Some Questions About Brokeback Mountain (** SPOILERS **)

[arwalden]

When Jack was talking to Ennis and confessing to having had an affair with the foreman's wife, was he really confessing to having had an affair with the foreman?

Did Lureen know that Jack was beaten to death? Or was the version that she told Ennis just her cover-story?

Did Jack's mom really understand *why* Ennis took the shirts?

[Samurai_Writer]

1. My opinions

1. Yes, I think he was really confessing ot having an affair with the foreman -- the one who Jack's father mentioned at the end of the movie, when Jack started talking about having another fellow come up to help with the ranch instead of Ennis.

2. I think she knew, just from her expressions and demeanor while talking to Ennis on the phone.

3. Jack probably told his mom about them, I think. She seemed to have been very understanding of Jack, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jack had told her all about Ennis. She was very caring towards Ennis when he came to visit.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I'm going with "yes" on all counts.

[CBHagman]

3. Judging by Annie Proulx's short story... (SPOILER)

(LAST CHANCE TO STOP READING BEFORE SPOILER)

...it's Ennis's belief that Lureen is lying to him when she tells about the accident that killed Jack. Proulx writes that Ennis is both angry that Lureen let Jack die alone on that road AND that when he hears her account, he thinks automatically that Jack died the way his neighbor died (the gay man whose body Mr. Del Mar shows the young Ennis). So the origin of the story is Ennis's suspicion, intuition, fear, what have you. We don't know whether it's true or not.

On edit: I really was struck by the contrasting attitudes of Mr. and Mrs. Twist during Ennis's visit. Jack's mother, reserved though she was, couldn't hide her obvious love for her son and a certain tenderness towards Ennis. Jack's father, on the other hand, tries to take away what little Ennis has of Jack when he (Mr. Twist) implies that Jack was always going on about getting some sort of property with some man. Ouch!

In the end, though, we see evidence that Jack had always kept Ennis in his heart.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Yes...

Jack was confessing about being with the foreman. I don't think he had the heart to confess to Ennis he was seeing another man.

I think how Jack died and who did or didn't know was left vague on purpose for the audience member to decide for themselves. I think the one thing that was clear was Loreen was making the connection between Jack and Ennis for the first time.

Yes, the Mom knew (so did the Dad) -- I don't think anything was every said out loud about it between her and Jack, but she knew none the less, the way a Mom "knows" things.

[Misunderestimator]

5. I would agree with you on all three.

[XNASA]

6. Yes to #1....

With regards to #2, not only did Lureen know that Jack was beaten to death, but I'm guessing she was sure that it was her father who had the deed done. I think that Jack pissed him off at Thanksgiving dinner and Lureen's father decided then and there to put and end to Jack for various reasons.

#3. Most certainly Jack's mom understood.

[arwalden]

7. Interesting. I Had Not Considered The Possibility That Lureen's Father...

would have taken out a hit on Jack. I assumed that Jack had made a mistake and trusted (or sexually approached) the wrong person. --- But your theory certainly makes sense to me too.

While she was talking to Ennis, I could see her putting the final pieces of the puzzle into place. When she told Ennis that he should visit Mr & Mrs Twist, I was convinced that she had figured out (or was beginning to understand) Jack's relationship with him.

[CBHagman]

8. I think there's no suggestion that Lureen's father did it.

I'd really urge you to read the short story and draw your conclusions from that.

It takes a pretty cold man to beat someone to death over a Thanksgiving dinner tiff.

[arwalden]

9. The Brokeback Mountain DVD Also Has An Audio CD Of The...

... original short story. I'm looking forward to listening to it. I hope it's unabridged.