Brokeback Mountain, Transamerica push limits, take home awards

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Media watchers on both sides of the ideological divide are saying that January’s Golden Globe awards ceremony was a watershed event.

“Brokeback Mountain,” which has been called the “gay cowboy” movie, won four awards. Felicity Huffman’s portrayal of a transsexual in “Transamerica” won her the top female acting prize. And Philip Seymour Hoffman won best dramatic actor as gay writer Truman Capote in “Capote.”

“It was a historic night,” Joe Solmonese, president of the gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign, told the Associated Press. “I think it says a lot about where we're going as a country.”

Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America, didn’t disagree, but said that these movies were “pet projects” of “media elites.” She noted that none of the three movies had done well at the box office. At the time of the Golden Globes, “Brokeback Mountain” had grossed $32.1 million. “Transamerica” had pulled in less than $1 million in limited release. “Capote” had earned $13 million. “The Chronicles of Narnia,” by contrast, had surpassed the $250-million mark.

Exodus International president Alan Chambers, a former homosexual, said movies that portray homosexuality in a positive light ultimately damage and hurt homosexuals. He said the one-sided portrayals of homosexuality encourage men and women to remain in a destructive lifestyle.

Exodus International is the largest network of former homosexuals in the world.

"Our desire is to empower others with more information and offer the same hope for change that has brought life and freedom to us,” Chambers said.

Ted Baehr, founder of the Christian-oriented Movie Guide Web site, also took exception to the film.

"Brokeback Mountain is a politically correct piece of anti-family and anti-American propaganda aimed at poking a finger into the eye of the 128 million Christians who go to church every week,” he said.

Although he took voters to task, especially the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, for supporting such offerings, he also pointed the finger at the American media and film critics.

“Very few of these pundits, critics or critic associations know anything about the major theories of criticism, art or acting, much less anything about politics, history, philosophy, and religion," Baehr said. "They are content to be willfully ignorant and blown around by the latest fashion. And, the fashion of the moment is Brokeback Mountain and intolerantly bashing America, conservatives, and Christians."

Published, February 2006

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