Common Sense Media Review
Groundbreaking film about forbidden love has sex, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Brokeback Mountain
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Based on 29 kid reviews
Kids say the film is a powerful and emotional portrayal of a forbidden relationship that deeply impacts viewers, often invoking tears due to its heartbreaking narrative. While it showcases important themes around love and acceptance, the mature content, including brief non-graphic sex scenes and violence, suggests it is more suitable for older teens who can fully appreciate its complex messages.
- emotional impact
- mature themes
- important message
- suitable for older teens
- non-graphic content
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
When cowboys Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) meet during a month of sheep ranching on Wyoming's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, they share lust, passion, and genuine affection -- though, in 1963, they can't imagine defining, much less pursuing, what they feel. Their silence lasts for years: Each goes home, with Ennis marrying his girlfriend, Alma (Michelle Williams), and Jack longing for Ennis before pursuing his own sham marriage to Lureen (Anne Hathaway). But Jack and Ennis agree to meet again and then again, unable to stop. They can't articulate their relationship, telling their families they've gone "fishing." Whether or not Jack and Ennis will ever find peace seems entirely out of their hands.
Is It Any Good?
This thoughtful, lyrical, eventually frustrating examination of two men's romance spans many years. Though Ennis and Jack never call themselves gay or queer, they do love each other and share a sexual relationship. The film is as much about silence and repression as it is about passion. Ennis' lack of language, initially clench-jawed mumbling, is eventually subtler, especially in his relationship with his daughter, Alma Jr. (at 19, played by Kate Mara). But one thing is crystal clear in Brokeback Mountain: Ennis and Jack are anguished. They act on their pain in different ways, and the big wide Wyoming landscape -- so mighty, so simple, so overwhelming -- reflects their efforts to be together, to stay apart, to resist expectations and to succumb to them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Brokeback Mountain's legacy in queer cinema. How does it stand up today? Which aspects are positive for gay representation, and which areas feel dated?
The film uses mature content such as nudity, frequent cursing, sex scenes, and brutal images of hate crimes to tell its story. Do you think these scenes are necessary? How would the film be impacted if this content was toned down? Would the film be better, worse, or simply different?
Which characters demonstrate courage? Why is this an important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 9, 2005
- On DVD or streaming : April 4, 2006
- Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal , Heath Ledger , Michelle Williams , Anne Hathaway
- Director : Ang Lee
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 134 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexuality, nudity, language and some violence
- Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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