Twenty years ago, “Brokeback Mountain” burst onto the scene like a thunderclap. The 2005 film retained classical Western tropes — cowboys, sweeping landscapes, and genre-specific music — while introducing a gay romance, subverting the traditionally hypermasculine framework of the Western genre.
This epic cinematic history owes a debt of gratitude to the night Diana Ossana had trouble sleeping.
Just before bedtime at her Tucson, Ariz., home in 1997, a houseguest, who was gay but had yet to come out to his parents and 11 siblings, handed the restless screenwriter a copy of The New Yorker.
“There’s a story in here you ought to read,” he told Ossana.
Ossana, like the millions who would soon follow, immediately lost herself in Annie Proulx’s fictional tale of rugged cowboys Ennis and Jack, who formed an intense emotional and sexual attachment amid the safety of the panoramic Wyoming landscape.
Ossana was still reading it at 1 a.m.
“When I got to the scene in the tent, it was just like lightning struck me,’’ she recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my God, what’s going to happen to these young men? In 1963? In rural Wyoming?’
“And I kept reading right on to the end. And by the end of the story, I was sobbing.”
Soon after the morning light, Ossana and her writing partner, Larry McMurtry of “Lonesome Dove” fame, began cooking up plans for the screen adaptation that focused on what she called “the effects of rural homophobia.”
That fortuitous bout of insomnia continues to reverberate decades later, with no signs of abating. When the movie version of “Brokeback Mountain” hit theaters, it forever shifted the cultural conversation about LGBTQIA+ narratives and masculine norms.
Behind an indelible cast led by Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams, the brilliant direction of Ang Lee and the vision of Focus Features, the film generated massive mainstream audience attention to a story that portrayed ordinary characters in a gay relationship.
Upon the movie’s 20th anniversary, the Geena Davis Institute looks back at how the film challenged conventions by playing with its genre.
How Focus Features Ushered the Film into the Cultural Zeitgeist and Became Part of the Studio’s Legacy
Focus Features helped shift the industry by demonstrating that stories with gay characters in leading roles bring in audiences and receive critical acclaim. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and won three (directing, screenwriting, and score), while also grossing $178 million worldwide, with just a $14 million budget.
“This matters so much because audience reception and budget are two large reasons, of many, that studios choose not to invest in films that feature LGBTQIA+ stories and characters,’’ said Alexis Romero Walker, a senior researcher for the Geena Davis Institute.
“Showing that these films are well-received will lead to more films that break new ground, and increase on-screen representation that reflects our diverse world.”
How much of a landmark film was “Brokeback Mountain”? For many years at the Focus Features offices on the Universal Studios lot, there were two connecting conference rooms — one named “Jack” and the other called “Ennis.”
Diana Ossana, Screenwriter
On the humanity that Heath Ledger brought to the role:
“Filming started, and the very first day, you could see it. Everybody could see it. Heath was that character. I mean, not in real life, because in real life, he was a completely different type of human. He was gregarious, very youthful, very outgoing and upbeat and, and sweet and funny and clever. But when Ang said “Action!” he pulled everything in and became this character, this other person. And it was, it was one of these experiences. I’ve been on the set a lot, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor that powerful.”
On the power of LGBTQIA+ representation:
“One of the things that I felt very strongly early on was if I could get a film made true to those characters, true to Annie Proulx’s short story, that it would provoke an awareness and compassion in people that maybe were prejudiced or bigoted or homophobic themselves. Maybe it would shift their worldview.
Avy Kaufman, Casting Director
On the defining qualities that made Ledger and Gyllenhaal right for the roles:
“There’s a pureness in telling that story about two men who could actually feel like they were living on this land, that they belonged in this world, and that, shockingly, surprisingly, they had love for each other. … It was a breakthrough of time. So everything felt fresh and pure and real and new that this could happen, and it kind of gave you hope and faith. It was a very positive feeling.”
Dr. Alexis Romero Walker, Senior Researcher Geena Davis Institute
Portraying nuanced masculinity on screen
Romero-Walker noted GDI’s research into representations of masculinity across media such as popular television, video games, and in what boys and young men are watching. Our findings show that rigid masculine norms (or the “Man Box”) often limit how boys and men are represented—and how they see themselves — across these domains. Our research helps us advocate for more nuanced portrayals of boys and men on screen, such as highlighting nurturing fatherhood, emotional expression among young men, and relationships with others that are mutually affirming.
While the movie portrays norms of heteronormative society, internalized homophobia, and toxic masculinity, Romero-Walker noted that it also subverts those norms by critiquing Ennis’s, as well as Jack’s, behaviors, in a manner that draws attention to the rigidity of the “Man Box.”
Why Audiences can’t quit ‘Brokeback’
When Ossana watched the film in a theater for the first time 20 years ago, she made a point of inviting friends from all demographics and political beliefs. Whatever their background, they had a universal response: stunned silence, too floored by the experience to speak.
When the words came at last, they were profound.
“I remember the reactions of one of my military friends,’’ Ossana said. “He looked at me – this was a guy I’ve been friends with for 20 years – and said, ‘Diana, I didn’t realize that when gay people fell in love, they felt the same way as straight people.’
“It was like, what?!? You’re kidding me! This is a person that I’ve known for years, but this had just entered his consciousness.”
A year later, Ossana and McMurtry invited a handful of diehard fans from a fan club called “Ultimate Brokeback Forum” to lunch in Tucson. About 20 people gathered to share how the movie affected them, and the screenwriters witnessed the power of on-screen representation firsthand.
“Every single person talked about the positive effect that the film had on them,’’ Ossana said. “It was so gratifying. This young gay man who’d been living in his parents’ basement for 20 years decided to move out and start living his life. He was in a relationship, they had an apartment together, and they were going to get married. It was just like, ‘Wow!’
“These were people who had the weight of their sexuality – or a loved one’s sexuality – weighing upon them. And the movie lifted them out of that.”
Enduring Impact
By demonstrating that an LGBTQIA+ themed movie could be a box-office smash, “Brokeback Mountain” signaled to studios that their fears of telling such stories were unfounded. The movie’s success cracked the door open a little wider for more varied – and more accurate – portrayals of love.
“I’ve done several movies with characters like (“Brokeback”) and I have cast gay men for every single one of them,’’ said Kaufman, who has won three Artios Awards for excellence in casting (and 18 nominations), “because I feel like the times have changed.”
The hope is that another 20 years from now, tales like the love between Jack and Ennis hardly feel as earth-shattering as it did in 2005.
And when that happens? Even an insomniac like Ossana will be able to sleep easy.
The GDI Lens: Cultural Commentary from Our Research Team
How did Brokeback Mountain challenge the prevailing media narratives around masculinity when it was released?
2005 was a landmark year for the LGBTQIA+ community, according to the Human Rights Campaign (e.g. California’s gay marriage bill, anti-discrimination bills passed in several states). Even so, this time frame was still marked by active anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations and stigma about LGBTQIA+ identity. Moreover, some broadcasting rules still discouraged on screen LGBTQIA+ narratives.
So, while progress for LGBTQIA+ rights was building, it remained unfinished. This is why Brokeback Mountain was particularly important, when it was released. First, because it starred well known actors, the film generated large audience attention to a story that featured ordinary characters in a gay relationship. Critical acclaim (such as academy recognition, and film critic praise) also helped the film’s reach.
In GDI’s work studying male characters and emotional expression, where does a film like Brokeback fit into the broader media landscape?
“Brokeback Mountain” includes some interesting narratives by exploring masculinity alongside social and internalized homophobia. The film breaks ground with its portrayal of queer love, but it also realistically depicts the challenges of living in a deeply heteronormative society where being gay often means facing rejection, isolation, and is generally physically dangerous.
For example, the story shows the audience that physical aggression is the most accessible response for the male characters, and in this manner highlights how men are taught that this is an appropriate (or only) reaction. The film presents the bind that many men find themselves in, and is thus a standout in the broader media landscape, demonstrating the complexities of LGBTQIA+ relationships as well as conversations around manhood.
Feel It Again. Share It Forward. Keep the Conversation Going.
“Brokeback Mountain” changed how we see love, masculinity, and the American West — and its impact still ripples 20 years later.
Here’s how you can honor its legacy:
- 🎬 Watch the film again. Pay attention to what hits differently now — the silence, the tenderness, the fear, the love.
- 💬 Talk about it. With your friends, your kids, your partner. Start a conversation about masculinity, queerness, and how far we’ve come — or haven’t.
- 📚 Learn more. Dive into GDI’s research on how media shapes identity, gender roles, and emotional expression.
- 📣 Speak up. Share this story. Support inclusive storytelling. Be the reason someone feels seen.
Representation transforms lives. Let’s keep pushing for stories that reflect the full truth of who we are.