Why We Broke Up Book Summary

[Michael]

In2012, I went to a Steve Aoki concert. One of my good friends was a fan of his and we happened to be in Chicago that weekend, so we saw the crazy, club-climbing, cake-throwing DJ, who was immensely popular already. But he too comes from humble beginnings.

Every single day new technologies are released by the millions. A lot of them, especially software, are free. Product Hunt alone gives you access to thousands of tools you can use. Maintaining a website is cheap. Blogging is free on a platform like Medium.

The Power Of Broke holds a very singular and focused message: being broke is an advantage. Nonetheless, there are many more built around it, which are hidden inside the stories Daymond tells. Definitely worth your attention!

Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by Ossana and Larry McMurtry. The film stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams. Its plot depicts the complex romantic relationship between two American cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, in the American West from 1963 to 1983.

Lee became attached to the project in 2001 after previous attempts to adapt Proulx's story into a film did not materialize. Focus Features and River Road Entertainment would jointly produce and distribute the film. After Ledger and Gyllenhaal's casting was announced in 2003, filming commenced in various locations in Alberta in 2004. Brokeback Mountain premiered at the 2005 Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, and was released to theaters on December 9 that year.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, with high praise for the performances of Ledger and Gyllenhaal, and emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, grossing over $178 million worldwide against its $14 million budget. At the 78th Academy Awards, Brokeback Mountain was nominated for Best Picture and won for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. It garnered seven nominations at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, winning four. At the 59th British Academy Film Awards, Brokeback Mountain had nine nominated, winning Best Film, Best Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Gyllenhaal).

Brokeback Mountain was subject to controversies; its loss to Crash (2004) for the Academy Award for Best Picture, subsequent censorship, and criticism from conservative media outlets received significant attention. The sexuality of the main characters has been subject to discussion. Brokeback Mountain has also been regarded as a turning point for the advancement of queer cinema into the mainstream. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

In Wyoming in 1963, cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist are hired by Joe Aguirre to herd his sheep through the summer on grazing pastures on Brokeback Mountain. After a night of heavy drinking, Jack makes a pass at Ennis. While initially reluctant, Ennis becomes receptive, and he and Jack have sex in their tent. Despite Ennis telling Jack that it was a one-time incident, they develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Near the end of their work contract, Ennis and Jack have a brawl that leaves both of them bloodied. Before parting ways, Ennis offhandedly laments that he left one of his shirts on the mountain.

Ennis marries his longtime fiance Alma Beers and has two daughters with her: Alma Jr. and Jenny. Jack returns the next summer seeking work, but Aguirre, who observed Jack and Ennis engaging in homosexual activity on the mountain, refuses to hire him. Jack moves to Texas, where he meets wealthy rodeo rider Lureen Newsome; they marry and have a son.

After four years apart, Jack visits Ennis. Upon meeting, they kiss passionately, which a stunned Alma inadvertently witnesses. In the privacy of a motel room, Jack broaches the subject of creating a life together, but Ennis refuses, as he is unwilling to abandon his family and is haunted by a childhood memory of his father showing him the body of a man who was tortured and killed for suspected homosexuality.

Ennis and Jack meet infrequently for private fishing trips while their respective marriages deteriorate. Lureen abandons the rodeo and goes into business with her father, with Jack working in sales. Alma and Ennis divorce in 1975. Upon hearing about it, Jack drives to Wyoming and tells Ennis that they should live together, but Ennis refuses to move away from his children.

Alma takes custody of Alma Jr. and Jenny, and marries Monroe, manager of the grocery store where she works. Ennis visits them during a Thanksgiving dinner. In the kitchen, when Alma and Ennis are alone, she confronts him about his relationship with Jack. The two spar, causing Ennis to storm out and cease contact with Alma.

Ennis has a short-lived romantic relationship with a waitress named Cassie. Jack and Lureen befriend another couple, Randall and Lashawn Malone, and it is implied that Jack and Randall have a brief affair. At the end of a tryst disguised as a fishing trip, Ennis tells Jack that he cannot see him again for months due to work demands. The pair argue, before Jack embraces a crying Ennis.

Sometime later, Ennis receives a returned postcard that he had sent to Jack, stamped with "Deceased". Ennis calls Jack's phone number, and Lureen takes the call. She tells Ennis that Jack died in an accident from drowning in his own blood after a car tire exploded in his face. While she is describing what happened, Ennis envisions a group of men beating Jack to death with a tire iron. Lureen tells him that Jack wanted to have his ashes scattered on Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis visits Jack's parents hoping to carry out his wish. Jack's father declares that Jack's ashes will be interred in a family plot. Jack's mother tells Ennis that he is welcome to visit Jack's bedroom. Going there alone, in the closet he finds the shirt that he had thought he had left on the mountain, which Jack had secretly kept, nested inside one of his own shirts. Ennis holds the shirts to his face and silently weeps. Jack's mother sees him holding the two shirts, and allows him to keep them.

Later, a 19-year-old Alma Jr. arrives at Ennis's trailer to tell him that she is engaged to Kurt, a man who works in the oil fields. She asks for his blessing and invites him to the wedding. Ennis hesitates due to his work commitments, but then agrees to attend the wedding. Once Alma Jr. leaves, Ennis goes to the closet where the two shirts hang together, Jack's shirt now inside Ennis's. Next to them, tacked to the closet door, is a postcard of Brokeback Mountain. With tears in his eyes, he stares at the mementos, and says, "Jack, I swear..."

Screenwriter Diana Ossana discovered Annie Proulx's short story, Brokeback Mountain, in October 1997, just days after its publication. She convinced writing partner Larry McMurtry to read it, who thought it was a "masterpiece". The pair asked Proulx if they could adapt it into a film screenplay; although she did not think that the story would work as a film, she agreed.[4] In a 1999 interview with The Missouri Review, Proulx praised their screenplay.[5] Ossana said that convincing a director and production company to make the film was a challenging and nonstop process.[4] Gus Van Sant attempted to make the film, hoping to cast Matt Damon and Joaquin Phoenix as Ennis and Jack, respectively. He also considered Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Ryan Phillippe.[6] Josh Hartnett was originally attached to the film but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with The Black Dahlia.[7] Damon, who previously worked with Van Sant on Good Will Hunting, told the director, "Gus, I did a gay movie (The Talented Mr. Ripley), then a cowboy movie (All the Pretty Horses). I can't follow it up with a gay-cowboy movie!"[8] Instead, Van Sant went on to make the 2008 biographical film Milk, based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk. Edward Norton and Joel Schumacher were also linked with the project at one point.[9][10]

Focus Features CEO James Schamus optioned the film rights in 2001, but thought it was a risky project. Pedro Almodvar was initially offered the opportunity to direct, but turned it down, citing concerns about artistic freedom.[11] At Ossana's request, Schamus showed the story and screenplay to director Ang Lee.[4] Lee decided to make Hulk instead; his experience of Hulk, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon from two years prior left him exhausted. In 2003, he considered retirement but Brokeback Mountain came back to his mind and tempted him back into filmmaking.[12] Lee attempted to get the film made as an independent producer.[9] However, this did not work out, and before Lee would take a break after finishing Hulk, he contacted Schamus about Brokeback Mountain.[13] Schamus thought Brokeback Mountain embraces the American West without being a traditional Western,[14] and told Lee that he should consider directing it. Lee said, "Towards the end [of the script] ... I got tears in my eyes".[15] He was particularly drawn to the authentic rural American life and repression depicted in the story.[15][16] Bill Pohlad of River Road Entertainment, who had a two-year partnership with Focus Features, helped finance the film.[17]

Casting director Avy Kaufman said Lee was very decisive about the actors for the lead roles. In 2003, screenwriters Ossana and McMurty suggested Heath Ledger (after being impressed by his performance in Monster's Ball), but the film studio thought he was not masculine enough. Regardless, Kaufman sent the script to Ledger, who thought it was "beautiful" and put himself forward.[4][12] Gyllenhaal reacted to the script positively and signed on for the role; he also did not want to miss the opportunity to work with Lee and friend Ledger. Lee met with Mark Wahlberg for a role in the film, but Wahlberg declined as he was "creeped out" by the script.[18] Gyllenhaal admired Ledger and described him as "way beyond his years as a human".[19][20] Other actors were considered for the leads but Lee said they were too afraid to take on the roles.[21]

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