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"Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out in Little Rock

By Last Night in Little Rock, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 06:21:10 AM EST
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by Last Night in Little Rock

"Brokeback Mountain," the movie of a love affair between two cowboys who later marry women and must deal with their love for each other, was voluntarily banned in Utah, which is not surprising since even renting an R rated movie at Blockbuster is impossible (you get the sanitized made for airplanes or TV versions there).

It opened in Little Rock last night to a sold out crowd, with the theater manager saying, essentially, "if there is a market, we'll show it."

Arkansas, a red state, at least shows some enlightenment and tolerance for views and lives of others. In 2002, the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the state's anti-sodomy law as applied to consenting adults in Jegley v. Picado, a year before the U.S. S.Ct. did with Texas' statute in Lawrence v. Texas.

(FYI, I'm at a hotel with a better Internet connection that allows me to connect to servers that I could not connect to before. This is, after a fourth-world country I'm in. The fact is has Internet at all is surprising. Well, not really; everybody has a cellphone, but that is because the landline telephone service sucks so bad.)

Update: The movie is still strong nationwide. Its gross receipts is middling compared to other movies, but its per screen take is greater than any other, and it is playing on less than 500 screens.

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    "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out in Little Rock | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 07:44:00 AM EST
    Utah, making the South seem mainstream since 1896.

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#2)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 08:33:14 AM EST
    I’m happy to report I have successfully rented uncut R movies at Blockbuster as well as other large movie rental chains.
    “It opened in Little Rock last night to a sold out crowd, with the theater manager saying, essentially, "if there is a market, we'll show it."”
    It was actually just one theater that booked and backed out. Like Little Rock, the film sold out where it was carried. The film is showing at two separate theaters within ten miles of my home. Both turned folks away the opening nights; one reported it’s best ever single night of sales. Anyway, the real story; the owner, a self-professed conservative, appeared on several local news outlets discussing his decision to show the film. He simply said he would show the movie and let the market decide. Public pressure ensued and he buckled. Coward.

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#3)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 08:47:55 AM EST
    Funny, for a ‘banned’ movie it did quite well in Utah. According Advocate.com, Utah posted as one of the top nationwide earners. In other news, the controversial “book of denial” was ‘banned’ in Little Rock to pressure by religious conservatives, receives acclaim in Utah.

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#4)
    by Kitt on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 08:54:14 AM EST
    Old news, dude. It was banned at one theater - not the entire fricking state. Come on....

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#5)
    by ding7777 on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 08:58:56 AM EST
    They are not cowboys. According to the short story author, Annie Prolux:
    "Excuse me, but it is NOT a story about 'two cowboys.' It is a story about two inarticulate, confused Wyoming ranch kids in 1963 who have left home and who find themselves in a personal sexual situation they did not expect, understand nor can manage. The only work they find is herding sheep for a summer


    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#6)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 09:08:31 AM EST
    [redacted]

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 09:19:52 AM EST
    It's what's called federalism - a simple way that people in Utah can live in peace with people elsewhere in the country, even though their value systems are very different.

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#8)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 10:54:11 AM EST
    Now, now, charlie - the mormons were just helping those people get to Pluto where they can enjoy their many wives. Assuming, of course, they wore their magic underwear.

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 11:12:50 AM EST
    charlienolinks – The event you write about was terrible, but it should be put in perspective:
    For these and other reasons, their relationships with other Christians were always strained and often violent. LDS church members were heavily persecuted. They were expelled from a succession of settlements. In 1838, 17 Mormon settlers were murdered in the Massacre at Haun's Mill, MO. Their founder, Joseph Smith, was assassinated while in prison.
    Link But I ask you. Why bring this up? Do you have the vaguest understanding of the meaning, “Let the dead bury the dead?” Those Mormons alive today have no blame in this act by these long dead people, and your attack is completely beyond the pale and outrageous. Shame on you for your comments. They are doubly shameful when placed into the context provided by pigwiggle's comments.
    It was actually just one theater that booked and backed out. Like Little Rock, the film sold out where it was carried. The film is showing at two separate theaters within ten miles of my home. Both turned folks away the opening nights; one reported it’s best ever single night of sales.
    charlie, racism is defined as:
    a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
    Replace "race" with "religion" and what are you?

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#10)
    by Johnny on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 04:54:38 PM EST
    Jim is a firm believer that the ends justify the means. It is the only way he can sleep at night. If you had mentioned atrocities committed by native americans, muslims, or any other group he would not say a single word.

    Re: "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:30:29 AM EST
    I don't know where you people live, but here in Minnneapolis, Minnesota, you can rent R rated movies that are unedited at Blockbuster. I think that it is good that people went to other theatres to see Brokeback Mountain. It shouldn't be banned from anywhere in the US. It is part of freedom of speech.

    "Brokeback Mountain" Banned in Utah, Sells Out in Little Rock | 11 comments (11 topical)