Mel Gibson used to be one of most admired luminaries in show biz, especially after the huge, inspirational success of his period drama on the passion and sacrificial self-immolation of Jesus Christ. In only a couple of years, however, the veteran actor-filmmaker fell from grace, “from hero to zero,” due to his temper tantrums, addictions and womanizing ways.
So thoroughly disappointed and disgusted was Hollywood’s artistic community and the worldwide viewing public that they passed severe judgement on him, summarily found him guilty, refused to forgive him, and swiftly transformed him into a pariah who can’t find work, much less respect and sympathy, even if he groveled on the pavement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles and stabbed himself in the eyes with his star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
Indeed, Gibson’s career has done so badly that his last starrer, directed by Jodie Foster, failed miserably at the tills. In an industry where you are judged by how your most recent project has done, not on your overall career output, that’s the kiss of death.
Second chance
But, even “hopeless” show biz tragedies can have at least the start of hopeful renewal: Enter now our hero for the month, Robert Downey Jr., who surprised Gibson at a celebrity-studded event by asking, no, demanding, that the stars and producers gathered there give Gibson a second chance.
Downey pointedly reminded his colleagues and peers that, some years ago, he too had stumbled, several times in fact, and that his career would have completely self-destructed, if a few key industry players didn’t give him projects that clicked with viewers and prompted them to take him to their hearts again.
The effect of Downey’s defense of Gibson was electric. It shocked his peers into attention and delayed contrition, reminding them that they too had stumbled and fallen from grace, but were allowed to make amends and start afresh. Why then were they being so harsh and heartless with Gibson?
The answer, of course, was no secret: After making his inspirational film on Jesus Christ, Gibson had presented himself as a paragon of personal virtue—the movie industry’s conscience and prime “conscientizing” artist, even—so his fall from grace was more precipitous, and thus “unforgivable.”
But Downey’s timely reminder made them realize that Jesus loves and forgives everyone, especially the big sinners.
Now that he has been championed and redeemed by Downey, let’s hope that Gibson can regain his personal and professional balance and focus, and prove his seething, screaming detractors wrong.
As for the rest of us, let’s learn from Downey’s shining example to also forgive in our own spheres of influence—and to speak up in defense of other loathed and vilified people, even if they don’t “deserve” to be forgiven.