Don't' Forget Jack Twist and Jake Glyllenhaal

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2006)

I've seen this movie twice and the emotions brought about by the film and what it represents have lingered with me all day. This commentary is laden with spoilers, so read at your own risk.
The more I've thought about the film *spoiler coming up*, the more I realize that Jack Twist, played by Jake Glyllenhaal, is, in my opinion, the more tragic of the two characters. This is not simply because of his fate in the film, but pay close attention to his character development through to the closing scene and you will notice that Jack was the character with the heart, the longing, the willingness to sacrifice and the dream. Granted, this movie is about Ennis Del Mar, who Heath Ledger literally BECAME, but Heath's incredible screen presence and believability may overshadow the very endearing and desperate qualities of Jake's Jack Twist.
Case in point, when Ennis visits Jack's parents' home, Jack, though he did not come from a broken home, was from a desolate place, bereft of true appreciation and his father's respect was colder than the winter chill on Brokeback Mountain. You can feel the void in Jack during his final, dramatic scene at the river. Jack never quite earns anyone's full respect until *spoiler* the very end, when Ennis realizes how much he loved him. Jack's parents, his employers, in-laws, his wife,and fellow rodeo cowboys offer up more scrutiny and contempt than love for him. It makes you pity him because Jake's Jack Twist was so flat out adorable, from his clumsiness, his flaws, and his congeniality, that you hope he finds true love. You forget that he is cheating on his wife child with other men and root him on!
Finally, *BIG spoiler* if Jack Twist died in the manner that Ennis envisions, then the movie is perhaps one of the most devastating I've seen. Mr. Glyllenhaal's Jack Twist was the character I empathized with the most, though I feel Ennis' conflict, his emptiness, and regret. It's mostly because he found the one thing we all seek in life, true love, but his fear kept him from taking the risk and giving himself wholly to it.
What a great performance and what a compelling love interest. If I could find a dreamer like Jack, male or female, I would hold on to that person. How about a best supporting actor nomination for Jake Glyllenhaal?