After 20 years, Michelle Williams still doesn’t understand how Brokeback Mountain lost the Best Picture Oscar to Crash. Williams starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Ang Lee’s acclaimed 2005 neo-Western about the long-term romantic relationship between a pair of cowboys. While Lee went on to win the Best Director award at that year’s Oscars, Brokeback Mountain was denied the night’s big prize, losing Best Picture to Crash, in what is widely considered one of the biggest Oscar injustices ever perpetrated.
Twenty years after Brokeback fell to Crash on Oscar night, star Williams still can’t understand how the upset happened, conveying bafflement over the oft-maligned result, while outright dismissing the winning film, whose reputation has not held up well over the decades. In a recent interview, Williams detailed why she knew Brokeback Mountain would be special, even before the film was released (via Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen):

Yes because people were so open about it. I just remember doing the junket. You don’t really get an opportunity to see a lot of grown men cry. That was the moment that I think that we all knew that it was going to be special.

Asked about the big Oscar night upset, Williams had a simple reply that sums up how history feels about Crash:

What was Crash?

History Is On Her Side

Brokeback Mountain went into the 2006 Oscars as one of the favorites, scoring eight nominations overall, with stars Gyllenhaal, Ledger and Williams all up for awards. Crash, on the other hand, seemed only a minor contender with five nominations. Lee’s Best Director win seemed to set up Brokeback for a big night, but Crash crashed the party, walking away with the top honor.

Ledger was not present for Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar-night loss, as he refused to attend the ceremony due to jokes about the movie’s storyline

Williams’ latest remarks about Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar-night loss encapsulate history’s verdict on what happened at the 2006 Oscars. Twenty years on from that Best Picture upset, Brokeback is by far the better-regarded film, continuing to resonate with audiences, while Crash is dismissed as an empty shell of a movie that, confusingly, caught a wave of critical acclaim upon its release, but has held up poorly. Lists of the worst Best Picture winners frequently include Crash, while Brokeback’s snubbing is routinely ranked among the most egregious ever.
Our Take On Williams Still Being Bothered By Crash’s Oscar Win

She’s Not Alone In Slamming Crash

It should come as no surprise that Williams remains confused about how Crash managed to pull off its Oscar-night victory over Brokeback Mountain. She knows what an important movie Brokeback is to a lot of people, and felt the emotion it was creating even during the press junket before release. That emotion was supposed to crest with a big win on Oscar night, but for whatever reason, the final prize was snatched away. Time has vindicated those like Ledger and Williams who championed Brokeback in the face of jokes and backlash, while relegating Crash to the discard pile.

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Source: Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Brokeback Mountain

10/10

Release Date

December 9, 2005

Runtime

134 minutes

Director

Ang Lee

Writers

Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana