10 "Controversial" Movies That Didn't Deserve All The Hype

5. Brokeback Mountain

The controversy: So apparently 'controversial' that certain actors in Hollywood wouldn't touch it (Joaquin Phoenix and Matt Damon declined roles in the film, while Mark Wahlberg turned it down because he was "creeped out" by the homosexual content), Brokeback Mountain's love story between two cowboys was opposed by some American conservatives and religious groups, with the main issue being that the same-sex relationship was in opposition to the 'traditional' idea of the American family. The reality: Brokeback Mountain is a romantic drama, no more, no less - the only difference is that the romantic leads happen to both be men. And while Ang Lee's film might have seemed like some kind of watershed moment for homosexual relationships in cinema, it really wasn't. American cinema had been dealing with homosexual themes for years - see Midnight Cowboy and Cruising further up the list - and in 1991 Gus Van Sant had delivered an acclaimed movie (My Own Private Idaho) featuring two major male movie stars (River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves) playing characters who were in love. Brokeback Mountain deserved the hype for being a great film, not for rocking the foundations of the USA.