Inside the Oscar Snub Moment of ‘Brokeback Mountain’ That Writer Annie Proulx Spills
Because nothing says romantic tragedy like an awards show with a side of cosmic irony, Annie Proulx knew at the 2006 Oscars that ‘Brokeback Mountain’ was doomed the second the applause for Crash got awkwardly louder. Proulx, whose short story inspired Ang Lee’s now-iconic Western romance, recalled in a recent New York Post interview that the very second she saw her own reflection in the rearview mirror of Oscar night hysteria, the Best Picture statuette had already slipped through her fingers.
The film had dominated critics’ prizes all year and racked up eight Academy nods, but when Proulx spotted side conversations fluttering through the Kodak Theatre like desperate moths to a dying flame, she realized Hollywood was ghosting her masterpiece. Not exactly the triumph lap one hopes for after crafting a screenplay that redefined a genre. In fact, she quipped off-camera, “It felt like a first date that ends with you paying the bill for both of you.”
Up until that moment, the awards chatter was all praise for Ang Lee’s direction and Heath Ledger’s raw vulnerability. Then Crash sauntered in wearing the smug grin of an overbearing chaperone—an Oscar bait so broad it practically moonwalked onto the stage. Proulx’s body language, described in a Vanity Fair roundtable as “sinking into her seat with perfect deadness,” told insiders everything. The room collectively inhaled a silent “oh no,” and you could almost hear the collective murmur: “Not again.”
Her anecdote is so specific that you can almost count the second hand ticking down on her last shred of hope. Academy Archives confirm Crash’s upset Best Picture win over Brokeback Mountain remains one of the biggest surprises in Oscar history. And if you needed further proof that Hollywood adores a comeback narrative more than an authentic one, just check the box office receipts: Brokeback Mountain pulled in north of $178 million worldwide despite catching the snub.
Every third gossip column and awards-season think piece has since rehashed that fateful night, but Proulx’s dry, borderline incredulous recap cuts deeper than any red carpet zinger. She even cited an off-the-record Bravo pundit cracking, “They handed the trophy to Crash to keep the peace—and we all politely clapped because that’s what we do here.”
Of course, this entire debacle makes for perfect drinking game material at any Oscars viewing party—take a shot every time someone says “underrated” or “snub.” But in her own child-like way, Proulx ended on an almost philosophical note: sometimes the biggest loss is the one you see coming. In true Deadpan Comedian fashion, her closing line was simply, “Congratulations to Crash—may your next script be less awkward than our acceptance speeches.”
So there you have it: the moment when Brokeback Mountain’s Best Picture dreams faded into Hollywood folklore. Tune in next time for more bad decisions and questionable life choices.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Vanity Fair, Academy Archives interviews, Oscar telecast records
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
