There were no Tom Cruise bouncing-around-like-a-rubber-ball moments, but Friday’s episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show was significant for the success of Brokeback Mountain anyway. Because as the world knows, when Oprah Winfrey says to do something, her viewers do it. Yesterday.

Sure enough, at the end of the segment, Oprah said those magic words: “Brokeback Mountain. It’s at theaters everywhere. Go see it.” That approval for what many perceive to be a controversial movie guarantees that millions more typical Americans, women and men will, indeed, see it.

But Oprah didn’t just help the film’s box office. She helped the film move even further into the mainstream. Over the past several weeks, the far right has attacked the “gay” cowboy with a fervor not seen since, well, never. That makes Oprah’s approval that much more important, because her words of praise provide a powerful counterbalance to the vitriol of the Religious Right.

One of the questions looming largest in the minds of Brokeback fans was whether Oprah would show the “kiss”—that kiss, of course, being the one between Jake and Heath’s characters, Jack and Ennis. In fact, many fans feared the film’s subject matter would be glossed over for Oprah’s mostly Middle America audience. Complaints that ads for the movie, as well as the recent Golden Globes show, had shied away from anything overtly gay upset some.

Oprah showed the kiss—twice, in fact. And the audience loved it, hooting and hollering almost as much as they did when Jake and Heath first ambled out onto the stage.

Nor did Oprah shy away from the film’s gay sexuality, asking specifically about the scene in the tent. “I thought Jack was just trying to get warm,” she said. “He did,” replied Jake with a laugh.

The kiss notwithstanding, the show itself was rather underwhelming. Oprah came across as slightly detached during the segment. There was none of that Oprah fervor. No “Pe-e-e-ople this is an am-a-a-azing movie that you must, must see!”. She praised it, even called it groundbreaking and was definitely impressed by it, but, well, she wasn’t quite Oprah about it.

The same could not be said for the studio audience who cheered wildly at every given opportunity. They cheered for Jake and Heath. They cheered for Michelle and Anne. And they definitely cheered the kiss. Straight women have taken to Brokeback like bar flies to over-salted peanuts.

Nor did Oprah ask particularly insightful or probing questions about the movies significance. She stuck mostly to superficial, obvious queries. Were Jake and Heath nervous about kissing? How did Heath and Michelle come to fall in love while on set?

The lack of interest seems telling, for Oprah is not your typical dim television celebrity. Her latest book club selection, Night, is a memoir by noted Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. The Bridges of Madison County, it isn’t. That makes it feel like her lack of curiosity perhaps meant that Brokeback Mountain didn’t speak to her on a deeper level.

The same can’t be said of the cast. For Jake Gyllenhall, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, and Anne Hathaway, the movie is clearly something they are passionate about and proud of. Jake was especially terrific, commenting on how he just doesn’t understand why people care about “how other people love.” Anne said the usual star-talk about how the awards are nice, but the real reward is seeing how much the movie means to people. More often than not that is just talk. But given the impact of Brokeback, perhaps it was more than just that.

The four actors truly seemed to appreciate the significance Brokeback Mountain has for so many people, most notably gay men. Indeed, at one point Jake said he wasn’t sure he could have done the movie had he known the effect it would have. His hesitation is understandable. Gay men placed a great deal of expectations on the movie’s shoulders. Our reaction has been powerful, likely even overwhelming for someone who probably thought he was in a movie few would ever see.

Then there is the fact that the movie has hit the cultural landscape like a bombshell, creating an impact not seen Ellen came out. It must be daunting to stand at the center of such a cultural hurricane. Everyone involved with Brokeback Mountain has had his or her character questioned and their motives impugned. That can’t be fun.

In the end, Oprah’s lack of complete enthusiasm matters little. What’s important is that millions of women are saying, “Did you see Oprah? She said we had to see Brokeback Mountain!”

For more about Oprah’s Brokeback segment check out Dave Cullen’s Oprah Does Brokeback thread, or watch the segment on video at Malcontent.