Brokeback Mountain

Jack Twist joins Ennis Del Mar to herd sheep on Brokeback Mountain. After a night of heavy drinking, Jack makes a pass at Ennis, who initially resists but eventually becomes receptive. They embark on a sexual and emotional relationship, even though Ennis insists it was a one-time incident. The bond between them begins to form under secrecy.

At the end of their contract, a brutal fight leaves both men bloodied and wary. They part ways with a lingering ache, and Ennis laments that he left one of his shirts on the mountain. The incident exposes the pressure of their secret life and foreshadows the distance ahead. The shirt becomes a symbol of what was left behind.

Ennis marries Alma Beers and settles into a conventional life. They have two daughters, Alma Jr. and Jenny, and Ennis tries to balance duty with his hidden longings. He keeps his past with Jack private while maintaining a family façade. The marriage marks a new chapter of love constrained by obligation.

The next summer, Jack returns seeking work but Aguirre rejects him after observing the bond with Ennis. He relocates to Texas, marries Lureen Newsome, and they have a son. This new life pulls him further from Brokeback and from Ennis, widening the gulf between them. The change cements a long-distance tension between the men.

Four years apart, Jack visits Ennis and they share a kiss that Alma accidentally witnesses. In a motel, Jack asks them to build a life together, but Ennis refuses to abandon his family. Ennis is haunted by a childhood memory of his father showing him a murdered man punished for homosexuality. The moment underscores the conflict between love and duty.

Ennis and Jack meet infrequently for private fishing trips as their marriages deteriorate. Lureen leaves the rodeo to work with her father, while Jack works in sales. Lureen's father openly disrespects Jack, adding tension to their fragile lives. The secrecy of their relationship bleeds into their public personas.

In 1975, Alma and Ennis divorce, ending their conventional family life. Jack drives back to Wyoming to suggest they live together, but Ennis again refuses to move. He remains bound to his daughters and his sense of duty. The breakup marks a pivotal turn in their relationship.

During Thanksgiving, Alma confronts Ennis about Jack in a tense kitchen exchange, and he storms out, cutting off contact. The rift persists as both men continue separate lives. Ennis's world becomes defined by distance and duty rather than by their love. The scene highlights the social costs of their bond.

Ennis begins a brief romance with Cassie, a waitress, while Jack and Lureen befriend Randall and Lashawn Malone, with an implied affair between Jack and Randall. The lovers juggle work, secrecy, and the pressures of distance. The relationships reflect the ongoing pull between public life and private desire.

A postcard Ennis sent to Jack is returned stamped 'Deceased.' He calls Jack's number and Lureen reveals Jack died when a car tire exploded in his face. Ennis envisions men beating Jack with a tire iron as he processes the news. Lureen says Jack requested his ashes be scattered on Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis visits Jack's parents to fulfill Jack's wish about his ashes. Jack's father wants the ashes interred in a family plot, while Jack's mother allows him to visit Jack's old bedroom. Ennis discovers the shirt he left on Brokeback Mountain, tucked inside one of Jack's shirts, and he embraces the shirts with tears.

Years later, an aging Ennis lives alone in a trailer. His daughter Alma Jr. visits with news of her engagement and asks for his blessing, which he finally grants before attending the wedding. In the closet, Alma Jr.'s jacket hides Jack's shirt beside Ennis's, and a Brokeback Mountain postcard hangs on the door as Ennis whispers, 'Jack, I swear...'