What is it with women and Brokeback Mountain?

[mondo joe]

I finally saw Brokeback this weekend. The audience was 75% women, and most of them older women at that.

When the credits started there was this very audible shuddering and sobbing from all sides of the audience.

Of course it was a touching movie -- I'm not surprised at tears. But there were women crying as if they were at their best friend's funeral.

I'm not asking why people cry at movies or why at this one. I've seen plenty of weepy movies, but so far I've never seen a movie that hit the female audience this way. It made Joy Luck Club look like a comedy.

So what about this movie is SO affecting for women??

[bigwillq]

1. I cried like a little baby too. (maybe spoiler)

From the part where MIchelle Williams confronts Heath in the kitchen until the credits rolled.
:cry:

[KitchenWitch]

2. It was heartbreaking!

:cry:

[mondo joe]

5. Let me rephrase my question then: there are many heartbreaking movies -

what is it about THIS heartbreaking movie - as opposed to all others -- that seems to exert such a powerful response in women????

[KitchenWitch]

7. I can't speak for anyone else

But I had the same depth of feelings after seeing "The Joy Luck Club". Something about the unfulfilled potential really taps into intense sadness for me.

[bigwillq]

6. Yes, indeed.

For days afterwards, I couldn't shake it. It was so powerful and moving.

[LostinVA]

8. Me too -- for days, we talked about the movie

Very few movies have this effect on me... and yeah, "The Joy Luck Club" was on of those. As a poster said up thread, just the poignancy of an unfulfilled life...

[Left Is Write]

3. I can only speak for myself... (spoilers)

I haven't seen the movie, but I read the story. It made me cry because it was just SO tragic. Jack's death was so needless and brutal. I cried not only for his death and Ennis' loss, but for the waste of what could have been and for the hurt that rippled far beyond either of the men. From what I have heard of the movie, it is so beautifully and poignantly acted and directed that I'd guess my emotions would be even more heightened than they were reading the story.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Yeah, I've definitely seen weepier movies too.

Hell, Shawshank Redemption brings me infinitely closer to tears than this one did.

[derby378]

9. Read the story, and it made me a little weepy, too

Haven't seen the movie yet, but without giving too much away, it's an epic story that stretches over some 15-20 years, IIRC. This ain't quite the same as Romeo and Juliet. It hits you on a somewhat different level.

[m_welby]

10. because women love to cry.

At least thats my experience, they just love this stuff. Me, I can't stand it. give me escapism anytime over pain and sadness.

[Hissyspit]

11. I'm a guy and I teared up. n/t