6./5. Ennis Del Mar & Jack Twist (Brokeback Mountain)
In 2005, these star-crossed lovers hit movie theatres and really shook up the romance genre. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal played Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, respectively, a couple of cowboys who met while herding sheep together through the Wyoming mountains one fateful summer. What transpired that summer was an epic love story that carried on over the course of decades and the disintegration of Ennis' marriage to wife Alma (Michelle Williams). Unlike the trio from To Wong Foo, these two are ranked separately, however it was quite difficult to determine who should rank higher over the other. Ennis - who probably leans more toward the bisexual orientation - represented a truly masculine character that was a stark departure from the over-the-top campy gay/bi characters film audiences had come to know and love thanks to To Wong Foo, The Birdcage, and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Ennis is a man who is startled by his sudden feelings for Jack Twist but is adamant about standing by his family, even if it costs him the happiness he feels when he is with Jack. In a lot of ways, he represented the kind of men who remain in the closet out of fear of the repercussions, which during his time, were quite severe from intolerant folks. Jack, on the other hand, had more homosexual leanings despite being married to Lureen (Anne Hathaway); representing the idealistic type of lover who seeks comfort in others when Ennis becomes detached and his wife grows increasingly colder. Their tale is heartbreaking, to say the least, but left an undeniable impression on viewers gay and straight alike.
Tommy Bobby Watanabe is an aspiring American novelist, stage actor, playwright, former LGBT rights activist, and has three years of independent professional wrestling experience and has been a big fan since 1998. An avid horror movie buff and comic book aficionado, TBW is honored to be featured on WhatCulture with some of the Internet's most talented writers and looks to spread his own knowledge and wit to WhatCulture's loyal readers.
