Topic: My Unanswered Questions What Are Yours????? - Possible spoilers

[matron]

My unanswered question..

Although Jack was going to bring Randall to the ranch of his parents', was Ennis still the biggest and greatest love of his whole life?

[NoReins]

My unanswered question..

Although Jack was going to bring Randall to the ranch of his parents', was Ennis still the biggest and greatest love of his whole life?

Hell yes. I'd go as far as to say Ennis was the only love of his life - the other half that made him whole, his soulmate.

[lamusica]

I thibnk it was easy to miss the two shirts being together.  I did the first time I saw the movie.  Then, I wondered about the blood -- how did it end up on both shirts?  When I saw the movie a few more times, I noticed that Ennis wipes his bloody nose on his cuff, but Jack, while grabbing Ennis to calm him down, also brushes his nose, so that answered that question for me.  Both shirts came in contact with the bloody nose.  That made the whole scene where Ennis finds the shirt so much more powerful.  Not only did Jack tuck Ennis's shirt under, or within, his, but the blood adds extra meaning to their togetherness.  This is the part that made me cry the most in my earlier viewings.  Lamusica

[ande_nem]

Well this is sort of a question....  They mention more than once that two guys living together ("no way") wouldn't be considered good by everyone else, but what about two brothers living together? Or would everyone still find it wrong because they haven't moved away and married?

[donnaread]

This is my question...How did Ennis know Jack was at RFD 2 in Childress?  It wasn't on the postcard Jack sent...also Ennis didn't put his exact address on his "You bet."  to Jack...the return addres was simply Ennis Del Mar, Riverton, Wyoming.

Donna

[edgar]

This is my question...How did Ennis know Jack was at RFD 2 in Childress?  It wasn't on the postcard Jack sent...also Ennis didn't put his exact address on his "You bet."  to Jack...the return addres was simply Ennis Del Mar, Riverton, Wyoming.

Donna

Yes, Donna, this is a problem. It was on another thread somewhere, but how did the initial postcard get to Ennis? How did Jack know Riverton was the right city?

It seems Ennis is copying Jack's address off a piece of paper, but where did that paper come from? Was Ennis holding it for four years?

[donnaread]

This is my question...How did Ennis know Jack was at RFD 2 in Childress?  It wasn't on the postcard Jack sent...also Ennis didn't put his exact address on his "You bet."  to Jack...the return addres was simply Ennis Del Mar, Riverton, Wyoming.

Donna

Yes, Donna, this is a problem. It was on another thread somewhere, but how did the initial postcard get to Ennis? How did Jack know Riverton was the right city?

It seems Ennis is copying Jack's address off a piece of paper, but where did that paper come from? Was Ennis holding it for four years?

I don't think so, Edgar...Jack was still living in Wyoming then...he hadn't yet been to Childress or met Lureen, so Ennis couldn't have gotten the Childress address when they were on the mountain.  As for Jack finding Ennis in Riverton...who knows  how  many postcards he sent to all the little towns around where Ennis was from?  They met in Signal...maybe he just sent cards to all the towns around Signal.  But when Ennis wrote back, he didn't give his OWN exact address...just Riverton, WY.  Of course I guess Jack could have asked around when he got to Riverton...like he did after Ennis' divorce.  Sigh...so many unansewered questions.

[CrimsonSky]

This is my question...How did Ennis know Jack was at RFD 2 in Childress?  It wasn't on the postcard Jack sent...also Ennis didn't put his exact address on his "You bet."  to Jack...the return addres was simply Ennis Del Mar, Riverton, Wyoming.

Donna

Yes, Donna, this is a problem. It was on another thread somewhere, but how did the initial postcard get to Ennis? How did Jack know Riverton was the right city?

It seems Ennis is copying Jack's address off a piece of paper, but where did that paper come from? Was Ennis holding it for four years?

I don't think so, Edgar...Jack was still living in Wyoming then...he hadn't yet been to Childress or met Lureen, so Ennis couldn't have gotten the Childress address when they were on the mountain.  As for Jack finding Ennis in Riverton...who knows  how  many postcards he sent to all the little towns around where Ennis was from?  They met in Signal...maybe he just sent cards to all the towns around Signal.  But when Ennis wrote back, he didn't give his OWN exact address...just Riverton, WY.  Of course I guess Jack could have asked around when he got to Riverton...like he did after Ennis' divorce.  Sigh...so many unansewered questions.

In the short story, Jack's postcard says "heard you were in Riverton..." so maybe Jack was talking to someone who had maybe worked with Ennis, or something like that? I don't know how the whole "general delivery" thing works, but it seems that Ennis and Alma collected their post from the post office, rather than having it delivered, so as long as it had Ennis's name on, the post office would know it was for him and the same with Ennis's reply to Jack.

My questions about the postcards are:
1) Is the spelling mistake in Jack's first postcard deliberate (it says drop me a line if your there, instead of you're)?
2) Is it Heath and Jake's real handwriting?

[guyinjax]

thanks for the excerpt, and now im so excited to see it again knowing what i know, i almost got teary eyed just realizing that it was his shirt.. oh my! thanks so much for helping me out ur my bbm saviour lol!! 

Oh Italian Dude, how I envy you!  You get to experience "the shirts" for the first time ... for all of us, its a painful repeat, beautiful, but so painful.  Heavy, like the two shirts together on a hanger.  You will never be the same.

[Sunflower79]

I was wondering what happend to Jack's son? I think that he may have gone away to school or something.  and what of Ennis other daugher Jenny? maybe she was busy when Ennis came around.

[donnaread]

thanks for the excerpt, and now im so excited to see it again knowing what i know, i almost got teary eyed just realizing that it was his shirt.. oh my! thanks so much for helping me out ur my bbm saviour lol!! 

Here's an editorial comment for you I_D...it was Heath's idea to switch the shirts, putting his outside of Jack's, for the closet scene at the end, where he says "Jack, I swear."  So many things about this wondeful movie just breaks my heart.   :\'(

Donna

[donnaread]

This is my question.  In the scene where Alma is washing clothes on the washboard and Ennis goes into the bedroom to tend to the babies...HOW in the world did they get that crying baby (Alma Jr.)  to get out of the bed and go over to Heath and grab his leg?  She looks like she's only about a maybe 18 mo old, maybe less.  And she's crying her heart out.  I'm just curious about how they got a crying baby to DO something like that.  Then again, maybe it wasn't really planned, she was just crying, and wated comfort, so she went to the only person in the room.   

Donna

[welshwitch]

Not a baby person, don't know how they get kids to act/act up to order.

But as far as the address thing is concerned, Jack was rodeoing and driving abouut meting all sorts of other rootless people en route; Ennis was taking temporary jobs and moving from one to another - it doesn't seem impossible that someone who'd met one of them should mention it and the other pick upon the description/name. (It happened to me once, after I hadn't seen someone for 33 years and had no idea how to find them, then someone recognised me and put us back in touch - they'd only been apart for four years, and were both employed by Aguirre through some sort of agency, which could easily have covered a wide area and lots of hired hands.

[greenfrog]

How did Jack know that Ennis's apartment was above the Laundromat?

How did Jack know Ennis was in Riverton? - "Heard you was in Riverton"

[tpe]

How did Jack know that Ennis's apartment was above the Laundromat?

How did Jack know Ennis was in Riverton? - "Heard you was in Riverton"

The first one, I attribute to Jack just asking around for directions to Ennis's address.

The second one is indeed more problematic.  I beg to suggest phone information.  A friend from around 15 years ago located me this way.  Still not so sure how he zeroed in on the general vicinity/state.  But it did happen, much to my surprise!

[BBMaddict]

I thought of a question I've had since about the third time I saw Brokeback. When Jack does the whole jumping around like he's riding a bull he has the bottle of whiskey in his left hand when he starts, then he has his hat in his hand, then when he falls down he drops the hat but he still has the bottle of whiskey and it appears he hasn't spilled a drop. I've watched this several times and sit in wonderment, specifically about how he got the hat off his head and into that hand without spilling whiskey all over himeself, LOL. If this issue was discussed before, sorry, I couldn't find it anywhere. What are your thoughts on this scene?

[tpe]

I thought of a question I've had since about the third time I saw Brokeback. When Jack does the whole jumping around like he's riding a bull he has the bottle of whiskey in his left hand when he starts, then he has his hat in his hand, then when he falls down he drops the hat but he still has the bottle of whiskey and it appears he hasn't spilled a drop. I've watched this several times and sit in wonderment, specifically about how he got the hat off his head and into that hand without spilling whiskey all over himeself, LOL. If this issue was discussed before, sorry, I couldn't find it anywhere. What are your thoughts on this scene?

This is an interesting detail.  Thanks BBMaddict.  It looked like a genuine fall.  But there is clearly a lot of art to it.  Don't know how he exactly did this, except to say that even when falling, he has poise...

 

[MississaugaRed]

I thought of a question I've had since about the third time I saw Brokeback. When Jack does the whole jumping around like he's riding a bull he has the bottle of whiskey in his left hand when he starts, then he has his hat in his hand, then when he falls down he drops the hat but he still has the bottle of whiskey and it appears he hasn't spilled a drop. I've watched this several times and sit in wonderment, specifically about how he got the hat off his head and into that hand without spilling whiskey all over himeself, LOL. If this issue was discussed before, sorry, I couldn't find it anywhere. What are your thoughts on this scene?

This is an interesting detail.  Thanks BBMaddict.  It looked like a genuine fall.  But there is clearly a lot of art to it.  Don't know how he exactly did this, except to say that even when falling, he has poise...

 

Yes, tpe, Jack/Jake is charming even when clowning around, that quicksilver quality that makes him so endearing ... both of him!!

In this particular scene, however, I'm wondering if it's another case of a continuity snafu.  I was watching closely here last time and I could swear that whiskey bottle disappeared while he's jumpiing around.  Then reappears at the end.   Like BBMaddict, I was wondering how the heck the whiskey didn't get spilled all over Jack and Ennis both!   Will have to check again, I guess, lucky me.

Not that these little things bother me too much ... wouldn't notice them in any other film.  Course, wouldn't watch anything else this intently, either.    Unless one of the boys were in it, of course.  

[tpe]

I thought of a question I've had since about the third time I saw Brokeback. When Jack does the whole jumping around like he's riding a bull he has the bottle of whiskey in his left hand when he starts, then he has his hat in his hand, then when he falls down he drops the hat but he still has the bottle of whiskey and it appears he hasn't spilled a drop. I've watched this several times and sit in wonderment, specifically about how he got the hat off his head and into that hand without spilling whiskey all over himeself, LOL. If this issue was discussed before, sorry, I couldn't find it anywhere. What are your thoughts on this scene?

This is an interesting detail.  Thanks BBMaddict.  It looked like a genuine fall.  But there is clearly a lot of art to it.  Don't know how he exactly did this, except to say that even when falling, he has poise...

 

Yes, tpe, Jack/Jake is charming even when clowning around, that quicksilver quality that makes him so endearing ... both of him!!

In this particular scene, however, I'm wondering if it's another case of a continuity snafu.  I was watching closely here last time and I could swear that whiskey bottle disappeared while he's jumpiing around.  Then reappears at the end.   Like BBMaddict, I was wondering how the heck the whiskey didn't get spilled all over Jack and Ennis both!   Will have to check again, I guess, lucky me.

Not that these little things bother me too much ... wouldn't notice them in any other film.  Course, wouldn't watch anything else this intently, either.    Unless one of the boys were in it, of course.  

It gets more interesting then!  Thanks MississaugaRed.  I should check this scene again.  Perhaps some "rough" editing? 

[MississaugaRed]

It gets more interesting then!  Thanks MississaugaRed.  I should check this scene again.  Perhaps some "rough" editing? 

Rough editing, indeed. 

Considering the tight budget they made BBM on, it's not surprising we obsessed   passionate (!) people find a few incongruities.  But they got the talent exactly right ... that's what counts! 

Love how we are able to explain away certain questions, though, like the earlier comments on how Jack might have tracked Ennis down after 4 years. Never occurred to me to even ask, but here it is, asked and answered.  Good job, Brokies!   

[Valandil Eluch]

i have one that sounds a little bit stupid, remember the scene in which we see monroe for the first time well Ennis said Boss Called! why then he send postcards if he supposly had a phone it wasn't more easy?

[Patriot1]

i have one that sounds a little bit stupid, remember the scene in which we see monroe for the first time well Ennis said Boss Called! why then he send postcards if he supposly had a phone it wasn't more easy?

I could be wrong about this Carlos, but if my memory doesn't fail me, Long distance phone calls were expensive back in the 60's and 70's. Plus, there was a record kept of the phone call and it was on your bill.  There wasn't any urgency so the boys took the cheap way out.  That would be my guess.

[Valandil Eluch]

i have one that sounds a little bit stupid, remember the scene in which we see monroe for the first time well Ennis said Boss Called! why then he send postcards if he supposly had a phone it wasn't more easy?

I could be wrong about this Carlos, but if my memory doesn't fail me, Long distance phone calls were expensive back in the 60's and 70's. Plus, there was a record kept of the phone call and it was on your bill.  There wasn't any urgency so the boys took the cheap way out.  That would be my guess.

you are right i guess that that i'm so used to this free long distance calls that i forgot that they were not free before

[ksxks]

My friend went to the small theatre in Spain and he told me:

1. The night before Jack and Ennis went up on Brekeback they spent in Jack's car talking - that scene was in spain version of the movie!!!

2. Two unfamiliar faces in the trailer - when Jack came back after one year and Aguirre told him he doesn' t have any job for HIM , Jack wanted to go away, but those two men cought him and beat.

PS. But the first tent scene was censored in Spain - it ended in the moment when Jack takes off the coat

Fascinating!  I came on this thread to ask a question and it happened to be the very first question on this thread, which is, where did they spend the first night?  I can't believe you got to see a scene from that night in Spain.  Jeez they need to put in all these deleted scenes.

I pictured it more like one would sack out in the back of Jack's truck and one in the cab -- probably not together.  Also, I can't picture them talking all night, Ennis being not too talkative of a guy.  Boy do I need to see that scene.

I always think the guys in a mechanic's shop in the trailer were the guys who did Jack in by the road...  Do you know for sure they were guys by Aguirre's office?

kathy

[ksxks]

I thought of a question I've had since about the third time I saw Brokeback. When Jack does the whole jumping around like he's riding a bull he has the bottle of whiskey in his left hand when he starts, then he has his hat in his hand, then when he falls down he drops the hat but he still has the bottle of whiskey and it appears he hasn't spilled a drop. I've watched this several times and sit in wonderment, specifically about how he got the hat off his head and into that hand without spilling whiskey all over himeself, LOL. If this issue was discussed before, sorry, I couldn't find it anywhere. What are your thoughts on this scene?

I think this is just a blooper or continuity glitch.  Wasn't filmed in exact sequence, or different takes, and the continuity person missed it.  (They should have gotten us for continuity experts.  He's got the bottle in his hand and one hand empty as he got up; in the immediate next moment he's got the hat in his hand and one hand empty; at the end, the fall, back to the bottle in his hand.  They just messed up. 

kathy

[ksxks]

i have one that sounds a little bit stupid, remember the scene in which we see monroe for the first time well Ennis said Boss Called! why then he send postcards if he supposly had a phone it wasn't more easy?

I could be wrong about this Carlos, but if my memory doesn't fail me, Long distance phone calls were expensive back in the 60's and 70's. Plus, there was a record kept of the phone call and it was on your bill.  There wasn't any urgency so the boys took the cheap way out.  That would be my guess.

This is true.  Long distance used to be a big huge deal, and people wrote cards and letters more often.  Ennis wouldn't think of calling Jack; and would probably feel awkward about talking to him on the phone anyway.

kathy

[welshwitch]

You don't phone your lover at home if his wife might answer, or overhear and ask who's calling. The situation is analagous - Ennsi finds it hard enough to talk - how could he ask Lureen, if she answered, if he could talk to Jack?

[BBMaddict]

I think this is just a blooper or continuity glitch.  Wasn't filmed in exact sequence, or different takes, and the continuity person missed it.  (They should have gotten us for continuity experts.  He's got the bottle in his hand and one hand empty as he got up; in the immediate next moment he's got the hat in his hand and one hand empty; at the end, the fall, back to the bottle in his hand.  They just messed up. 

kathy

I'm sure your right. It wasn't my intention to pick apart the scene itself, I just thought it was fun to watch. I did notice when I watched it again that I think you can see the bottle in his hand with the hat. Now that's talent. Bet his hat smelled good.

[hpv]

My friend went to the small theatre in Spain and he told me:

1. The night before Jack and Ennis went up on Brekeback they spent in Jack's car talking - that scene was in spain version of the movie!!!

2. Two unfamiliar faces in the trailer - when Jack came back after one year and Aguirre told him he doesn' t have any job for HIM , Jack wanted to go away, but those two men cought him and beat.

PS. But the first tent scene was censored in Spain - it ended in the moment when Jack takes off the coat

Fascinating!  I came on this thread to ask a question and it happened to be the very first question on this thread, which is, where did they spend the first night?  I can't believe you got to see a

scene from that night in Spain.  Jeez they need to put in all these deleted scenes.

I pictured it more like one would sack out in the back of Jack's truck and one in the cab -- probably not together.  Also, I can't picture them talking all night, Ennis being not too talkative of a guy.  Boy do I need to see that scene.

I always think the guys in a mechanic's shop in the trailer were the guys who did Jack in by the road...  Do you know for sure they were guys by Aguirre's office?

kathy

That's really fascinating,about those two characters that appeared on the trailer,but not in the movie..
that's a delete scene for sure

[edgar]

i have one that sounds a little bit stupid, remember the scene in which we see monroe for the first time well Ennis said Boss Called! why then he send postcards if he supposly had a phone it wasn't more easy?

I could be wrong about this Carlos, but if my memory doesn't fail me, Long distance phone calls were expensive back in the 60's and 70's. Plus, there was a record kept of the phone call and it was on your bill.  There wasn't any urgency so the boys took the cheap way out.  That would be my guess.

This is true.  Long distance used to be a big huge deal, and people wrote cards and letters more often.  Ennis wouldn't think of calling Jack; and would probably feel awkward about talking to him on the phone anyway.

kathy

In fact, long distance was so expensive that many people (my family, for instance) just had local phone service--they could not call long distance from their home phone.

On the other hand, until Carlos pointed it out, I assumed Ennis and Alma didn't have a phone (another thing experienced by me as a kid). In that case, "boss called" could still be handled in a couple of ways. Maybe there was a pay phone in the laundromat, and Ennis kept his ear cocked for it. Maybe the boss had an arrangement that, if needed, he would call at (a certain time) and Ennis was waiting for the call. Also, we used to live in an apartment and had a nice neighbor who let us use their phone when really needed. She would just bang on the wall when we got a call....