?)
It's hard to believe, but it's already been 18 years since Ang Lee's groundbreaking, Oscar-winning gay romantic drama first premiered in theaters. Telling the story of the decades-long love affair between American cowboys Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), Brokeback was a critical success at the time of release and won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. More importantly, it was heralded for its heartfelt and authentic depiction of queer love and is regarded as a major turning point in regard to queer storytelling in mainstream media.
To celebrate the release of the film, Focus Features held premiere events in Los Angeles on November 29, 2005 and in New York City on December 6, 2005. Earlier in the year, Brokeback also premiered at the 2005 Venice International Film Festival as well as the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Much of the talent was at these events, including main heartthrobs Jake Gyllenhaal and the late, great Heath Ledger, as well as their co-stars Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Linda Cardellini, Kate Mara, director Ang Lee, as well as other notable celebs!
Scroll through to see throwback photos from Brokeback Mountain's Los Angeles and New York premieres and press tour. And if you want to revisit the classic, Brokeback Mountain is available to rent/own on Amazon Prime Video.
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Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, and critic.
Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, and critic.