I’m surprised the shrews at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation haven’t come out with a press release denouncing the Screen Actors Guild as anti-gay since at last night’s SAG Awards the great gay hope Brokeback Mountain was shut out in all four categories in which it was nominated. Rarely has a film been burdened with such undue political significance. The gay media elite have been beating the drums since the film was in pre-production. The Human Rights Campaign took brown-nosing to new lows when it bestowed an "Equality Award" on Jake Gyllenhaal and Ang Lee for changing "the cultural fabric of our country." Larry King staged a truly idiotic debate between Chad Allen and right-wing radio bimbo Janet Parshall over the merits of Brokeback and, of course, gay marriage. Yes folks, in the Year of the Gays, the little dude from Our House is the only openly gay actor CNN could dredge out of West Hollywood.

Perhaps the only one to demur from commenting on Brokeback is our own cowboy-in-chief who told a Kansas State University audience that he hasn’t seen the movie, but he’s heard about it and would be "glad to talk about ranching." Maybe Laura will drag him to it one day, but I’m not sure it would do much to change Bush’s mind.

I saw the movie at the recommendation of smart, onetime Nation film critic B. Ruby Rich who called it the "most important" American film in years in the London Guardian. While I normally trust Ruby’s judgment, what was she thinking on this one? The film is far too pretty, too hygienic, too trite and slender to have the kind of cultural or political impact that’s being demanded of it. Sure there’s a powerful moment or two, but the whole thing reminded me of a Merchant Ivory chick flick — so much impossible love, so many precious costumes. In the end, it scarcely seemed to matter that the tortured lovers were both men. Perhaps that’s the point: to disappear the particularities of gay sexuality into the Western landscape. But as I looked over at the row of 40-something women weeping next to me, it seemed unlikely that they’d get up tomorrow and urge a filibuster of Alito or campaign against Defense of Marriage Amendments.

As for the gay cinephile in me, I’m not above paying $10.25 to see two cute, straight boys make out. But next time, there’s got to be a lot more exposure.