Brokeback Mountain Clears Hurdles for Gay Films

Monday's Golden Globe Awards may be a key victory for gay films, with Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," the biography "Capote," and the film "Transamerica" being top contenders for the awards. "Brokeback Mountain" is a film about two gay cowboys; "Capote" is the chronicle of gay author Truman Capote; and "Transamerica" is a story of a man preparing for surgery to become a woman. "Brokeback" has lead the field with seven nominations, including Best Drama, while "Brokeback" lead Heath Ledger ("A Knight's Tale") and "Capote" star Phillip Seymour Hoffman ("The Talented Mr. Ripley") both vie for Best Dramatic Lead-Actor. Felicity Huffman of "Transamerica" has also been nominated for Best Dramatic Actress. This might be a first for the Oscars, which have never given a Best Picture to a gay-themed film before. Other nominees are the Ralph Fiennes thriller "The Constant Gardener," the Edward R. Murrow bio "Good Night, and Good Luck," the graphic novel adaptation "A History of Violence," and the infidelity tale "Match Point."