A Tale of Two 'Brokeback' Cities

By TMZ.COM STAFF

(Mar. 4 10:30AM ET) -- A number of blogs, including Dlisted, Jossip, and Towleroad, have picked up on a story first published in the San Diego Union-Tribune about Michelle Williams being shunned by her Christian high school over her role in 'Brokeback Mountain.' Jim Hopson, Headmaster of Sante Fe Christian High School, said, "We don't want to have anything to do with her in relation to that movie." Hopson, whose school is located just outside San Diego, Calif., went on to say, "Michelle doesn't represent the values of this institution."

But TMZ did some digging 100 miles up the coast and found Jake Gyllenhaal got quite a different reception from his private, Los Angeles high school. Sharon Cuseo, a dean at the exclusive Harvard-Westlake School, says the school "embraces" Jake's 'Brokeback' success. Cuseo, who was Jake's counselor, says that the school has openly gay faculty who freely discuss gay issues with their students.

Cuseo is a bit surprised that not a single parent has called to complain about Jake's role in the film. Quite the opposite; she says a number of parents have taken their children to see the movie.

Ted Walch, Jake's acting coach at Harvard-Westlake, says he wasn't shocked at all that Jake took on the role. Walch says that Gyllenhaal's godparents are a gay couple and that Jake's family has always been open-minded.

Video

• Jake talks about the movie's success
• Why Michelle took the role