December 13, 2005 | Celeb Watch

Brokeback sweeps award noms

If Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger play hot gay cowboys in your masturbatory daydreams, wake up because they're reprising those roles in the new romantic drama "Brokeback Mountain." And what's more, they're earning Oscar buzz for their performances.

"Brokeback" received a whopping seven Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, including nods for best dramatic picture, best actor (Ledger), best supporting actress (Michelle Williams) and best director (Ang Lee).

"Brokeback" tells the story of a husband and father, played by Ledger, who has a secret love affair with a sheepherding companion, played by our favorite "Jarhead," Gyllenhaal. Gyllie, however, almost turned down his role as a sexy shepherd.

"Like everyone else, the first thing I heard was 'the gay cowboy' movie," he told Toronto's The Globe and Mail. "I thought it was something I would not want to get anywhere near just because it sounds absurd. Well, this movie is anything but absurd."



"Brokeback" has already earned top honors at the Venice Film Festival and sensational reviews from the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

On Globes night, "Brokeback" faces "The Constant Gardener," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "A History of Violence" and "Match Point" in the battle for best dramatic picture. If the movie receives an Oscar-nod for best picture in January, it will be the first gay-themed movie to do so.

If the movie's sex scenes -- described as "aggressive" by  some reviewers -- are any indication, Oscar voters will at least oggle the film, if not laud it!

• Brokeback Mountain tests Oscar waters [Yahoo! News - AP]
• Not just a gay cowboy [The Globe and Mail]