Overview

• Diana Ossana said she learned at a party for Oscar nominees that Clint Eastwood had not seen the film before the ceremony, a moment that convinced her it would not win Best Picture.
• She asserted that homophobia played a decisive role in its defeat to “Crash” despite the film’s awards-season success.
• Several Academy acting-branch members, including Ernest Borgnine and Tony Curtis, publicly refused to watch “Brokeback Mountain” and dismissed its cultural importance.
• During its initial release, Ossana visited theaters in Missouri, South Dakota and Colorado to observe audience reactions, noting packed houses, occasional walkouts and emotional responses.
• Focus Features has rereleased the film nationwide to commemorate its 20th anniversary and offer audiences another opportunity to experience it on the big screen.