“I wish I knew how to quit you!”
Brokeback Mountain‘s 2005 release delivered many indelible moments, including the above line uttered during a particularly wrenching scene between Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger‘s star-crossed cowboys. Based upon Annie Proulx’s same-named, award-winning short story, the instantly iconic classic won three Oscars (including Best Director for Ang Lee) and even now occupies a special place in moviegoers’ still-beating hearts. Focus Features will soon be marking the 20th anniversary with a series of trinkets, which are preceded by a newly released trailer:
Special screening dates are also coming this summer (fireworks, yo) starting on June 22 and 25 (get your tickets right here) with promises of goodies like new merch and other unspecified surprises in the works. And at this point, the realization that the film has endured for two decades suggests a lifelong bond for viewers, giving the audience a taste of the attachment that couldn’t be shaken by Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist and Ledger’s Ennis Del Mar.
Brokeback Mountain co-starred Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway as the wives of Ennis and Jack, and what transpired onscreen propelled careers into the stratosphere. For starters, Gyllenhall moved beyond Donnie Darko cult status, and Ledger found himself barreling toward his legendary Joker performance (and posthumous Oscar win) in The Dark Knight. Likewise, Gyllenhaal, Williams, and Ledger were nominated for Brokeback Mountain, and Hathaway later took home Best Supporting Actress for Les Misérables.
If you’re feeling nostalgic already, feel free to revisit the soundtrack featuring Rufus Wainwright, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris, and relive the magic from the below stills.
