Oscar nominations 2017: Mel Gibson’s comeback is for real
Mel Gibson capped off a huge week with a resounding awards morning Tuesday, earning a best director nomination for his film Hacksaw Ridge, which was also nominated for best picture.
Hacksaw Ridge pulled in a surprisingly strong six nominations, with star Andrew Garfield nominated for best actor for his performance as World War II pacifist hero Desmond Doss, plus nominations for sound mixing/editing and film editing.
It was a big week for the 61-year-old star, who welcomed baby son Lars Gerard Gibson over the weekend with girlfriend Rosalind Ross.
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"First, he has the birth of his ninth child and now these tremendous Oscar nominations, the first in 21 years since Braveheart," says Dave Karger, special correspondent for the movie site IMDB.com.
Gibson was nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for best director and drama at the Golden Globes. "After he got the Globe nominations from the media, the question was whether the movie industry would welcome him back. And that's clearly a big yes after today," Karger says.
Gibson’s first directing effort in 10 years marks the polarizing director’s return after a public fall that began with his infamous drunken-driving arrest in Malibu in 2006, during which he hurled anti-Semitic slurs.
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But Hacksaw Ridge has been a worldwide hit with nearly $158 million in box office. Praise for the film started with a standing ovation at Venice Film Festival in September and has carried into awards season result.
Garfield told USA TODAY he's excited to see Gibson overcome his troubled past.
"I know Mel in a personal way, and I know that period of time has haunted him for the past 10 years," Garfield said Tuesday. "I think people are finally starting to let go of (it), as he has. He’s moved on from it.
"He’s done so much work internally with himself and externally with those he needed to do it with, that I admire maybe more than anything," Garfield added. "It’s a beautiful thing. And he’s a gift to filmmaking. So this has been a long time coming for him."
Gibson put out a statement marking the moment.
"What could be more exciting than listening to the nominations being announced while holding my newborn son! This is a truly wonderful honor," he said.
Gibson addressed his controversial past in an interview with USA TODAY in October, saying that Hollywood and the world were ready to focus on his film work over his past personal issues.
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“People are tired of petty grudges about nothing. About somebody having a nervous breakdown (after) double tequilas in the back of a police car,” the star said, now sober. “Regrettable. I’ve made my apologies, I’ve done my bit. Moved along. Ten years later. Big deal.”
“I’m a different person than I was back then," he added. "But the thing that remains the same is I think I could always tell a story.”
Reaction to the news was mixed on Twitter, with a strong reaction against Gibson's return.
The question now moves to whether Gibson can win on Feb. 26. Karger says it's a long shot in a directing field that includes Damien Chazelle (for La La Land) and Barry Jenkins (Moonlight).
"The victory for Mel Gibson has already come with these Oscar nominations," says Karger.
Contributing: Andrea Mandell