Meh.

That word sums up the impact of this snoozefest as well as any.

Known as “The Gay Cowboy Movie” throughout the country, I went in with certain expectations. I expected the love scene(s) to be cringe-inducing to the average straight man; the one scene was toned-down to the point of irrelevance (seriously; it will be a nonissue even to the most homophobic among you). I expected some sort of political / social message; if it was there, it was too weak to penetrate the movie’s own aura of mediocrity. I expected some tugs on the heartstrings, as it was billed as a “tragic romance”; I got a coma-inducing, two-hour version of “This is Your Life” with gay cowboys.

I’m assuming that the movie’s message was “don’t be afraid to be who you are; living a lie only hurts more, in the end.” Being a regular straight guy, of course, that’s not exactly a resonating message. Closted gay men might find the power in the moral of the tale; it missed me almost entirely. Sorry, Ang. Your movie sucks.

Granted, the performances were good; notably Heath Ledger’s. Deserving of his Academy nod for Best Actor? Probably. Enough to save a dull, dreary, rather pointless movie? Not even close.

Three words for the rest of you potential viewers:

Abort. Abort. Abort.