Author Files $250 Million Lawsuit Against Brokeback Mountain Filmmakers
Janice Scott-Blanton, author of My Husband is on the Down Low and I Know About It, has filed a $250 million copyright infringement lawsuit against the makers of Brokeback Mountain claiming similarities between scenes in the movie and scenes from her novel, according to Black News.
"To support her allegations, Scott-Blanton has cataloged over 50 substantial similarities between the two bodies of work; these similarities range from subtle to the stark."
Scott-Blanton claims that scenes in a bar, bedroom, and kitchen in the movie have been lifted from her work, which Amazon lists as having a publication date of March 2005.
One wonders if Scott-Blanton is aware that Brokeback is adapted from a short story by Annie Proulx first published in The New Yorker in 1997.
Posted Jan. 29,2007 at 12:52 PM EST by Andy Towle in Books, Brokeback Mountain, News | Permalink
in my dreams fangirlhater...in my dreams
Posted by: jaks0526 | Jan 29, 2007 3:29:08 PM
I predcit that the judge will dismiss this suit and award court costs to the defendants. This attempt at legal greenmail (being paid to go away) is highly likely to backfire on Ms. J S-B and costs her a great deal of money. As for her attorney, he or she is facing the prospect of ethical sanctions (perhaps suspension and a mulct) for bringing frivolous litigation. Her claim is absurd on its face. Abuse of judicial process is not taken lightly, even in our overly litigious society.
Posted by: rudy | Jan 29, 2007 3:37:24 PM
What an idiot.
Posted by: Jack! | Jan 29, 2007 3:49:02 PM
ANGRY women... Get over the fact that your husband is gay.
Posted by: Paul | Jan 29, 2007 3:57:53 PM
Right on Soulbrotha!
Posted by: James | Jan 29, 2007 4:18:48 PM
Is she on day release ? If so, why?
Posted by: Richard | Jan 29, 2007 4:21:20 PM
She took her sweet time doing this. The movie has been on DVD for almost a year now. What took her so long?
And yeah, stupid.
Posted by: Lady Heather | Jan 29, 2007 5:01:44 PM
Well I guess that's one way to advertise your book but it's gonna cost her in the long run.
Posted by: Giovanni | Jan 29, 2007 5:04:16 PM
Soulbrotha: via e-mail Leland and I have been discussing the racist overtones on so many of the posts recently. Whew! I'm glad others have noticed. Incidentally, just because this is frivolous, it doesn't make her a "bitch." Ish, gay men, like anyone else, can be racist and mysogynist.
Posted by: JT | Jan 29, 2007 5:09:32 PM
I am assuming whoever said retarded is gay. Would you be offended if i said fag, i thought so. I am black and femal but the only thing that offends me is that word. The whole thing is people say you cant choose your sexual orientation children are a-sexual but people are BORN with developmental delays and i am offended by the use of that word. On topic down know to many other black women think that because they are black that is who they have to date/marry they emphasize it. So much for equality and this what they end u p with down low they are obsessed w/ finding perfect black man not just a man and every one knows all the perfect guys are gay
Posted by: sasha | Jan 29, 2007 5:14:30 PM
Wanna know the easiest way to get lots of replies on T-Road? Just post an unflattering story involving black people.
Posted by: Je | Jan 29, 2007 5:29:56 PM
Did every racist gay white man come from under a sheet to rag on this woman? I know "Brokeback" is the holy grail for quite a few, but, come on, why the need to call the woman out of her name? I guess its true, racism knows no sexual orientaion either. Just a sad shame that they can't dish about the merits of the book, nope, lowest common thing, throw in thier racist trash.
Posted by: Mark | Jan 29, 2007 6:06:47 PM
I took a shit today and someone took a shit in that movie, I'm gonna sue them!! It has nothing to do with race, but it has everything to do with what is wrong with PEOPLE today. You want to see some positive stories about black people?? Check out the new movie "God and Gays" and watch and listen to Reverand Deborah L. Johnson.
Posted by: Josh | Jan 29, 2007 6:14:39 PM
Does anyone else see the "stark" similarity described below? I sure don't:
"A more stark similarity is exhibited after James' and Annette's ninth wedding anniversary, when Annette from Scott-Blanton's novel confronted James regarding his homosexual activity. James told her that he had purposely written a confession in his journal because he knew she had been secretly reading it; he did not know of any other way to tell her about his secret. This scene transpires in a kitchen setting. After Thanksgiving dinner, in the movie Brokeback Mountain, Alma confronts Ennis (her husband) regarding his homosexual activity. Alma told Ennis she had purposely written a note and put it on the end of his fishing line for him to find. This scene also transpires in a kitchen setting."
Huh?
Posted by: Rob | Jan 29, 2007 6:24:13 PM
Go away idiot. Go to the street corner to get your money honey.
Posted by: John | Jan 29, 2007 6:52:05 PM
Andy does post the occasional black article that doesn't deal with a negative aspect. He covered the heroic man who saved a life while in the subway and the deaths of Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks. Those types of posts just don't attract the idiots that these types of posts due.
But the way people are acting in regards to this woman is just tasteless. She may be money-grubbing or she may have a case, there's no reason to disrespect the women like some of the commenters are.
Posted by: Seann | Jan 29, 2007 7:47:14 PM
I'm not sure why this is considered a negative story about black people just because this one lady is launching a lawsuit considered frivolous. She's acting on her own will! and she's speaking for herself..There's no need to get upset over the way fans respond to her, it's not that serious.
This said, I'll never grasp why some people are taking the movie Brokeback Mountain so personally. - Not only is it not the first movie made about gay men, but it doesn't represent the absolute best Hollywood can do..I firmly believe that. This inability to have any detached or critical dialogue over this *movie* reminds me of the sort of mass hysteria, cult-like blind devotion fans exhibit for Michael Jackson (and we all know that MJ is far from being the perfected -or completely sane- person he is made out to be by his fans). But I digress..
I think it's like super time to move on, and look forward..or even in the present cause there are still movies needing to be made. And better. Plus there's still lots of work needed to fight for our rights outside of the movie business, so..
Posted by: Da | Jan 29, 2007 8:26:40 PM
JE,
Not really. But if people are going to write racist trash in response to stories about black folk, then you are going to get lots of comments.
peace
Posted by: James | Jan 29, 2007 8:33:27 PM
james - i am black- please cut and paste in quotes the racist comments in this thread- thx.
Posted by: akaison | Jan 29, 2007 8:55:59 PM
By the way I know of an author who COULD sue Annie Proulx over copyright infrigement!
It's writer John G. Young who directed a low budget gay movie called "Parallel Sons" in 1995, which ironically is about an interacial gay love story involving a couple of fugitives from a homophobic American smalltown, who escape to..the mountains after they accidently murder someone! Has anyone heard of it?
I'll tell you a lot of the scenes are very smilar, it'll hint to the fact Proulx and Ang Lee were at least *inspired* by this movie to write BBM. Even the gloomy atmosphere and slow pace of their romance is the same, and one of them will meet a tragic end. The movie is available on Amazon.
Screen caps from the movie (30 photos)
http://tinyurl.com/2zhntn
Posted by: Da | Jan 29, 2007 9:59:17 PM
I don't support guys who cheat on their wives. If they are gay they should get a proper divorce first before (sounds easy, I know) trying to live in the life. It's not the wife's fault. Her story has it's own legitamacy, it doesn't need BBM to sanctify it and who knows, may make a great movie too.
Posted by: anon | Jan 29, 2007 11:15:19 PM
Andy reports a lot of positive stories. How about reading the whole blog, not just picking and choosing what you read (and complain about)!
Those of you spouting the "racist" bullshit are total f-ing lying pieces of crap. You accuse people of being racist because they support a project that helped highlight their community (also your community, in case you forgot)? It's not about color, so stop using that as an excuse to attack people.
Uh, the only thing 'Parallel Sons' and 'BBM' have in common is that it stars two men and has a mountain in it.
Posted by: shane | Jan 30, 2007 8:04:51 AM
Sadly, this "soulsistah" further substantiates most peoples view of Afros.
Posted by: LMNOP | Jan 30, 2007 8:22:25 AM
Any writer knows that there are no new stories left untold. EVERY story has already been told.
And when stories feature similar themes - being gay in the conservative midwest in 1969 - there are bound to be events that correspond.
I wrote and submitted a television screenplay way back in the early 1990's featuring a sci-fi concept that a few years later began to appear in television and films like "Memento." I could file suit claiming that my idea never appeared before I submitted my script. But I realize that writers often have the same inspiration and it's the height of arrogance to think you are the first or only person who thought up a concept.
Posted by: mark m | Jan 30, 2007 9:29:11 AM
ok, I'm confused. Since when does people calling out someone for unmitigated greed and opportunism equal racism or mysogynism? What does this woman's race have to do with the facts that BBM was published almost a decade before hers? I understand there are racist gay people, there are homophobic black people too! However, none of that has anything to do with this case! This woman is obviously looking to make some money off the work of someone else. If she has a legitimate case perhaps she'll prevail. Sure BBM is the holy grail right now and no one wants it messed with, but simply looking at the facts of the case show obvious frivolity to the suit. Let's look at facts first and hold the name calling till we know more.
Posted by: ake0526 | Jan 30, 2007 11:03:17 AM