Brokeback Mountain comes to DVD April in U.S. and U.K.

By Patrick Luce Mar 20, 2006, 18:11 GMT

Brokeback Mountain tells the story of two men, Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Ledger), who meet in the summer of 1963 as sheepherders in Wyoming and are surprised to find that they are falling in love. The movie spans 20 years and revolves around their interaction and struggles as two men in love during a judgemental time. Hathaway plays the strong-willed ex-rodeo queen wife of Gyllenhaal\'s character and ...more

Academy Award nominees Heath Ledger (The Patriot, Lords of Dogtown) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead, Donnie Darko) star in the seminal film, Brokeback Mountain, the sweeping epic of two men who forge an intense, secretive bond, available on DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment April 4, with a suggested retail price of $29.98 and will be available in the UK on April 24th. 

Ang Lee’s (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) skillfully nuanced direction, which earned him an Academy Award, shapes Brokeback Mountain into a landmark story that is powerfully affecting. Also starring Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams (The Station Agent, Prozac Nation) and Anne Hathaway (Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted), this must-own DVD unfolds against the raw beauty and splendor of the American West.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment) and his collaborator Diana Ossana (Johnson County War) adapted the brilliant Academy Award -winning script from a short story by Annie Proulx - herself a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.  The film’s haunting soundtrack features performances by Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Rufus Wainwright, among others. 

“As one of the most talked-about movies of the year, Brokeback Mountain has not only established a new benchmark in filmmaking but it has also permeated the public consciousness to an unprecedented level,” commented Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, in a press release. “We are confident that this DVD will profoundly resonate among consumers and that it will quickly become an integral part of every DVD collection.”

Winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Director (Lee), Best Adapted Screenplay (McMurtry & Ossana) and Best Original Score (Gustavo Santaolalla), Brokeback Mountain tells the story of Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), two young men dispatched to work as sheepherders up on the majestic Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. During their experience, Ennis and Jack are drawn into an unexpected life-long relationship, filled with love and loss.

Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping epic that explores the lives of two young men, a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection. The complications, joys, and heartbreak they experience provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver emotionally charged, remarkably moving performances.
Hailed as a landmark film and lauded by critics everywhere for the fearlessly emotional performances of its stars, Brokeback Mountain captures the passion, heartbreak and regret that mark the life-long bond between two men. 

The DVD will be available in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and 1.33:1 Full Frame. It will be presented in English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround; English SDH; French and Spanish Subtitles.

Special features are set to include:
On Being A Cowboy
Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee
From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain
On Being A Cowboy
Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee
From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain
On Being A Cowboy
Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee
From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain is available for pre-order at Amazon. It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for an April 24th release. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.