SIFF-style lines are stretching around the block at the Egyptian for the first screening of Brokeback Mountain, the gorgeous movie about gay cowboys that’s opening today in Seattle. The patient masses were a little younger and gayer than audiences for your average opening matinee, but folks’ reasons for being first on their block to see it were varied.

“Jake Gyllenhaal is in it,” giggled two girls in their early twenties.

A 72-year-old woman named Pat Williams explained that she was looking forward to “the subject matter, and the fact that it’s not exploitative.”

Lance and Jim, two men in their 30s, said “It’s about time.” They paraphrased a reader’s response to a review in the Washington Post: “If a skinny, white blonde can fall in love with an ape, then why not this?”

Hayley Nicholas, a 34-year-old Annie Proulx fan, said she realized during a trailer for the film that it was an adaptation of one of her favorite short stories.

And Ken Lowery said simply, “It’s a mainstream movie about gay themes. I’ve been looking forward to it since I first heard about it last July.”

The 7 pm show is sold out, but tickets for the 4 and 9:50 shows are still available.