‘Brokeback Mountain' writer reveals exact moment she knew the film would lose Best Picture Oscar
A Hollywood travesty.
'Brokeback Mountain' co-writer Diana Ossana remembers the moment she knew the gay romantic drama would lose the Oscar for Best Picture.
In a new interview with the New York Times for the film's 20th anniversary, Ossana, 75, recalled that weeks before the 2006 Oscars, after voting had closed, she went to a party for the nominees at 'Crash' director Paul Haggis' house where Clint Eastwood was one of the attendees.
Advertisement
9 Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger in 'Brokeback Mountain.'
©Focus Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
Ossana 'was eager to meet' Eastwood, 95, but before they could interact, she got bad news.
'Paul started walking me over and he goes, 'Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn't seen your movie,'' Osanna told the outlet.
Advertisement
9 Diana Ossana attends the 25th Annual Scripter Awards in Feb. 2013.
WireImage
9 Clint Eastwood at the 20th Annual AFI Awards in January 2020.
WireImage
'And it was like somebody kicked me in the stomach,' the screenwriter added. 'That's when I knew we would not win Best Picture.'
'Brokeback Mountain' infamously lost Best Picture to 'Crash,' despite dominating the award season up to that point and winning the Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score.
Advertisement
Ossana, who co-write the film with Larry McMurtry, told the NYT that she blames homophobia for the defeat.
9 Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Brokeback Mountain.'
AP Photo
'People want to deny that, but what else could it have been?' she said. 'We'd won everything up until then.'
At the time, some Academy voters including Ernest Borgnine and Tony Curtis publicly declared that they wouldn't watch the Western romance.
Advertisement
'I absolutely think that block of voters kept this movie from winning Best Picture,' Osanna stated.
9 'Brokeback Mountain' screenwriters Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry accept the award for Best Screenplay at the 63rd Annual Golden Globes.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
'Brokeback Mountain' followed two men, Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal), who found love despite one being married.
'Crash,' meanwhile, told the true story of a 1991 Los Angeles carjacking and starred Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Esposito, Thandiwe Newton and Matt Dillon.
9 Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Brokeback Mountain.'
©Focus Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
Michelle Williams, who played Ledger's wife in 'Brokeback Mountain,' addressed the film losing Best Picture on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' in April.
'I mean, what was Crash?' Williams, 44, joked.
9 'Crash' won Best Picture at the 2006 Academy Awards.
©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Co
Advertisement
Williams was also asked if she was aware the project would make such an impact before it hit theaters.
'People were so open about it,' Williams reflected. 'I just remember doing the junket. You know, you don't really get an opportunity to see a lot of grown men cry. That was the moment that I think that we all knew it was going to be special to people.'
9 Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger in 'Brokeback Mountain.'
Focus Films/Everett Collection
Lee, 70, similarly reflected on the snub to Deadline last month.
Advertisement
'Your guess is as good as mine,' the director said. 'There are times when I feel like there's an unlimited willingness to watch the movie. There's so much love for it. Generally, you feel like it's a breakthrough, that it broke all barriers. People seem to melt down. And you cannot even define it as gay cinema. It's not gay cinema, right? It's a love story.'
9 Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in 'Brokeback Mountain.'
©Focus Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
But Lee did clarify that he's moved on from the film not winning Best Picture.
'I'm nothing but grateful. I have no bitterness,' he shared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
This iconic slasher movie is leaving Netflix — I'm not missing out and neither should you
Between the "Scream" franchise, "The Blair Witch Project"-induced "found footage" phenomenon and M. Night Shyamalan mind-benders like "The Sixth Sense" and Oscar-winning thrillers like "Silence of the Lambs," the 1990s were a great time for horror. One of the most crowd-pleasing (if not exactly critically acclaimed) titles in the slasher genre is "I Know What You Did Last Summer," which sees an iconic foursome of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillippe battle a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town. The movie comes from director Jim Gillespie and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, the latter of whom recently tapped into the "murderous coastal town" genre yet again with his new Netflix show "The Waterfront." And, as is always the case with the platform's ever-changing library, you now only have a few days left to catch the '90s horror favorite on Netflix before it departs the streamer on July 1. With "IKWYDLS" officially getting a present-day reboot scheduled for theatrical release on July 18, it's high time to revisit the jump-scare original. Here's why you should add "I Know What You Did Last Summer" to your watch list this weekend. "I Know What You Did Last Summer" centers on four teenage friends who accidentally hit a pedestrian following a beach trip to celebrate July 4. They don't alert the authorities and instead dispose the body, vowing to never discuss the horrible incident again. However, a year later, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), receives a letter revealing that someone else was on the road that night and knows exactly what they did. Seeking revenge, a hook-wielding killer fisherman begins haunting the four friends throughout their town of Southport, North Carolina, set on taking out the kiddos one by bloody one. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Again, the original "I Know What You Did Last Summer" wasn't exactly an immediate hit with professional critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, where the film holds an approval rating of 48%, the critical consensus reads: "A by-the-numbers slasher that arrived a decade too late, the mostly tedious 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' will likely only hook diehard fans of the genre." However, some critics were more charmed by the horror flick, which, along with "Scream" a year earlier, helped revive the slasher genre. Derek Elley of Variety called it a "polished genre piece with superior fright elements that should perform at better-than-average theatrical levels," while Richard Harrington of The Washington Post dubbed it "a smart and sharply-drawn genre film with a moral center, and with a solid cast of young actors to hold it." In the decades since its release, "I Know What You Did Last Summer" has endured among horror fans (and been the subject of many a funny parody) thanks to its very nineties-ness, from those Williamson-penned precocious teens to the megawatt '90s names playing them ("Party of Five" star Jennifer Love Hewitt, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" icon Sarah Michelle Gellar.) It's a bloody-good-fun relic of a long-gone era, but one that's clearly still resonating with viewers all these years later. Watch on Netflix until June 30, 2025
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
'90s Icon Sparks Mid-Life Crisis Buzz With New Song ‘Pretty Girls'
'90s Icon Sparks Mid-Life Crisis Buzz With New Song 'Pretty Girls' originally appeared on Parade. might not have gotten the reaction he was hoping for amid the release of his new song 'Pretty Girls.' Online critics didn't hold back with their opinions of his latest music, and some even suggested the Independence Day star might be having a 'mid-life crisis.' 'I think Will Smith is having a mid-life crisis. He's performing a new song in the middle of the street in LONDON. No energy, no response, Nada!' wrote one person on X. 'Will should have performed at Coachella.' Parade has reached out to Smith's reps for comment. In 'Pretty Girls,' Smith raps, 'It's a full house, better play your cards right / I'ma post your pic if you pose / Make one phone call, you in Vogue / Head, shoulders, knees, toes / Hold up, wait, pose.' He continues, 'I like BBLs / That stand for 'Bad b--ches link up' / Poppin in the club all night in the section / Picture perfect, I swear you perfection.' The tune has left its mark with listeners, but not in a good way. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 'Somebody please remind Will Smith that he was not a good rapper in his 20s that's why he became an actor & he ain't no better at 56,' another person chimed in and shared on X. 'Unc needa put the mic down and go do a movie instantaneously.' A third person even mentioned the infamous Oscars slap when Smith assaulted comedian Chris Rock on stage after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. 'Will Smith used to be the pride of Philly, but lately I just feel like he's doing anything he can to stay relevant. I'm guessing casting directors won't touch him with a 10 foot pole after the Oscar slap,' the X user said. However, not everyone was blasting the Men In Black actor for his return to the world of music. 'Why a mid life crisis and not someone who is rich and can do what he wants?' one of his defenders added. 'Will Smith being 50 yrs old free and living his best life vs a 40+ yr old tweeting about him on Twitter.' '90s Icon Sparks Mid-Life Crisis Buzz With New Song 'Pretty Girls' first appeared on Parade on Jun 23, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
14 hours ago
- USA Today
The FTW staff picks the best films of the 21st century in honor of the NYT poll
The New York Times recently polled numerous filmmakers, actors and movie watchers to determine the best 100 films of the 21st century. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite earned the top spot in the rankings, as 2019's Best Picture winner won the most support among those making ballots. With the publication allowing anybody to make their own "Reader's Choice" ballots, we polled the For the Win staff and got four takes on their favorite films from the past 25 years. Films like The Dark Knight, The Social Network, Spirited Away and Inception appeared on multiple ballots. Let's check out how all four ballots turned out! Cory Woodroof Blake Schuster Meghan L. Hall Robert Zeglinski Not a bad line up if you ask us!
