Topic: fishing buddies--possible spoilers

[shieldmaid]

Hi, BoyFromNowhere, and welcome!  I do agree with what you're saying about how unfair the relationship is to Alma (and Lureen, and Bobby, and Jenny, and Alma Jr. . . . ).  Ennis and Jack's families certainly don't get these men's full attention, and so they also have less satisfying, less loving lives than they deserve.  But I think the movie's point--as you also seem to imply here--is that Ennis and Jack themselves are treated unfairly by those around them, too.  If society weren't so homophobic--if Ennis in particular hadn't internalized those feelings and fears from his own family--perhaps they could have lived the lives together that they wanted to, the lives that they DESERVED to live.   :\'(

To maybe get a little more back on topic here, I'd also add that these fishing trips let them have their true lives together if only for brief periods of time.  Jack really did turn out to be Ennis's "fishing buddy" in the end.

[keren_b]

very well said shieldmaid, I totally agree.

[welshwitch]

And fishing is an acceptably macho thing to do, and a sufficiently male thing that it excludes women - in any case. Alma was tied to the children and can you imagine Lureen sitting on a river-bank in the cold and the wet with her fishing-rod (or pole, in American, apparently) and that HAIR?  If you want an excuse to get away in male company, this is a good one.

[shieldmaid]

Thanks, welshwitch--that was a priceless image of Lureen!! 

[TheBoyFromNoWhere]

   lureen... lureen... 
thanks welshwitch
it seems to me that fishing is kinda boring activity for many women.
so to cut alma and lureen off, ennis and jack had to go fishing.
that's a good point/good reason of the story.