‘Mountain’ of controversy for new gay-themed film

Will Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger get hot and heavy in “Brokeback Mountain”? Or will the gay-themed plot be toned down so as not to offend audiences?

The two box-office heartthrobs raised eyebrows in Hollywood when it was revealed that they would star in a film based on Annie Proulx’s critically acclaimed novel about two cowboys who fall in love while herding sheep and, as one Amazon reviewer put it, “deny they’re ‘queer’ even during their rough love making.”

The book contains some pretty explicit love scenes, and in previous interviews, Gyllenhaal has said he’s comfortable playing a gay character. “[My friends] are all like, ‘Dude, you’re gonna kiss a guy?’ But it’s not about that for me,” Gyllenhaal told the Calgary Sun earlier this month. “It’s about how impossible love can be sometimes and I can relate to that. I grew up in a family where many of our close friends were gay couples. As well as that, every man goes through a period of thinking they’re attracted to another guy.”

But now it looks like director Ang Lee has decided to tone down the gay love scenes. “We were all talking about the kissing in the movie just recently,” Gyllenhaal told the Malaysian Star. “Clearly it’s pretty challenging material, but Ang said two men herding sheep was far more sexual than two men having sex on screen.” 

But that comparison hasn’t gone down terrible well with some. Lamented one poster on the gay Web site DataLounge: “If herding sheep is to be used as a metaphor for the very real sensuality (and sexuality) of the story, the movie will be an insult, to the writer, the reader and the gay community.”

Silence of the lambs

Mariah Carey is the cover girl of the upcoming issue of Autograph Collector magazine. But it’s not an accolade.

The troubled diva — who calls her fans her “lambs” — is singled out as one of the worst celebs when it comes to giving fans her signature.

“Mariah is yet another big name who would rather not be bothered,” notes the article. “Goes so far as to say she won’t sign photos because she doesn’t like how she looks in them. Can you spell v-a-i-n?”

The lambs beg to differ.

Notes from all over

Sarah Jessica Parker was demanding on the set of her Lux commercial, according to U.K. reports. . . . Lynndie England, one of the disgraced guards in the Iraq prison abuse scandal, actually has a fan site. “Lynddie forever!” it declares. “If anyone out there thinks they can do a better job in Iraq...then shut up and go there yourself.” . . .William Shatner doesn’t hold back when expressing his fondness for former “Star Trek” co-star Leonard Nimoy, now that the two of them are working together again — this time in Priceline ads. “He’s become quite a droll fellow and I love him very much,” notes Shatner on his web site. “Whenever we find ourselves together, we love to talk about the past, present and future.  . . .He’s my wonderful companion through time and I value his presence in my life more than I can say.”

Jeannette Walls Delivers the Scoop Mondays through Thursdays on MSNBC.com

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