This movie was not what I was expecting. We do not have TV and work has been so busy that I have not had much of a chance to listen to the radio or read the papers. I thought it was going to be about handsome cowboys, the hard life they live and the love that keeps them going. I am in to light stuff these days.

Well, in reality it was about the love that sustained them but also about the denial of that love in a society that did not permit their relationship together. If they had awknowledged and acted on their need to permanently be with each other then they could have moved away and it may have had a happier ending. Although there was a theme of gut wrenching sadness and lonliness, the wilderness back drop was perfect because it mirrored their harsh lives and provided a non judgmental stage for them to explore and express themselves. I loved this movie on many levels. It is haunting and I keep coming back to certain scenes. Their happiness by the river, the cruel demonstration to the young boys of what happens if you get involved with a man, the perfect lying by Anne Hathaway when she describes how her husband died, the love in the eyes of Jake G.’s movie mom when she lets Heath’s character upstairs…and many more. When I looked around the theater, almost all of us had tears in our eyes and when Willie Nelson comes on at the end and sings “He was a friend of mine” it was game over.

This is one of those stories that I can read over and over. It is moving. I don’t even like boxing and yet I find myself drawn to the main character, Peekay, because he overcomes obstacles and succeeds. Also, I love the gardening bit . Again it seems magical how he learns about plants and creates great things from the surroundings. A good tale of survival!