Ang Lee in Denver

A sold out Ellie Caulkins Opera House (that's 2,200+ seats) watched the premiere of Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" last night in Denver at the Starz Denver International Film Festival, with filmgoers giving Lee a standing ovation when he was introduced before the screening and again afterward.
Mayor John Hickenlooper presented the 51-year-old Lee with a lifetime achievement award, prompting Lee to comment that he's only made nine films so far and he hopes there are more. Then he said actually each of his films is like a life of its own, so he's had nine lives.
Cast and crew watched the film three days earlier in Calgary. In Denver, Annie Proulx, whose short story inspired the film, and writers Larry McMurtry ("The Last Picture Show") and Diana Ossana, who adapted it for the screen, were with Lee for the premiere.
Lee said he couldn't think of anything farther from his own experience than the story of the two gay ranch hands in Wyoming in "Brokeback Mountain." He had Proulx's short story in his head four years ago, before he took on "Hulk." He calls it "a great American love story" and that the material he chooses to do is usually something that wrenches his gut, that touches him in the bottom of his heart.
When told that some in the audience cried during the movie, he expressed surprise because it was a masculine love story. "I thought it was very restrained. I was hoping people would be very quiet and hang their heads walking out!" He said he did cry though when he read Proulx's story.
The film covers 20 years. Lee chose to use young actors and have them age through makeup and costumes. He says the actors were all good. "It's scary how good they are, and they're that young."
Lee, born in Taiwan, says he has forever been an outsider _ a Taiwanese in China, an Asian in America as he studied at University of Illinois and NYU _ so he relates to characters seen as outsiders.
He started his career writing three films, then started working on adaptations. "Sense and Sensibility" was his first work for hire. Usually he is involved in preproduction. He says a lot of his work scares him and thrills him. For S&S, he barely spoke any English. "I was 30 years behind everyone. That is not an ideal position to be directing. So that was very frightening."
For "The Ice Storm," he said he had to recreate an era that most people wanted to forget. So he said that was scary. But he says it allowed him to create more of an artistic film.
When he accepted his award, he said he hopes to forever be a film student. He says film is the way he understands humanity. He says he appreciates independent film, which is where he comes from, and where he is now after "Hulk." He says he's happy after "Brokeback Mountain" to see that this is also where his "claws" are.
(He also got laughs when he thanked the crowd for applauding when he got the award --"you are so nice," -- and when he thanked the mayor -- "You are very nice" -- and loud applause when he said to the mayor "I hope a nice man like you can run for governor")