7) Brokeback Mountain
I’m not one of the people, of which there are many, who think Crash is the worst Best Picture winner ever. I think it’s more subtle than people give it credit for, that beneath the overt racism on its surface, which isn’t as unrealistic as people think especially if you listen to talk radio, there are some fascinating observations made on how racism actually works subconsciously in a multicultural society. All that being said, Brokeback Mountain is an incredible movie that deserved all the awards.
It could have earned distinction simply from Heath Ledger’s performance as the almost incoherently soft-spoken life pardner of Jake Gyllenhaal, who has also never been better even though his character was more vocal. Add to that the heartbreaking work of Michelle Williams and one of the least Anne Hathway-y performances of Anne Hathaway’s career. It’s easy to forget that although 2005 seems like a short while ago, making a movie all about a gay relationship like this was still taboo in the purportedly liberal Hollywood film industry. This movie doesn’t make that taboo into mere gimmickry. It’s a genuinely felt, beautifully realized and exceedingly emotional portrayal of a romance forbidden for arbitrary reasons.
