Iconic queer romance drama Brokeback Mountain was released 20 years ago – and star Jake Gyllenhaal has recalled a heartbreaking reaction from a fan at the time.

Released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain remains one of the most impactful queer films of all time. The romance drama, directed by Ang Lee, follows Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger as cowboys Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar as they embark on a forbidden relationship one summer.

Co-starring Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, the film was nominated for eight accolades at the 2006 Oscars, including for Best Picture. It won three, including a Best Director award for Lee.

Speaking to Vanity Fair to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Gyllenhaal has revealed a moment that he “goes back to a lot”, even two decades on – and it’s heartbreaking.

“Heath and I were at a Q and A at the Aero Theatre in Los Angeles,” Gyllenhaal said. “I remember us going to dinner while the movie was screening, and we were just joking backstage. And I remember us coming onstage in a humorous mood, because we were just having fun with each other.”

“And we sat down, and the lights came up, and a man stood up, and the movie had been out for a week and a half, and he said, ‘I just want to say, this is my eleventh time seeing this movie. And I can’t stop watching it, and I just want to thank you all for making it.’”

Gyllenhaal continued, “I thought, ‘Eleven times, in ten days?’ And I remember that washing over us. The profound realisation of the profundity of this thing.

“It happens constantly, to this day. I can’t express how proud I am of it.”

Brokeback Mountain is back in cinemas for its 20th anniversary; The film’s distributor Focus Features confirmed that the landmark queer film will return to cinemas for a limited time, beginning with screenings in the US on 22 and 25 June.

The re-release will be accompanied by an updated movie poster, merchandise and “other connected initiatives”.

While praised for its performances, Brokeback Mountain is widely recognised as one of the most seminal pieces of queer cinema ever made.

The film was based on a short story of the same name by writer Annie Proulx, which was originally published in The New Yorker in 1997. In 2023, the novella was turned into a West End show, starring Challengers’ Mike Faist and Boy Erased actor Lucas Hedges.