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Jed Boal ReportingThe film "Brokeback Mountain" still stirs controversy after a no-show at Jordan Commons in Sandy. Utah Jazz and theater-owner Larry Miller cancelled the movie at his Megaplex Theater last Friday, opening day.
Was that the right thing or the wrong thing to do? If you want to see the movie, it's playing at plenty of places along the Wasatch Front, but it's the one place that won't show it that's creating all the buzz.
Brokeback Mountain broke records at the Broadway in Salt Lake, but it couldn't make it up the mountain at the Megaplex in Sandy. The R-rated movie is a Western romance between two sheepherders.
Miller's move to pull the movie made headlines around the world; media in China, Britain and Australia ran the story, it was even the top-searched story on Yahoo-News last weekend. Heath Ledger, a "Brokeback Mountain" co-star, lashed out in an Australian newspaper and called the decision "immature" and "hilarious." Jay Leno even landed a jab in his monologue earlier this week.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: "And a movie theater in Utah cancelled a screening of the movie Brokeback Mountain because they felt it was inappropriate for the community standards; instead they ran Deliverance."
So, was canceling the movie the right or wrong thing to do? In a Survey USA poll for KSL-TV, 60 percent of Utahns think Miller was right to cancel the movie. Only one in three disagreed.
"It's not right. It's basically trying to hide things that are becoming controversial, the whole probability of homosexuality."
Miller has not commented publicly and a majority think Miller owes no public explanation.
"Since he's the owner of it, he really has the right to do that. Why is it different for him to take a stand than anybody else?"
And as for a boycott of Miller's businesses suggested by gay and lesbian advocacy groups, more than 80-percent say it is not justified.
"If he wants to pull it he can pull it, but he would make a lot of money on that movie."
Only 22-percent of those polled say they have seen or plan to see the movie. And only 14-percent say they are more interested to see the movie because of the controversy.
We tried again today to talk to Larry Miller; his office says he has nothing to say.
