What the Hell Happened to Mel Gibson?

For a long time, I debated whether or not to write-up Mel Gibson.  On the one hand, the answer to the question “what the hell happened” is known by all.  Gibson’s personal life and bad behavior exploded very publicly.  I’m not sure if any celebrity has ever had such a public melt-down.

It’s easy to forget now, but not all that long ago Gibson was one of the undisputed kings of Hollywood.  He was so popular and so beloved that he could do no wrong.  Even if he made a cinematic turkey, his legion of fans practically guaranteed a hit.  And while the hits rolled in, his eccentric behavior was portrayed as charming in the media.

Gibson had a long history of courting controversy.  He had gotten in trouble with GLAAD for supposedly homophobic comments as well as some borderline offensive film roles (see Bird on a Wire – or better yet, don’t).  His 2004 blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ, was seen by many as anti-Semitic.  And Gibson was a drinker and a womanizer from way back.

Eventually, that behavior caught up with Gibson.  In 2006, he was arrested for a DUI.  A drunken Gibson made matters worse with a series of anti-Semitic and sexist comments.

Amazingly, Gibson managed to recover from what many considered career suicide.  However, in 2010 he imploded again with domestic abuse charges and a series of phone messages that showed his dark side.  Every day, a new message was leaked to the press.  And each one made Gibson look more and more like a monster.

So, right up front, the answer to “What the hell happened to Mel Gibson?” is that his inner demons spilled out on the public stage for the better part of a decade.

To the point where many of his fans can’t look at the guy anymore without seeing a despicable human being.  But even though we know how the story ends (or do we?) it’s worth going back to the beginning and reviewing the fascinating career of Mel Gibson.

Gibson was actually born in Peekskill, New York.  He was the 6th of 11 children.  His family relocated to Australia when Gibson was 12.  He began his film career in Australia and in 1979 he had the good fortune to be cast in George Miller’s apocalyptic action film, Mad Max.

Mel Gibson - Mad Max - 1979
Mel Gibson – Mad Max – 1979

Even today, Mad Max is kind of crazy movie.  Most American audiences think of the post-apocalyptic sequel, The Road Warrior, when they think of Mad Max.  But the original film was about gang warfare on the open road as society comes crumbling down.

Gibson didn’t actually go to the audition for Mad Max hoping for a part.  He was there accompanying a friend who was reading.  Gibson had been in a bar fight the night before and described his head as looking like a “black and blue pumpkin”.  He was asked by the casting director to come back in three weeks to audition to play one of the movie’s post apocalyptic freaks.  Instead, with his face healed, Gibson was asked to audition for the lead.

Mad Max has a very loose structure which can be hard to watch.  The ending in which Max takes revenge on the gangsters is killer stuff.  But getting to that point can be pretty brutal.  When the film was released in America in 1980, all the dialogue (including Gibson’s) was redubbed.  While the film was not a hit in America, it was a big hit over seas.

Mel Gibson - Gallipoli - 1981
Mel Gibson – Gallipoli – 1981

Gibson was a rising star in Australia.  But in 1981, he had two films which crossed over to the US.  The first was Peter Weir’s World War I drama, Gallipoli.  Gibson played an Australian sprinter who signs up to join the ANZACs in World War I. They are sent to Gallipoli, where they must stand against the Tuskish army.

Weir described young Gibson as “full of beans and really with no grand career ambitions.”

Gallipoli was a huge hit in Australia.  It was less successful in other countries.  In the US, it grossed less than $6 million dollars.  But it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film.

Mel Gibson in Mad Max 2.

Later that year, Gibson returned to the Mad Max franchise for George Miller’s sequel, The Road Warrior.

The Road Warrior is all out action on the street.  Gibson only had 16 lines of dialogue in the entire film, and two of them were: “I only came for the gasoline.”

Mad Max was not a hit in the US.  So when The Road Warrior was released, Warner Brothers decided to change the title to The Road Warrior.  The original marketing materials focused on the car crashes and mayhem rather than Gibson’s character.

The Road Warrior is one of those movies whose impact is bigger than the movie itself.  It redefined the look and feel of sci-fi movies going forward.  Almost every post-apocalyptic movie made since 1981 owes a debt to Miller’s Road Warrior.

Kevin Costner drove his career into the ground trying to make his own Road Warrior-esque post-apocalypse flick.  He failed twice.

What strikes me the most about Gibson’s Australian film career is that in the span of 1979-1981, Gibson managed to work with the two most successful directors in his country’s film industry.  Wier and Miller would both go on to have long, successful Hollywood careers.  That’s some pretty amazing luck to get to work with two immensely talented directors so early in your career.

Mel Gibson - The Year of Living Dangerously - 1982
Mel Gibson – The Year of Living Dangerously – 1982

In 1982, Gibson re-teamed with Peter Weir for the first-ever Australian-Hollywood co-production, The Year of Living Dangerously.  The film co-starred Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress while playing a man.

Gibson played a journalist dealing with political intrigue in Indonesia while having an affair with a diplomat played by Weaver.

Filming in Manila was halted after three weeks due to death threats.  Whoever made the threats believed the movie would be anti-Islam.  For the safety of the cast and crew, the whole production moved to Sydney to complete principal photography. The move was costly.  Gibson didn’t seem to take the threats very seriously:

“It wasn’t really that bad. We got a lot of death threats to be sure, but I just assumed that when there are so many, it must mean nothing is really going to happen. I mean, if they meant to kill us, why send a note?”

The Year of Living Dangerously was a modest hit in the US, but was very well-reviewed.

Mel Gibson - the Bounty - 1984
Mel Gibson – the Bounty – 1984

1984 was a big year for Gibson.  Before he made his Hollywood debut, he was first seen in the British remake of Mutiny on the Bounty.  Gibson played Fletcher Christian to Anthony Hopkins’ Bligh.

The Bounty did decent box office and received mostly positive reviews.

Mel Gibson - The River - 1984
Mel Gibson – The River – 1984

Gibsons’s first American film was The River with Sissy Spacek.  Gibson played a farmer who stubbornly refuses to abandon his farm in the face of floods and foreclosure.

The River received primarily negative reviews.  Audiences were already worn out by similarly themed films farm dramas Country and Places in the Heart.

Mel Gibson - Mrs. Soffel - 1984
Mel Gibson – Mrs. Soffel – 1984

Gibson ended the year starring opposite Diane Keaton in the gothic romance, Mrs. Soffel.  Gibson played a convict who forms a bond with the warden’s wife (Keaton) as she reads to him from the bible.

Neither The River nor Mrs. Soffel established Gibson as an American star.  But they definitely allowed Gibson to get his foot in the door with American audiences.  Especially the ladies.

Mel Gibson - Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - 1985
Mel Gibson – Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome – 1985

In 1985, Gibson returned to the Australian Mad Max franchise for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.

Director George Miller lost interest in the project when a friend died in a helicopter crash while scouting locations for the film.  He agreed to direct the action sequences, but left the rest of the movie to co-director George Ogilvie.

The result is an uneven movie with some pretty fantastic action sequences.  But the more family-friendly movie was a hit in America and scored mostly positive reviews.

Mel Gibson - Lethal Weapon - 1987
Mel Gibson – Lethal Weapon – 1987

In 1987, Gibson would finally achieve stardom in the United States with the first Lethal Weapon.

It’s easy all these years later to assume Lethal Weapon would be a box office smash.  But I remember when it came out thinking that audiences were already sick of the racially charged buddy cop movie.  Lethal Weapon could have been a cut-rate 48 Hours.  But instead, it re-engerized the genre.

It was a great showcase for Gibson.  He got to be serious, funny and looked great as an action star.  Americans finally embraced the Aussie hunk as more than just a pretty boy.

Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell - Tequila Sunrise - 1988
Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell – Tequila Sunrise – 1988

The next year, Gibson starred opposite Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer in Tequila Sunrise.

Tequilla Sunrise is what I call a “post card movie”.  It takes place in an exotic setting filled with beautiful people.  But it’s not especially engaging.  Still, those beautiful people sold a lot of movie tickets.

Tequila Sunrise got decent reviews and helped establish both Gibson and Pfeiffer as stars.  (Poor Kurt Russell never really joined them on the A-list.)

Mel Gibson - Lethal Weapon 2 - 1989
Mel Gibson – Lethal Weapon 2 – 1989

As big of a hit as Lethal Weapon was, a sequel was inevitable.

Once again, it’s easy to forget how low expectations were for Lethal Weapon 2.  1989 was a sequel-heavy summer.  Batman was the big movie of the year.  But 1989 was packed with Indiana Jones 3, Ghostbusters 2, Star Trek 5, Karate Kid 2 and a James Bond movie.

There was little reason to think a Lethal Weapon sequel would make much of an impact in such a crowded summer.  But Lethal Weapon 2 amped up the comedy and toned down the grim violence of the original.  That proved to be a winning formula.

Lethal Weapon 2 is arguably the most entertaining movie in the series if not the best.  It became the third highest grossing film of the year guaranteeing that Danny Glover’s Murtaugh wouldn’t get to retire any time soon.

Mel Gibson - Bird on a Wire - 1990
Mel Gibson – Bird on a Wire – 1990

1990 was a busy year for Gibson if not an especially good one.  Gibson starred in three films that year.  The first was Bird on a Wire, a dim-witted action/comedy that paired Gibson with Goldie Hawn.

Hawn had been making this exact same movie with diminishing returns ever since Foul Play with Chevy Chase.  She was a talented, beautiful actress.  But for whatever reason most of her movies seemed like they were filmed without scripts.

Bird on a Wire was bad even by Goldie Hawn standards.  I remember seeing it at an early screening.  About the only thing I remember about the movie is Gibson doing a really unfunny hair dresser schtick.

I started reading the description of the plot to refamiliarize myself for this article.  But then I decided, why bother?  The plot was completely incidental to the movie.

Amazingly, the star power of Gibson and Hawn (but mostly Gibson I’m guessing) made Bird on a Wire a hit despite the scathing reviews.

Mel Gibson - Air America - 1990
Mel Gibson – Air America – 1990

Later that year, Gibson starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. in Air America.  Downey was trying to escape the Brat Pack label.  But his career was entering a spiral from which he would not recover for many, many years.

Air America got mixed reviews and audiences were mostly put off by the Vietnam era action/comedy.  Gibson and Downey bonded and remained friends.  In 2014, Downey made headlines by announcing that he would be willing to make Iron Man 4 if his friend Gibson was hired to direct.

Mel Gibson - Hamlet - 1990
Mel Gibson – Hamlet – 1990

Much to the horror of my high school English teacher, Gibson ended the year starring in the title role of Franco Zeffirelli’s Hamlet.  The 1990 Hamlet is a pretty okay movie.  But Gibson is laughably too old to play the part.  And Glenn Close played his mother despite being only 9 years older than Gibson.

Hamlet didn’t get great reviews and it wasn’t a big hit.  But it did show that Gibson could branch out beyond action/comedies.  And Gibson’s star power helped make Hamlet a bigger force at the box office than it would have been with a lesser star.

Mel Gibson and Rene Russo - Lethal Weapon 3 - 1992
Mel Gibson and Rene Russo – Lethal Weapon 3 – 1992

In 1992, Gibson and company returned to the Lethal Weapon well for the third time.  This time, Rene Russo was added to the cast as a love interest for Gibson.  Joe Pesci returned despite having no real reason to do so.

The premise was wearing thin, but the chemistry between Gibson and Glover plus the light touch of director Richard Donner made Lethal Weapon 3 the biggest film in the series.

Mel Gibson - Forever Young - 1992
Mel Gibson – Forever Young – 1992

Later that year, Gibson starred in the time travel melodrama Forever YoungForever Young was a return to the kind of heart-throb roles Gibson played at the start of his Hollywood career.

The movie got mostly negative reviews.  But women swooned for Mel and made Forever Young a respectable hit.

Mel Gibson - Man Without a Face - 1993
Mel Gibson – Man Without a Face – 1993

Say what you will about Gibson, but the guy’s got balls.  For example, in 1993 Gibson got the chance to direct a movie.  But instead of picking a surefire hit, Gibson picked Man Without a Face.

Sure, Gibson’s star power practically guaranteed an audience.  But Gibson spent the entire movie buried under burn make-up.  It was a huge gamble for a first-time director and it paid off.  Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a hit.

Mel Gibson - Maverick - 1994
Mel Gibson – Maverick – 1994

In 1994, Gibson reteamed with his Lethal Weapon director for the big screen adaptation of the TV western Maverick.  Jodie Foster and James Garner (TV’s original Maverick) co-starred.

The movie is big, goofy fun.  But it’s purely empty calories.  And as fun as the movie can be, you get the impression Gibson and company had more fun making it than the audience has watching it.

Reviews were mixed, but Maverick was another hit for Gibson.

gibson - braveheart

In 1995, Gibson released his second film as a director.  The movie was Braveheart.  And audiences ignored it.

Seriously, they did.

Braveheart won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars
Braveheart won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars

What?  You thought Braveheart was a hit?  Well, it was eventually.  But audiences mostly ignored it when it was released in May of 1995.  It opened in 3rd place and quickly fell out of the top 10.  Paramount kept dumping it back in theaters as the movie gained critical acclaim and eventually started being nominated for awards.

Braveheart did recoup its $72 million dollar production costs.  Domestically, even with all the rereleases and the pushes for awards season, Braveheart only earned about $75 million.  Fortunately, it performed much better overseas and grossed north of $200 million worldwide.

And it won both Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson.

Gibson - Pocahontas

It should also be noted that in 1995 Gibson was the voice of John Smith in Disney’s Pocahontas.  And he sang very badly.

Mel Gibson and Rene Russo - Ransom - 1996
Mel Gibson and Rene Russo – Ransom – 1996

Gibson paired with director Ron Howard for the 1996 thriller Ransom.  The tense cat-and-mouse game between Gibson and Gary Sinese made Ransom a hit with critics and audiences.

Ransom was kind of like a victory lap for Gibson.  He was sitting on the top of the A-list.  He had a stack of awards, he was rich.  He was powerful.  He could make any movie he wanted and odds are, it would be a hit.  He was beloved.

Just thought I’d point that out for contrast.

Mel Gibson - Conspiracy Theory - 1997
Mel Gibson – Conspiracy Theory – 1997

In 1997, Gibson starred opposite the biggest actress in Hollywood at the time, Julia Roberts.  Conspiracy Theory was an action/comedy/thriller directed by Richard Donner.

The movie is kind of a mess and reviews were mixed to negative.  But the star power of Gibson and Roberts guaranteed a decent box office.

Despite making over $100 million dollars worldwide, Conspiracy Theory was actually something of a disappointment at the box office.  It failed to cross the $100 million figure in domestic box office which was unheard of for Gibson or Roberts.  No one expected the pairing of the two to result in diminishing returns.

MSDLEWE EC064

In 1998, Gibson and company finally brought the Lethal Weapon franchise to an end.  Like most people, I saw it mostly out of a sense of obligation.

Lethal Weapon 4 isn’t a bad movie.  But it’s so over-crowded!  Each movie in the series added a new cast member to the Lethal Weapon family.  By the time Chris Rock joined the cast for LW4, there was barely any room.  Which was probably for the best because Chris Rock isn’t much of an actor.

Gibson and the Lethal Weapon franchise were so popular, that even a weak installment like Lethal Weapon 4 was still an instant hit.  But it’s probably for the best they didn’t push their luck with Lethal Weapon 5.

Mel Gibson - Payback - 1999
Mel Gibson – Payback – 1999

In 1999, Gibson returned to his hard-R roots with the gritty revenge thriller, Payback.

Payback got bad reviews which was pretty rare for Gibson at the time.  But the movie appealed to Gibson’s action-obsessed fan base and was a hit at the box office.

Mel Gibson - The Patriot - 2000
Mel Gibson – The Patriot – 2000

2000 was a busy year for Gibson.  That summer, Gibson did more voice work in the claymation hit, Chicken Run.  And he starred in Roland Emmerich’s dreadful film, The Patriot.

I loathe The Patriot.  But then, Emmerich has never made a movie I like.  So, it’s no surprise that The Patriot doesn’t appeal to me.

The Patriot reduces the Revolutionary War to movie clichés.  Gibson is the reluctant warrior called to action against his will.  (And yet another in a long string of martyr roles for Mel).

Heath Ledger is his doomed son whose ridiculously over-the-top death will finally spur Gibson to (crowd-pleasing) revenge.  And Jason Isaacs is a villain so evil, I’m pretty sure he ate kittens.  But only after mocking them in a snotty English accent.

The Patriot probably isn’t as bad as I am making it out to be.  But it’s pretty lousy all the same.  The reviews were mixed, but audiences came to see Mel anyway.

Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt - What Women Want - 2000
Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt – What Women Want – 2000

Gibson ended 2000 with the Nancy Meyers comedy, What Women Want.

Gibson played an alpha male ad exec who gets in touch with his feminine side when he begins to hear women’s inner thoughts.  Helen Hunt co-starred as his rival/love interest.  You have to wonder how different Mel’s life might have been if he’d have paid attention!

Gibson was nominated for a Golden Globe for What Women Want.  Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a smash.  Oh, it was also my first date with Mrs. lebeau.

Mel Gibson - We Were Soldiers - 2002
Mel Gibson – We Were Soldiers – 2002

Gibson kicked of 2002 with the Vietnam War drama, We Were Soldiers.  The movie is an adaptation of the book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young by Lieutenant General Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway.  The book and the movie recount the events of the Battle of Ia Drang which is considered to be the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War.  Gibson play Moore who leads 400 young Americans in a battle against 2,000 Vietnamese troops.

The cast included Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Keri Russell, Barry Pepper, Jon Hamm and Clark Gregg.  Chris Klein also appeared in the movie.  The release date was actually pushed back to accommodate Klein’s commitment to American Pie 2.

Despite mostly positive reviews, We Were Soldiers was not a hit at the box office.  It opened in first place, but only grossed $78 million in the US which was weak for a Mel Gibson movie at the time.  On a budget of $75 million, that qualifies as a disappointment.

Signs-Hess-family

Gibson rebounded in a big way later that year with M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs.

Shyamalan was still smarting over the relative disappointment of his Sixth Sense follow-up, Unbreakable.  He needed another big hit.  And Gibson delivered.  Signs was Gibson’s biggest hit as an actor.

I’m guessing most of you have seen Signs and formed your own opinion.  I enjoyed seeing it in the theater.  But it’s a ridiculous film.  And I can’t watch it any more without asking questions about why an alien race which can travel through space hasn’t invented pants or figure out how to escape a pantry.

Or why, if water is lethal to them, they would invade a planet that is mostly water.

Hey, Shyamalan has made a lot worse, right?

After Signs, Gibson took some time off in front of the camera.  He said in interviews he was no longer interested in being a movie star.  Instead, he produced movies like The Singing Detective and Paparazzi – neither of which were hits.

In 2004, Gibson directed The Passion of the Christ and all hell broke loose.

What is there to say about The Passion of the Christ that hasn’t already been said?  It’s the most violent Jesus movie of all times.  Evangelicals loved it.  They were bussed to the movie in droves thanks to a clever marketing strategy.

In spite of criticisms that the movie was anti-Semitic, it was a huge hit.

The Passion of the Christ was a high-stakes gamble.  The studios wouldn’t touch it.  Gibson was forced to release the movie himself.  So when it turned out to be one of the most profitable movies of all times, Gibson got to keep the lion’s share of the record-breaking profits.

While the controversies behind The Passion of the Christ made Gibson a little less popular in Hollywood, he was now more powerful than ever.  That wouldn’t last long though.

Summer of 2006 is when Mel’s hard living finally caught up with him.  I’m sure you all know the details.  DUI.  Hate-filled rant.  “Sugar tits”.  Your basic melt-down.  Gibson did the usual Hollywood apology.  His publicist released statements promising Mel would go to rehab.  Blah, blah, blah.

Some speculated that Gibson’s career was over.  But the truth is, audiences will excuse a lot of bad behavior.  Before you could say “Charlie Sheen” Gibson’s career was back on track.

Mel Gibson - Apocalypto - 2006
Mel Gibson – Apocalypto – 2006

Gibson’s scandals were still fresh in everyone’s mind when Apocalypto came out later that year.  It was a violent movie in a foreign language about an ancient Mayan civilization.  In other words, a tough sell.  Many expected audiences to stay away in droves – especially in light of Gibson’s antics.

And yet, audiences showed up.  The reviews were primarily positive and Apocalypto was a hit.  In spite of behavior that would have killed most Hollywood careers, Gibson was being given a very generous second chance.

Mel Gibson - The Edge of Darkness - 2010
Mel Gibson – The Edge of Darkness – 2010

In 2010, Gibson returned to the big screen in a leading role for the first time since Signs in 2002.  The move was another dark, edgy action movie, Edge of Darkness.

Based on a BBC mini-series, Edge of Darkness got mixed reviews.  It wasn’t a hit for Gibson.  But it didn’t bomb either.  If anything, it can probably be viewed as a minor victory in that audiences didn’t seem to be holding his scandals against him.

And then came the tapes.  If you have listened to the Gibson tapes from the summer of 2010, odds are he said something that offended you.  He said something to offend everyone!

There were allegations of domestic violence.  More racism – just in case you had any doubts.

Personally, I didn’t listen to the tapes – although they were available everywhere.  As a rule, I’m not interested in a celebrity’s dirty laundry.  I avoid it if at all possible.

I don’t care about an actor’s personal life, political affiliation or religious beliefs.  I try to judge an artist by their work, not by how they live their lives.

With Gibson, I find this to be nearly impossible.  Even though I avoided the tapes, I’ve seen some of the content excerpted.  And it’s vile.

At a certain point, you just can’t look at the guy without thinking about what he said.  That’s where I’m at with Gibson.  I can’t suspend my disbelief to accept him as a character.  All I see is a rich, racist alcoholic.  One who most likely has some pretty serious rage issues.

Mel Gibson - the Beaver - 2011
Mel Gibson – the Beaver – 2011

The Beaver was a casualty of Gibson’s scandals.  The film about a man who can only express himself through the use of a beaver puppet was directed by Gibson’s friend and Maverick co-star, Jodie Foster.

At the time Gibson was cast, the general consensus was that Foster was throwing a lifeline to her friend when no one else would take a chance on him.

Filming was completed in 2009 and it looked like The Beaver might weather the storm of Gibson’s DUI.  But when the tapes broke, The Beaver got put on a shelf.  Foster still came to Gibson’s defense.  But when The Beaver was finally released in 2011, it was a bomb.

The movie is actually a pretty fascinating train wreck.    Even without the scandal, I don’t think there is any way it would have been a hit.  But because of the tapes, we never got a chance to find out.  The Beaver was DOA.

Gibson - Hangover

Gibson was supposed to make his post-scandal comeback in a cameo in The Hangover 2.  Actor Zach Galifianakis protested.

Eventually, the media picked up the story and soon Gibson’s cameo was cut.  Personally, I think it had less to do with keeping the stand-up comic happy and more to do with the fact that people were cheering him for opposing Gibson.

The cameo in The Hangover 2 is a relatively minor bump in the road for a career as long as Gibson’s.  But it’s a telling sign of how far Gibson has fallen.  At one point, he was bigger than the A-list.  He was beyond the studio system.  He thrived even without the studios backing him.  And now, he can’t even get a cameo in a summer movie.

Mel Gibson - Get the Gringo - 2012
Mel Gibson – Get the Gringo – 2012

Gibson’s return to the big screen was finally supposed to happen in 2012 with the Mexican-themed comedy/action film, Get the Gringo.  But Gringo, which Gibson co-wrote, could not get a theatrical release in the US.

Gibson plays a criminal who gets busted and sent to s Mexican prison.  Inside the prison, he schemes to escape and reclaim his $2 million dollars in stolen cash.  While inside, he befriends a young boy and his mother.  He also makes enemies of the criminals and law enforcement officials who run the prison.

There are flashes of the old Gibson charm.  And there is no denying he has chemistry with the little boy.  But the character is almost devoid of good qualities.  The only reason to care about him is that a little boy does.  Other than that, the movie is dark and filled with unlikable characters.

The tone is slightly uneven.  As Gibson’s character bonds with the boy, he becomes more sympathetic and the movie gets lighter.  For the most part, it’s a fun crime drama.

Despite getting largely positive reviews, Get the Gringo was released direct to video.  Gibson tried to put a positive spin on this development, “We’re just in a different era. Many people just like to see things in their homes….I think it’s the future.”

It may be Gibson’s future.

mel_gibson_joe_eszterhas

Gibson also made headlines in 2012 for a movie that never got made.  Gibson had teamed with infamous Basic Instnict screen writer Joe Eszterhas to make a film about (of all things) the Maccabees.

Given Gibson’s anti-semetic statements, the announcement that Gibson was planning to make such a movie was met with controversy.  But Gibson and Eszterhas could not get along.  Once again, tapes of Gibson’s rage leaked to the public.  The studio pulled the plug on the project and Eszterhas wrote a book called Heaven and Mel about the experience.

Mel Gibson - Machete Kills -
Mel Gibson – Machete Kills – 2013

In 2013, Gibson will finally make his return to the big screen.  He had a cameo in the Machete sequel, Machete Kills.  The film is loaded with stunt casting like Gibson, Lady Gaga and Charlie Sheen.

Unfortunately for Gibson’s would-be comeback, Machete Kills got terrible reviews and flopped at the box office.

Mel Gibson - The Expendables 3 - 2014
Mel Gibson – The Expendables 3 – 2014

In 2014, Gibson took another villain role.  This time, he signed on for the third installment in Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables franchise.  Antonio Banderas and Wesley Snipes joined the cast as well.  Harrison Ford replaced Bruce Willis who was fired after asking for too much money.

Reviews were bad and the movie opened in third place at the box office.  A few weeks before the official release date, The Expendables 3 was leaked on the internet.  That had to hurt its prospects at the box office.  Also, it was facing stiffer-than-usual for late summer competition from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Guardians of the Galaxy both of which over-performed.

Another possible comeback cancelled.

So, what the hell happened?

Gibson was one of the most beloved movie stars in the world.  The entire world!  His involvement piratically guaranteed a movie would be a hit.  He was also very savvy about choosing the right projects.  Late in his career when many action stars start losing their mojo, Gibson reinvent himself as an Academy Award-winning director.

But then he blew it.  Not once but twice.  Gibson’s career could have rebounded from the DUI and the racial slurs.  It would have been tough.  Especially since Gibson was not exactly apologetic in public.  But Gibson had started working again.  He probably never would have returned to the A-list, but his exile was ending.

Then those horrible tapes went public cementing the idea that Gibson was a horrible person.  Many of his fans disagree.  Some defend Gibson to the death (just read the comments section below).  But for the majority, Gibson is persona non grata.  And he hasn’t exactly bent over backwards to change that perception.

Of all the Hollywood careers I have chronicled so far, Gibson’s fall was the farthest.  I still believe he could revive his career.  Especially since he can work behind the camera.  But the damage has been done.  The A-list will forever remain outside his reach.  Hollywood has a long memory.  And many will not forget.

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Geo
Geo
12 years ago

We’re flip-flopping here LeBeau. You’ve mentioned before that you don’t get bothered by a celebrity’s personal life, politics, etc. Well, here’s one time where I’m able to forgive and move on. If Mel makes another great film, I will pay to see it at the theaters and I don’t think I’m alone. You left out the fact that he deserted his wife and children. I believe that this was a crucial moment in his downfall that should not be omitted. He was married to Robyn for 28 years, and they have 7 children together. The anti-Semitic rant gave credence to… Read more »

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Great points, and I like your take on the whole thing overall.
Forgot about Tracy Morgan when posting. Morgan’s rant is a lot like Richards but I think the difference is that his rant was considered to be a part of his act, where Richards lost his self control on stage. It doesn’t make it any less hateful. Michael Richards now has no career and Tracy Morgan continues to work.

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Tracy Morgan kind of doesn’t look as bad in comparison to his “30 Rock” cohort Alec Baldwin, when he got caught making angry voice mail messages to his “rude, thoughtless, little pig” of a daughter.

sean
sean
10 years ago
Reply to  Geo

“The hero of the film, as I recall, is a Jew.”
A fairly geeky friend of mine put it in a way I have never seen anybody top.
All of the “good” Jews* in the film look like Jedi. All of the “bad” Jews in the film look like orcs.
* = also note that the “good” Jews in the movie are those who follow, believe in, and/or are Jesus Christ. That is to say, they are Christians, it’s just that Christians didn’t exist yet historically.

tbob1
12 years ago

I mentioned in another post I thought he had ‘daddy issues’. I don’t have a lot to go on here as the family is extremely private. However I did watch one of those Hollywood exposes’ on the Biography channel once about Gibson and his father was covered a little bit. I think that relationship probably could shed a little light on Mel’s flame out. His dad is one of those Holocaust deniers and as such by definition an anti-semite. And hey, if you hate one group may as well hate them all right? I suspect Mel grew up with hatred… Read more »

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  tbob1

Excellent point, and I’m mad that I omitted his dad who is an extremist to put it lightly. Certainly that plays a huge role in Mel’s problems.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

mel gibson is the greatest action actor of all time. nobody could do mad max like he could or lethal weapon. if they decide to reboot lethal weapon and mad max. i won’t see it at all. i just hate how everyone and i mean everyone jew or not treated him all these years. he is a good actor and i’ve always liked his action films as much as i liked anybody else’s action movies. zach galifankis is a scumbag and i’m glad i didn’t see hangover 2. the hangovers are so boring. galifankis should burn in hell, i mean… Read more »

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I agree with you LeBeau, but in support of the movieman 🙂 I will absolutely agree that Zach Galifianakis is someone who needn’t protest anything.

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Well, I really hate to bash a fellow Greek-American, but unfortunately Zach is a comedian who simply isn’t funny at all 🙂 He’s basically a tubby little pothead who’s tagging along for the ride in several sophomoric comedies. Remember the attention-getting incident on Bill Maher where he smoked a joint on live television, hoping that his college student fans wouldn’t realize that he’s approaching his mid-forties? In other words, his “protest” doesn’t really belong in a world where truly big stars have very important political/social opinions that they like to force on all of us common folks 😉 That said,… Read more »

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

mel gibson and harrison ford were and still are my two favorite irish american tough guy action actors. can tom hanks and george clooney be like those two? ohh, Pleease. i already boycotted zach galifankis and his movies now. i won’t pay money to see a fellow greek american to be a jerk off and a pussy. the comedy era now has gotten screwed up with this potty humor bullshit. i only see movies with tough guys, good actors not pussies like the ones i see now. zack galifankis is a pussy. if geo agrees with me on that good,… Read more »

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  Andymovieman

movieman, I clearly said I don’t like Zach.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

when gibson did the first mad max, people said it was a futuristc dirty harry. when he did the second one it started a whole bunch of apocalyptic films including the terminator movies. the 80’s were the good days of action and comedy, now this year it is shit.

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  Andymovieman

Crap LeBeau, you got to start editing this shit 🙂 (Start with my foul language)

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

gibson is still the best in my book. he hasn’t offended me or my religion for that matter. i don’t like galifankis either, geo.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

when gibson worked with kurt russell on tequila sunrise, i thought it was great to see 2 good action actors have played sci fi anti heroes in movies like mad max, escape from ny,etc. gibson is great when it came to good action movies for the 80s and 90s, while clooney was in the gayest worst batman movie of all time, gibson did conspiracy theory with julia roberts way before ocean’s eleven and larry crowne. conspiracy theory was the best. i didn’t enjoy pocahontas either lebeau.

Paul S
12 years ago

Watching Michelle Pfeiffer’s Jo Ann Valenari stoking up the rivalry between the Gibson and Russell characters is one of the main reasons Tequila Sunrise is one of my favourite films.
It’s the closest you’ll come to seeing an on screen love triangle between Catwoman, Mad Max and Snake Plissken!
I still enjoy watching Gibson in Mad Max 2 as well, the stunt work in that final chase is incredible!

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

don’t ever see mad max 4 or a reboot of lethal weapon cause if you do you betray mel gibson and his performances he put in the mad max and lethal weapon franchises. cause there is only one martin riggs and one mad max and that is mel gibson.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

don’t ever see a remake of escape from ny either.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

or even the remake of total recall.

dbmoviesblog
12 years ago

Great post! An excellent overview of Gibson’s career. I know that when Gibson just embarked on the shooting of ‘The Year of Living Dangerously’ in 1981 he was already considered by many to be the most talented of young actors and was compared to Sean Connery and Cary Grant. It’s such a shame that it did not all work out as planned.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

total recall aint gonna be like the book it will be like the 1990 movie lebeau. same characters same plot. bunch of no talent hacks for the remake. shame on all those bastards. schwarzenegger still is the best doug quaid, terminator, dutch, john matrix, conan, etc. kurt russell was and still is the best snake plissken hands down. if someone remakes that without carpenter and russell, may they burn in hell.

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

…or maybe it is LeBeau…maybe it is.

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Avoided that at RedBox, let me know if I made a mistake. I am a Conan fan, but this one scares me. I don’t want to taint Conan by watching a junk movie.

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Yes, kids end that stuff, and really IMO for the better. I can still remember being concerned about things that just don’t matter anymore. For example, long ago, before DVD, I remember how important it was for me to have the Star Trek 6-movie VHS boxed set. Hilarious as this sounds, the box for Star Trek V was teethed on and torn apart by my older daughter when she was a baby 🙂 I’m actually glad that happened.
No risk on the Donner cut at all. If it gets lost in the mail, I’ll pay you for a new one.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

i’m boycotting remakes of great movies from the 80s and 90’s. originals are better.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

the new total recall will flop at the box office.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

i already boycotted the new conan the barbarian. i like the old one better with arnold. even though now that arnold cheated on his wife, i can still get into a good movie from him. because he made a movie great in the 80s and 90s. my obvious passion lebeau? i’m a classic man. i like movies that have good actors that are tough and not pussies. i like movies that are good with great endings, than crummy endings. when you talk about how mel gibson screwed up his career who’s to say tom hanks hasn’t, huh? i was glad… Read more »

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

you want to know the difference between me and you? i care about good movies, you care about crap movies.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

good. i’m glad that’s something we can agree on.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

i will still go see a movie with mel gibson even if it has action in it.

Andymovieman
Andymovieman
12 years ago

there is only one mad max and one martin riggs and that is mel gibson. end of story. i won’t see a remake or reboot of an old movie with a good actor i liked back in 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. i think i have made myself clear on this point. no remake of escape from new york, total recall, lethal weapon, mad max 4,etc.

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