Brokeback still no Maurice

The BF bought the Brokeback DVD and watched it last night. He was completely devastated and had difficulty sleeping. I gotta say, I just wasn’t that touched by Brokeback when I saw it in the theater and I still think that Maurice was better. Maurice came out at the right time in my life for me and I was really able to identify with the story. For one thing, I've always been a total sucker for those Edwardian period pieces from the height of the Merchant/Ivory era... that's probably the elitist in me I try to deny. But unlike Brokeback, Maurice offered the hope that there was happiness to be had. Brokeback's power comes from its heartbreak and frustration, which I no longer romanticize. I think I’m also bothered by the fact that the main character in Brokeback is simply another homo who ends up desperately alone. To me, this just reaffirms the same tired image of gays commonly found in American popular culture since they were acknowledged. Even with Will and Grace, Will has spent almost the entire run of the show without anybody who isn’t a joke. At a time when gays are supposed to be enjoying such a good image in the media, it seems to me that it's really just the same old message.