Love, Mercy...and the Golden Globes: Part 1

1/10/2015

The Golden Globes will air tonight. And this post is experimental in that I have no idea how the event will play out. The huge news, of course, is that Mel Gibson will be a presenter. But is forgiveness in the air after a blacklisted decade...or will Ricky Gervais lead the charge of ridicule and venom?

Which Mel Gibson will we see?



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Now, all of us have heard The Tapes. And there's no way to praise them. Nor is there any making light of remarks that were made to the cops. An all-out alcoholic with--as they say--some real issues blew up.

He needed help--and got it. He needed some down time--and got that as well. In fact, for ten years he's been SOL, except for a handful of roles. His last film--an indie--wrapped 2 years ago but has still not been released. (Blood Father.)  His name is the instant release for any trace of venom or hate in decent human beings. They don't know and they don't care what Mel Gibson has done since his Crash. They only know what they've been told: he's a racist, a misogynist, an unrepentant brute...and a seriously rich bastard.

The following article is worth a look, if you'd like to look a bit deeper. It's by a professional journalist who began as a Gibson hater. She took the time to get to know him, hear his side of the whole story. Read for yourself before judging.

http://deadline.com/2014/03/mel-gibson-career-hollywood-deserves-chance-697084/

One quote well worth considering:

I’ve spoken to numerous colleagues who forgave Gibson for his anti-Semitic remarks (that list includes Dean Devlin, Mike Medavoy and Richard Donner) and they are quick to remind you who Gibson helped along the way. Start with Robert Downey Jr, who at one point was broke and an insurance risk on films. Gibson put up the insurance bond himself to secure Downey to star in The Singing Detective, which Gibson’s Icon produced. It was a performance that ignited the actor’s resurgence. I know that he also helped Britney Spears when she hit bottom, and that he tried to save Whitney Houston from the drug abuse that ultimately killed her. Not everybody is that generous: when Gibson himself needed a break that came when Warner Bros hired him for a showy role in The Hangover Part II, he was abruptly dropped when cast complained to director Todd Phillips. Mind you, these same actors happily worked with Tyson despite his felony conviction for rape.

Anyway, here we are on the day of the night of the Globes.

And anything can happen. Hacksaw Ridge, Gibson's first stint as a director since The Passion, may put him back on the A-List. Blood Father may soon be released. The crowd may go wild this evening and welcome the fallen star home. He may be allowed to direct his long-time passion, a film about The Vikings, though Leonardo DiCaprio won't work with him.

But this morning things are in the air. And Ricky Gervais giddily sharpens the knives he will wield: