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A tale of suppressed love
It's 1963. In Signal, Wyoming, two young ranchers, Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (the late Heath Ledger) show up for a job. "You pair of deuces lookin' for work I suggest you get your scrawny lil' asses up here pronto," says farmer Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid).

"Work" is watching around 1,000 sheep during the day and either sleeping rough on the mountainside or camping in the valley in a pup tent smelling of cat wee. It's hard, cold and lonely, but the two guys bond in the wilderness and slowly become more and more intimate. By the time they're ready to leave, they're lovers, but 1960s Wyoming is no place for gay cowboys, and the two men face up to a lifetime of loneliness and lies.

After such a heartbreaking tale, and the warm reception it received worldwide, it seems strange to think that Annie Proulx's original story is only 55 pages long. Heath Ledger is outstanding; he, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams (who plays Alma) were all nominated for acting Oscars, but it was Ang Lee who picked up a gong for Best Director. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards in total and won three - Director, Adapted Screenplay and Score.

Did you know? According to reports, Heath Ledger nearly broke co-star Jake Gyllenhaal's nose while filming a kissing scene.

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FILM: Brokeback Mountain, Sky Movies Indie at 21:00 on Wednesday 5th March 2008

Over one summer herding sheep in 1963, cowboys Jake and Ennis fall in love. But 60s Wyoming isn't ready for gay cowboys and the two men face up to a lifetime of loneliness and lies. Moving western.
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Described)

Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Anne Hathaway, Kate Mara, Michelle Williams