Coordinates	25°47′14″N80°11′24″N
name	The Beaver
director	Jodie Foster
producer	Steve GolinKeith RedmonAnn Ruark
writer	Kyle Killen
starring	Mel GibsonJodie FosterAnton YelchinJennifer Lawrence
music	Marcelo Zarvos
editing	Lynzee Klingman
cinematography	Hagen Bogdanski
distributor	Summit Entertainment Icon Productions
released
country
language	English
budget	$21 million
gross	$6,370,816 }}

''The Beaver'' is a 2011 drama film directed by Jodie Foster and starring Mel Gibson and Foster.

Plot

Walter Black (Gibson) is a depressed toy executive. He is kicked out by his wife (Foster), to the relief of their elder son Porter (Yelchin). Walter moves into a hotel. After unsuccessful suicide attempts, he develops an alternate personality represented by a beaver hand puppet found in the trash, which from then on he always has with him, and through which he communicates with other people. This helps him greatly recover. First he reestablishes a warm bond with his younger son Henry, then with his wife, although not with Porter. Also he is successful again in his work.

Porter gets paid for clandestinely writing papers for schoolmates. He also takes on the job of writing the graduation speech of Norah (Lawrence). He likes her and is embarrassed by Walter showing up with his beaver puppet. After the speech she admits publicly that she did not write it herself, and explains her trauma caused by her brother's death, some years ago.

Walter's wife moves out of the house with the children, because she hates the beaver, and because he lied that is was part of a treatment monitored by his psychiatrist. Part of Walter's personality wants to get rid of the beaver, to reconcile with his wife. He does this in a dramatic way by cutting off his forearm holding the puppet. He ends up in a psychiatric hospital. Porter, who hated his father and kept track of all similarities to him in order to work on avoiding them, reconciles with him.

Cast

Mel Gibson as Walter Black, the CEO of a toy company.

Jodie Foster as Meredith Black, Walter's wife.

Anton Yelchin as Porter Black, the teenage son of Walter and Meredith who lobbies his mother to get a divorce.

Jennifer Lawrence as Norah, Porter's love interest with a secret.

Riley Thomas Stewart as Henry Black, the younger son of Walter and Meredith.

Zachary Booth as Jared

Cherry Jones

Production

On a budget of $21 million, ''The Beaver'' was filmed in Westchester County, New York and New York City. A portion of the movie was filmed at White Plains Senior High School in White Plains, New York. Filming was completed in November 2009. Before Gibson was hired, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey were both signed on to star at different stages of production.

Theatrical release

In July of 2010, the film was reported to be "currently in a holding pattern" with release date set December 24, 2010, given the public controversy over leaked audio of private phone messages Gibson sent to his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. In an interview with ''The Daily Beast'' in July, Killen said that he did not know if or when the film will be released.

''The Beaver'' had its world premiere at the South by Southwest film festival on , 2011, where the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that it was given "a relatively warm embrace".

The film had a limited release in on , 2011.

Box Office

Over its opening weekend, the film grossed $107,577. ''Entertainment Weekly'' and several media outlets reported that the film's box office performance was a "flop" with a haul of only $4,890 per theater against its production budget of $21 million (not including marketing costs). ''Entertainment Weekly'' compared the box office gross of "The Beaver" against Mel Gibson's other most recent "box office failure", 2010's ''Edge of Darkness'' -- which debuted to a per-theater average of $5,615 at more than 3,000 locations -- and the box office success of 2010's ''Black Swan'' which grossed a per-theater average of $88,863 in limited release at only 16 theaters. ''The Beaver'' was the worst debut for a Foster-directed film.As of , the film has grossed $898,492. The distributor Summit Entertainment had originally planned for a wide release of "The Beaver" for the weekend of but after the initial box-office returns for the film came in the company changed course and decided instead to give the film a "limited art-house run". Michael Cieply of the ''New York Times'' observed on June 5, 2010, that the film had cleared just about $1 million, making it a certified "flop". The film's director Foster opined that the film did not do well with American audiences because it was a comedy-drama and “And very often Americans are not comfortable with (that).”

Critical reception

The Beaver received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 63% based on reviews from 125 critics and reports a rating average of 6.4 out of 10. It reported the overall consensus, "Jodie Foster's visual instincts and Mel Gibson's all-in performance sell this earnest, straightforward movie." At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 59 based on 32 reviews.

Roger Ebert gave the film 2 1/2 (out of a possible 4) star rating, saying, "''The Beaver'' is almost successful, despite the premise of its screenplay, which I was simply unable to accept."

References

External links

Category:2011 films Category:American black comedy films Category:Films directed by Jodie Foster Category:Independent films Category:Summit Entertainment films Category:2010s comedy-drama films Category:Films featuring puppetry

ca:The Beaver de:Der Biber fa:سگ‌آبی (فیلم) fr:Le Complexe du castor it:Mr. Beaver he:החיים הכפולים של וולטר hu:A hódkóros pt:The Beaver ru:Бобёр (фильм) fi:Majava (elokuva)

Coordinates	25°47′14″N80°11′24″N
birthname	Alicia Christian Foster
birth date	November 19, 1962
birth place	Los Angeles, California,United States
education	Bachelor's degree (''magna cum laude'')
alma mater	Yale University
years active	1966–present
occupation	Actress, Producer, Director }}

Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress, film director, and producer.

Foster began acting in commercials at three years of age, and her first significant role came at age 13 in the 1976 film ''Taxi Driver'' as the preteen prostitute Iris for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Also that year, she starred in the cult film ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane''. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1989, for playing a rape survivor in ''The Accused''. In 1991, she starred in ''The Silence of the Lambs'' as Clarice Starling, a gifted FBI trainee, assisting in a hunt for a serial killer. This performance received international acclaim and her second Academy Award for Best Actress. She received her fourth Academy Award nomination for playing a hermit in ''Nell'' (1994). Other popular films include ''Bugsy Malone'' (1976), ''Freaky Friday'' (1976), ''Candleshoe'' (1977) ''Maverick'' (1994), ''Contact'' (1997), ''Panic Room'' (2002), ''Flightplan'' (2005), ''Inside Man'' (2006), ''The Brave One'' (2007), ''Nim's Island'' (2008) and ''Carnage'' (2011) for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Foster's films have spanned a wide variety of genres, from family films to horror. In addition to her two Academy Awards she has won three BAFTA Awards for two films, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a People's Choice Award, and has received two Emmy nominations.

Early life

Foster was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Evelyn Ella "Brandy" (née Almond) and Lucius Fisher Foster II. Her father, a decorated Air Force lieutenant-colonel turned real estate broker, came from a wealthy background and left his wife before Jodie was born. Evelyn supported Jodie by working as a film producer. After appearing as a child in several commercials, Foster made her first credited TV appearance on ''The Doris Day Show''. Her first film role was in the 1970 television movie ''Menace on the Mountain'', which was followed by several Disney productions.

Foster attended a French-language prep school, the Lycée Français de Los Angeles, and graduated in 1980, as the valedictorian. She frequently stayed and worked in France as a teenager, and still speaks the language fluently. She attended Yale University, and was a member of Calhoun College and Manuscript Society. She graduated magna cum laude, earning a bachelor's degree in literature in 1985. She was scheduled to graduate in 1984, but the shooting of then-President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr., in which Hinckley's fascination with Foster created unwanted adverse publicity for her, caused her to take a semester's leave of absence from Yale. She later gave the Class Day speech at her alma mater in 1993, and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the university in 1997.

Fluent in French, Foster has dubbed herself in French-language versions of most of her films. In 2004, she took a minor role in the French WWI film, ''A Very Long Engagement''. She also understands German and can converse in Italian.

Foster has German, English and Irish roots, being the descendant of Mayflower passengers William Mullins and his wife Alice, and of Priscilla and John Alden. Another British ancestor is Samuel Eddy, born in 1608, in Kent, and one of her great-great-great grandmothers, Eliza Platt, was from Ireland.

Career

Child star

Foster made nearly 50 film and television appearances before she attended college. She began her career at age three as a Coppertone Girl in a television commercial and debuted as a television actress in a 1968 episode of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' She was managed by her mother. In 1969, she appeared in an episode of ''Gunsmoke'', where she was credited as "Jody Foster". She is also credited as "Jodi Foster" for her 1970 ''Daniel Boone'' role and credited as "Jodie Foster" for her 1970 ''Adam-12'' role. Although not a regular on ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', she appeared from time to time as Eddie's friend Joey Kelly. She made her film debut in the 1970 TV movie ''Menace on the Mountain'' and was featured as Tallulah in ''Bugsy Malone'' in 1976. As a child, Foster made a number of Disney movies, including ''Napoleon and Samantha'' (1972) and ''One Little Indian'' (1973), and she continued to star in Disney films into her early teens. On television, she appeared in an episode of ''The Partridge Family'' titled "The Eleven-Year Itch", co-starred with Christopher Connelly in the 1974 TV series ''Paper Moon'' and alongside Martin Sheen in the 1976 cult film ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane''. As a teenager, Foster made several appearances on the French pop music circuit as a singer. Commenting on her years as a child actress, which she describes as an "actor's career", Foster has said that "it was very clear to me at a young age that I had to fight for my life and that if I didn't, my life would get gobbled up and taken away from me." She hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' at age 14, making her the youngest person to host at that time until Drew Barrymore hosted at the age of seven. She also said,

Foster made her debut (and only official) musical recordings in France in 1977: two seven-inch singles, "Je T'attends Depuis la Nuit des Temps" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette" and "When I Looked at Your Face" backed with "La Vie C'est Chouette". The A-side of the former is sung in French, the A-side of the latter in English. The B-side of both is mostly spoken word and is performed in both French and English. These three recordings were included on the soundtrack to Foster's 1977 French film ''Moi, fleur bleue''.

Foster starred in three films in 1976: ''Taxi Driver'', ''Bugsy Malone'', and ''Freaky Friday''. She was nominated for the Academy Award For Best Supporting Actress for her performance in ''Taxi Driver''. She won two British Academy Film Awards in 1977: the BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performances in ''Bugsy Malone'' opposite Scott Baio and ''Taxi Driver'' opposite Robert De Niro. She received a nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in ''Freaky Friday''. As a teenager, she also starred in the Disney adventure ''Candleshoe'' (1977) and the coming-of-age drama ''Foxes'' (1980).

Target of fan obsession

John Hinckley, Jr. became obsessed with Foster after watching ''Taxi Driver'' a number of times, and stalked her while she attended Yale, sending her love letters to her campus mail box and even talking to her on the phone. On March 30, 1981, he attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan (shooting and wounding Reagan and three others) and claimed his motive was to impress Foster, then a Yale freshman. The media stormed the Yale campus in April "like a cavalry invasion," and followed Foster relentlessly.

Another man, Edward Richardson, followed Foster around Yale and planned to shoot her, but decided against it because she "was too pretty." This all caused intense discomfort to Foster and reporters have constantly been warned in advance not to bring up the subject in front of her, as she has been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned. In 1991, Foster canceled an interview with NBC's ''Today Show'' when she discovered Hinckley would be mentioned in the introduction. Foster's only public reactions to this were a press conference afterwards and an article titled "Why Me?" that she wrote for ''Esquire'' in December 1982. In that article she wrote that returning to work on the film ''Svengali'' with Peter O'Toole "made me fall in love with acting again" after the assassination attempt had shaken her confidence. In 1999, she discussed the experience with Charlie Rose of ''60 Minutes II''.

Adult career

Unlike other child stars such as Shirley Temple or Tatum O'Neal, Foster successfully made the transition to adult roles, but it was not without initial difficulty, as several of the films in her early adult career were financially unsuccessful. These included ''The Hotel New Hampshire'', ''Five Corners'', and ''Stealing Home''. She had to audition for her role in ''The Accused''. She won the part and the first of her two Golden Globes and Academy Awards and a nomination for a BAFTA Award as Best Actress for her role as a rape survivor. She starred as FBI trainee Clarice Starling in the 1991 thriller ''The Silence of the Lambs'', for which she won her second Academy Award and Golden Globe, and won her first BAFTA Award for Best Actress. This is the film that Foster has won the most awards for. This "sleeper" film marked a breakthrough in her career, grossing nearly $273 million in theaters and becoming her first blockbuster.

Foster made her directorial debut in 1991, with ''Little Man Tate'', a critically acclaimed drama about a child prodigy, in which she also co-starred as the child's mother. She also directed ''Home for the Holidays'' (1995), a black comedy starring Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. In 1992, Foster founded a production company called Egg Pictures in Los Angeles. It primarily produced independent films until it was closed in 2001. Foster said that she did not have the ambition to produce "big mainstream popcorn" movies and, as a child, independent films had made her more interested in the movie business than mainstream ones. She played Laurel Sommersby in ''Sommersby'' opposite Richard Gere, who would comment that "She's very much a close-up actress, because her thoughts are clear."

Foster starred in two films in 1994, first in the hugely successful western spoof ''Maverick'' and later in ''Nell'', in which she starred as an isolated woman who speaks an invented language and must return to civilization. Her performance earned her nominations for her fourth Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and an MTV Movie Award, and won her a Screen Actors Guild Award and a People's Choice Award. In 1996, Women in Film awarded her the Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. In the same year, Foster was awarded with the Berlinale Camera award at the 46th Berlin International Film Festival.

In 1997, she starred alongside Matthew McConaughey in the science-fiction movie ''Contact'', based on the novel by scientist Carl Sagan. She portrayed a scientist searching for extraterrestrial life in the SETI project. She commented on the script that "I have to have some acute personal connection with the material. And that's pretty hard for me to find." ''Contact'' was her first sci-fi film, and her first experience with a bluescreen. She commented, "Blue walls, blue roof. It was just blue, blue, blue. And I was rotated on a lazy Susan with the camera moving on a computerized arm. It was really tough."

The film was another commercial success and earned Foster nominations for numerous awards, including a Golden Globe. In 1998, an asteroid, 17744 Jodiefoster, was named in her honor. In 1999, she starred in the non-musical remake of ''The King and I'' titled ''Anna and the King'', which became an international commercial success.

In 2002, Foster took over the lead role in the thriller ''Panic Room'' after Nicole Kidman dropped out due to a previous injury. The film costarred Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam and Kristen Stewart and was directed by David Fincher. It grossed over $30 million in its opening weekend in the United States, Foster's biggest box office opening success of her career so far. She then performed in the French-language film ''Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement)'' (2004), speaking French fluently throughout. She returned to English-language films with the 2005 thriller ''Flightplan'', which opened once again in the top position at the U.S. box office and was a worldwide hit. She portrayed a woman whose daughter disappears on an airplane that her character, an engineer, helped to design.

In 2006, Foster co-starred in ''Inside Man'', a thriller directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen, which again opened at the top of the U.S. box office and became another international hit. In 2007, she starred in ''The Brave One'' directed by Neil Jordan and co-starring Terrence Howard, another urban thriller that opened at No.1 at the U.S. box office. Her performance in the film earned her a sixth Golden Globe for Best Actress nomination and another People's Choice nomination, for Favorite Female Action Star. Commenting on her latest roles, she has said she enjoys appearing in mainstream genre films that have a "real heart to them."

In 2008, Foster starred in ''Nim's Island'' alongside Gerard Butler and Abigail Breslin, portraying a reclusive writer who is contacted by a young girl after her father goes missing at sea. The film was the first comedy that Foster has starred in since ''Maverick'' in 1994, and was also a commercial success.

Foster was set to direct, as well as reunite with actor Robert De Niro, for the film ''Sugarland''; however, the film was shelved indefinitely in 2007. Foster is developing a biographical film of Leni Riefenstahl. She directs and stars opposite her ''Maverick'' co-star Mel Gibson in a black comedy titled ''The Beaver'', out in April 2011.

Foster provided her voice in a tetralogy episode of ''The Simpsons'' titled "Four Great Women and a Manicure."

In March 2011, Foster said she planned to direct a family-oriented science-fiction thriller. At that point, she said, the project remained in the scripting stage.

Personal life

Foster has two older sisters, Lucinda "Cindy" Foster (b. 1954) and Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), and an older brother, Lucius Fisher "Buddy" Foster (b. 1957). During the filming of both ''Taxi Driver'' and ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane'', Connie was her stand-in. Buddy Foster had his own career for several years appearing in regular spots on television shows such as ''Hondo'' and ''Mayberry, R.F.D.'' Foster and her brother have been estranged for many years. In 1997, he wrote a book titled ''Foster Child'' in which he stated, "I have always assumed Jodie was gay or bisexual." In the book, he writes that she was conceived in her father's office three years after their parents divorced, when their mother went to him for child support. He also claims that her name was changed from "Alicia" to "Jodie" because it was a code "Jo D" for their mother's partner, Josephina Dominguez. Jodie Foster called the book "[a] cheap cry for attention and money filled with hazy recollections, fantasies and borrowed press releases. Buddy has done nothing but break our mother's heart his whole life."

Foster is intensely private about certain aspects of her personal life, notably her sexual orientation, which has been the subject of speculation.

Foster has two sons: Charles "Charlie" Foster (b. July 20, 1998) and Christopher "Kit" Foster (b. September 29, 2001). Foster gave birth to both children, but has not revealed the identity of the children's father(s).

In December 2007, Foster made headlines when, during an acceptance speech at ''Hollywood Reporter's'' "Women in Entertainment" event, she paid tribute to film producer Cydney Bernard, referring to her as "my beautiful Cydney, who sticks with me through the rotten and the bliss." Some media interpreted this as Foster coming out, as Bernard was believed to be her girlfriend since the two had met in 1992, during the filming of ''Sommersby''. Foster and Bernard never attended premieres or award ceremonies together, nor did they ever appear to be affectionate with each other, though Bernard has been seen in public with Foster's children on many occasions. However, on May 15, 2008, several news outlets reported that Foster and Bernard had "called it quits."

Foster is an atheist and does not follow any "traditional religion." She has discussed the god of the gaps. Foster has "great respect for all religions" and spends "a lot of time studying divine texts, whether it's Eastern religion or Western religion." She and her children celebrate both Christmas and Hannukah. Some sources claim that Foster is a member of Mensa, but Foster stated that she is not a member during an interview on Italian TV network RAI.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1968–1970	''Mayberry, R.F.D.''	bit parts in 2 episodes	TV series
1969	''The Doris Day Show''	Jenny Benson	TV series, season 1: "The Baby Sitter"
1969	''Gunsmoke''	Susan	TV series, season 15 episode 13: "The Roots of Fear"
1970	''Menace on the Mountain''	Suellen McIver	TV movie in 2 parts "The Wonderful World of Disney"
1970		Rachel	TV series, season 6, episode 24: "Bringing Up Josh"
1970	''Adam 12''	Mary	TV series, season 3, episode 6: "Log 55 Missing Girl"
1971	''My Three Sons''		TV series, season 11
1972	''Bonanza''	Bluebird	TV series, season 13, episode 24: "A Place to Hide"
1972	''Ghost Story (Circle of Fear)''	Judy	TV series, season 1, episode 8: "House of Evil"
1972	''My Sister Hank''	Henrietta "Hank" Bennett	TV
1972	''Napoleon and Samantha''	Samantha
1972	''Kansas City Bomber''	Rita
1972	''''	Anne Chan (voice)	TV series
1973		Elizabeth Henderson	TV series
1973	''Rookie of the Year''	Sharon Lee	TV
1973	''Alexander, Alexander''	Sue	TV
1973	''Partridge Family''	Julie	TV series
1973
1973		Alethea Patricia Ingram	TV series, season 1, episode 11: "Alethea"
1973		Martha McIver
1973	''''	Pugsley (voice)	TV series
1974	''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore''	Audrey
1974	''Smile, Jenny, You're Dead''	Liberty Cole	TV
1974		Addie Loggins	TV series
1975	''''	T.K. Dearing	TV
1976	''Taxi Driver''	Iris Steensma	BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (also for ''Bugsy Malone'')Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActressNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1976	''Echoes of a Summer''	Deirdre Striden	aka ''The Last Castle''
1976	''Bugsy Malone''	Tallulah	BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (also for ''Taxi Driver'')
1976	''''	Rynn Jacobs	Saturn Award for Best Actress
1976		Annabel Andrews	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1977	''Moi, fleur bleue''	Isabelle Tristan (aka Fleur bleue)	aka ''Stop Calling Me Baby!''
1977		Teresina Fedeli	aka ''Beach House''
1977	''Candleshoe''	Casey Brown
1980		Jeanie
1980		Donna
1982	''O'Hara's Wife''	Barbara O'Hara
1983	''Svengali''	Zoe Alexander
1984	''''	Frannie Berry
1984		Hélène Bertrand	aka ''Le Sang des autres''
1986		Victoria Thompson
1987		Linda	Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female
1987		Nancy
1988	''Stealing Home''	Katie Chandler
1988	''''	Sarah Tobias	Academy Award for Best ActressDavid di Donatello
1990	''[[Catchfire''	Anne Benton	aka ''Backtrack''
1991	''''	Clarice Starling
1991	''Little Man Tate''	Dede Tate
1992	''Shadows and Fog''	Prostitute
1993	''Sommersby''	Laurel Sommersby
1994		Mrs. Annabelle Bransford
1994		Nell Kellty
1997	''''	Betty (voice)
1997		Dr. Eleanor Arroway	Saturn Award for Best ActressNominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1998	''''	Herself	Documentary
1998	''Psycho''	Woman in background
1999	''Anna and the King''	Anna Leonowens
2002	''''	Sister Assumpta
2002		Meg Altman	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
2002	''Tusker''	Minnie	Animated voice over
2003		Herself
2004	''''	Elodie Gordes	''Un long dimanche de fiançailles''
2005	''Flightplan''	Kyle Pratt	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
2005	''Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony''	Herself	Guest appearance in episode 8
2006	''Inside Man''	Madeline White
2007	''''	Erica Bain	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture DramaNominated—Irish Film and Television Awards
2008	''[[Nim's Island''	Alexandra Rover
2009	''''	Maggie Simpson (voice)	TV series, episode: "Four Great Women and a Manicure"
2011	''''	Meredith Black	Also director
2011		Penelope Longstreet
+ Producer
! Year	! Title	Notes
1986		co-producer
1994
1995
1998	''''	(TV) executive producer
2000		executive producer
2002	''''
2007	''''	executive producer

+ Director
! Year	! Title	Notes
1988	''[[Tales from the Darkside">Boston Society of Film Critics

+ Producer
! Year	! Title	Notes
1986		co-producer
1994
1995
1998	''''	(TV) executive producer
2000		executive producer
2002	''''
2007	''''	executive producer

+ Director
! Year	! Title	Notes
1988	''[[Tales from the Darkside''	(1 episode, "Do Not Open This Box")
1991	''Little Man Tate''
1995
2011	''''

References

External links

Category:1962 births Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:American atheists Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English-language film directors Category:European Film Awards winners (people) Category:Female film directors Category:Film directors from California Category:Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead winners Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Saturn Award winners Category:Yale University alumni

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Coordinates	25°47′14″N80°11′24″N
name	Richard Roeper
birth date	October 17, 1959
birth place	Chicago, Illinois
occupation	Film critic, journalist
nationality	American
subject	Film
website	http://www.richardroeper.com/ }}

Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American columnist and film critic for ''The Chicago Sun-Times'' and now a co-host on ''The Roe Conn Show'' on WLS-AM. He co-hosted the television series ''At the Movies'' with Roger Ebert from 2000–2008, as the late Gene Siskel's replacement.

Early life

Roeper was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in south suburban Dolton, Illinois. He attended Thornridge High School and graduated from Illinois State University in 1982.

Career

Roeper began working as a columnist for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' in 1987. The topics of his columns range from politics to media to entertainment. He has written seven books, on topics from movies to urban legends to conspiracy theories to the Chicago White Sox. In 2009 Roeper appeared on Howard Stern's show and said he had written a book on gambling, entitled ''Bet the House'', which was released in the first quarter of 2010.

Roeper also was a radio host on WLS AM 890 in Chicago. He also hosted shows on WLUP-FM, WLS-FM and WMVP-AM in Chicago. He won three Emmy awards for his news commentaries on Fox in the 1990s, and was the film critic for CBS in Chicago for three years in the early 2000s. He won the National Headliner Award as the top newspaper columnist in the country in 1992, and has been voted best columnist in Illinois by the Associated Press on numerous occasions.

His columns have been syndicated by the New York Times to publications around the world. Roeper has written for a number of magazines, including ''Esquire'', ''Spy'', ''TV Guide'', ''Playboy'', ''Maxim'' and ''Entertainment Weekly''. He was once named as one of People magazine's most eligible bachelors.

Roeper has been a frequent guest on the ''Tonight Show'', ''Live with Regis and Kelly'', ''The O'Reilly Factor'' and countless other national programs. He is currently the host of ''Starz Inside'', a monthly documentary series airing on the Starz network since the fall of 2007. Roeper appeared on the first episode of the fifth season of Entourage reviewing the fake movie ''Medellin'' starring fictional movie star Vincent Chase. In April 2008, Roeper was the central figure on an episode of ''Top Chef'', in which the contestants served up movie themed dishes to Roeper and his friends, including Aisha Tyler.

In February 2009, Roeper launched his own web site, , which features movie reviews, blog entries about politics, sports and movies, photos and Twitter entries. For most of the year Roeper was posting print reviews and blog entries. In December 2009, he launched a video section, with on-camera reviews of movies. The video segments are produced in partnership with the Starz premium cable channel. Roeper announced the reviews will appear first on his site, then on the Starz channel.

In December 2009, it was reported Roeper had signed a "six-figure" deal with ReelzChannel to be a regular contributor. He will continue to review movies online for his website and for Starz.

As of Monday, April 12, 2010, he is now the co-host of ''The Roe Conn Show'' on Chicago's WLS-AM 890 radio station from 2-6pm CST.

Work as a film critic

After Gene Siskel of ''Siskel & Ebert'' died on Saturday, February 20, 1999, Roger Ebert did the show with nearly 30 co-hosts. After 10 guest stints, Roeper was offered the opportunity to permanently co-host the popular film review show with Ebert. The series was renamed ''Ebert & Roeper at the Movies'' in 2000, and shortened to ''Ebert & Roeper'' in 2002.

Beginning in August 2006, while his co-host Roger Ebert was recovering from cancer surgery, Roeper was joined by guest critics, including ''Clerks'' director Kevin Smith and ''The Tonight Show'' host Jay Leno. On Sunday, July 20, 2008, Roeper announced he was leaving the show in mid-August and would return with a new show later in the year. He continues to write his general interest column, and also contributes reviews to the ''Sun-Times'' and to newspapers across the country.

Bibliography

''He Rents, She Rents: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Women's Films and Guy Movies'', with Laurie Viera (1999)

''Hollywood Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Delightfully Persistent Myths of Films, Television, and Music '' (2001)

''Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Deliciously Entertaining Myths That Are Absolutely, Positively, 100% Not True'' (2001)

''Ten Sure Signs a Movie Character is Doomed, and Other Surprising Movie Lists'' (2003)

''Schlock Value: Hollywood At Its Worst'' (2005)

''Sox and the City: A Fan's Love Affair with the White Sox from the Heartbreak of '67 to the Wizards of Oz'' (2006)

''Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century'' (2008)

''Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance'' (2010)

References

External links

Biography from TV Tome

Category:American columnists Category:American film critics Category:American writers Category:1959 births Category:Film historians Category:Film theorists Category:Living people Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Illinois State University alumni

de:Richard Roeper es:Richard Roeper ja:リチャード・ローパー simple:Richard Roeper sv:Richard Roeper

Coordinates	25°47′14″N80°11′24″N
name	Mel Gibson
birth date	January 03, 1956
birth place	Peekskill, New York, U.S.
birth name
nationality
religion	Roman Catholicism
occupation	Actor, film director, producer, screenwriter
years active	1976–present
parents	Hutton GibsonAnne Patricia(née Reilly, deceased)
children	6 sons, 2 daughters
spouse	Robyn Moore Gibson(m. 1980–present) }}

Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO (born 3 January 1956) is an Australian-American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.

After appearing in the ''Mad Max'' and ''Lethal Weapon'' series, Gibson went on to direct and star in the Academy Award-winning ''Braveheart''. In 2004, he directed and produced ''The Passion of the Christ'', a controversial, yet successful, film portraying the last hours in the life of Jesus. In recent years, remarks by Gibson have generated accusations of homophobia, antisemitism, racism, and misogyny; he has apologised repeatedly for the statements and denied that they represent his real opinions.

Early life

Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of 11 children, and the second son of Hutton Gibson and Irish-born Anne Patricia (née Reilly, died 1990). His paternal grandmother was the Australian opera soprano, Eva Mylott (1875–1920). One of Gibson's younger brothers, Donal, is also an actor. Gibson's first name comes from Saint Mel, fifth-century Irish saint, and founder of Gibson's mother's native diocese, Ardagh, while his second name, Colm-Cille, is also shared by an Irish saint and is the name of the parish in County Longford where Gibson's mother was born and raised. Because of his mother, Gibson holds dual Irish and American citizenship.

Soon after being awarded US$145,000 in a work-related-injury lawsuit against New York Central Railroad on 14 February 1968, Hutton Gibson relocated his family to West Pymble, Sydney, Australia. Mel Gibson was 12 years old at the time. The move to Hutton's mother's native Australia was for economic reasons, and because Hutton thought the Australian Defence Forces would reject his oldest son for the draft during the Vietnam War.

Gibson was educated by members of the Congregation of Christian Brothers at St Leo's Catholic College in Wahroonga, New South Wales, during his high school years.

Career

Gibson gained very favorable notices from film critics when he first entered the cinematic scene, as well as comparisons to several classic movie stars. In 1982, Vincent Canby wrote that “Mr. Gibson recalls the young Steve McQueen... I can't define "star quality," but whatever it is, Mr. Gibson has it.” Gibson has also been likened to “a combination Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart.” Gibson's roles in the "Mad Max" series of films, Peter Weir's ''Gallipoli'', and the "Lethal Weapon" series of films earned him the label of "action hero". Later, Gibson expanded into a variety of acting projects including human dramas such as ''Hamlet'', and comedic roles such as those in ''Maverick'' and ''What Women Want''. He expanded beyond acting into directing and producing, with: ''The Man Without a Face'', in 1993; ''Braveheart'', in 1995; ''The Passion of the Christ'', in 2004; and ''Apocalypto'', in 2006. Jess Cagle of ''TIME'' has compared Gibson to Cary Grant, Sean Connery, and Robert Redford. Connery once suggested Gibson should play the next James Bond to Connery's ''M''. Gibson turned down the role, reportedly because he feared being typecast.

Stage

Gibson studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney. The students at NIDA were classically trained in the British-theater tradition rather than in preparation for screen acting. As students, Gibson and actress Judy Davis played the leads in ''Romeo and Juliet'', and Gibson played the role of Queen Titania in an experimental production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream.'' After graduation in 1977, Gibson immediately began work on the filming of ''Mad Max'', but continued to work as a stage actor, and joined the State Theatre Company of South Australia in Adelaide. Gibson’s theatrical credits include the character Estragon (opposite Geoffrey Rush) in ''Waiting for Godot'', and the role of Biff Loman in a 1982 production of ''Death of a Salesman'' in Sydney. Gibson’s most recent theatrical performance, opposite Sissy Spacek, was the 1993 production of ''Love Letters'' by A. R. Gurney, in Telluride, Colorado.

Australian television and cinema

While a student at NIDA, Gibson made his film debut in the 1977 film ''Summer City'', for which he was paid $400.

Gibson then played the title character in the film ''Mad Max'' (1979). He was paid $15000 for this role. Shortly after making the film he did a season with the South Australian Theatre Company. During this period he shared a $30 a week apartment in Adelaide with his future wife Robyn. After ''Mad Max'' Gibson also played a mentally slow youth in the film ''Tim''.

During this period Gibson also appeared in Australian television series guest roles. He appeared in serial ''The Sullivans'' as naval lieutenant Ray Henderson, in police procedural ''Cop Shop'',

Gibson joined the cast of the World War II action film ''Attack Force Z'', which was not released until 1982 when Gibson had become a bigger star. Director Peter Weir cast Gibson as one of the leads in the critically acclaimed World War I drama ''Gallipoli'', which earned Gibson another Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute. The film ''Gallipoli'' also helped to earn Gibson the reputation of a serious, versatile actor and gained him the Hollywood agent Ed Limato. The sequel ''Mad Max 2'' was his first hit in America (released as ''The Road Warrior''). In 1982 Gibson again attracted critical acclaim in Peter Weir’s romantic thriller ''The Year of Living Dangerously''. Following a year hiatus from film acting after the birth of his twin sons, Gibson took on the role of Fletcher Christian in ''The Bounty'' in 1984. Playing Max Rockatansky for the third time in ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'', in 1985, earned Gibson his first million dollar salary.

Hollywood

Early Hollywood years

Mel Gibson's first American film was Mark Rydell’s 1984 drama ''The River'', in which he and Sissy Spacek played struggling Tennessee farmers. Gibson then starred in the Gothic romance ''Mrs. Soffel'' for Australian director Gillian Armstrong. He and Matthew Modine played condemned convict brothers opposite Diane Keaton as the warden's wife who visits them to read the Bible. In 1985, after working on four films in a row, Gibson took almost two years off at his Australian cattle station. He returned to play the role of Martin Riggs in ''Lethal Weapon'', a film which helped to cement his status as a Hollywood "leading man". Gibson's next film was Robert Towne’s ''Tequila Sunrise'', followed by ''Lethal Weapon 2'', in 1989. Gibson next starred in three films back-to-back: ''Bird on a Wire'', ''Air America'', and ''Hamlet''; all were released in 1990.

1990s

During the 1990s, Gibson alternated between commercial and personal projects. His films in the first half of the decade were ''Forever Young'', ''Lethal Weapon 3'', ''Maverick'', and ''Braveheart''. He then starred in ''Ransom'', ''Conspiracy Theory'', ''Lethal Weapon 4'', and ''Payback''. Gibson also served as the speaking and singing voice of John Smith in Disney’s ''Pocahontas''.

After 2000

In 2000, Gibson acted in three films that each grossed over $100 million: ''The Patriot'', ''Chicken Run'', and ''What Women Want''. In 2002, Gibson appeared in the Vietnam War drama ''We Were Soldiers'' and M. Night Shyamalan’s ''Signs'', which became the highest-grossing film of Gibson’s acting career. While promoting ''Signs'', Gibson said that he no longer wanted to be a movie star and would only act in film again if the script were truly extraordinary. In 2010, Gibson appeared in ''Edge of Darkness'', which marked his first starring role since 2002 and was an adaptation of the BBC miniseries, ''Edge of Darkness''. In 2010, following an outburst at his ex-girlfriend that was made public, Gibson was dropped from the talent agency of William Morris Endeavor.

Producer

After his success in Hollywood with the ''Lethal Weapon'' series, Gibson began to move into producing and directing. With partner Bruce Davey, Gibson formed Icon Productions in 1989 in order to make ''Hamlet''. In addition to producing or co-producing many of Gibson's own star vehicles, Icon has turned out many other small films, ranging from ''Immortal Beloved'' to ''An Ideal Husband''. Gibson has taken supporting roles in some of these films, such as ''The Million Dollar Hotel'' and ''The Singing Detective''. Gibson has also produced a number of projects for television, including a biopic on The Three Stooges and the 2008 PBS documentary ''Carrier''. Icon has grown from being just a production company to also be an international distribution company and film exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand.

Director

Mel Gibson has credited his directors, particularly George Miller, Peter Weir, and Richard Donner, with teaching him the craft of filmmaking and influencing him as a director. According to Robert Downey, Jr., studio executives encouraged Gibson in 1989 to try directing, an idea he rebuffed at the time. Gibson made his directorial debut in 1993 with ''The Man Without a Face'', followed two years later by ''Braveheart'', which earned Gibson the Academy Award for Best Director. Gibson had long planned to direct a remake of ''Fahrenheit 451'', but in 1999 the project was indefinitely postponed because of scheduling conflicts. Gibson was scheduled to direct Robert Downey, Jr. in a Los Angeles stage production of ''Hamlet'' in January 2001, but Downey's drug relapse ended the project. In 2002, while promoting ''We Were Soldiers'' and ''Signs'' to the press, Gibson mentioned that he was planning to pare back on acting and return to directing. In September 2002, Gibson announced that he would direct a film called ''The Passion'' in Aramaic and Latin with no subtitles because he hoped to "transcend language barriers with filmic storytelling." In 2004, he released the controversial film ''The Passion of the Christ'', with subtitles, which he co-wrote, co-produced, and directed. The film went on to become the highest grossing rated R film of all time with $370,782,930 in U.S. box office sales. Gibson directed a few episodes of ''Complete Savages'' for the ABC network. In 2006, he directed the action-adventure film ''Apocalypto'', his second film to feature sparse dialogue in a non-English language.

Honors

On 25 July 1997, Gibson was named an honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), in recognition of his "service to the Australian film industry". The award was honorary because substantive awards are made only to Australian citizens. In 1985, Gibson was named "The Sexiest Man Alive" by ''People'', the first person to be named so. Gibson quietly declined the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government in 1995 as a protest against France's resumption of nuclear testing in the Southwest Pacific. ''TIME'' magazine chose Mel Gibson and Michael Moore as Men of the Year in 2004, but Gibson turned down the photo session and interview, and the cover went instead to George W. Bush.

Films

''Mad Max'' series

Gibson got his breakthrough role as the leather-clad post-apocalyptic survivor in George Miller's ''Mad Max''. The independently financed blockbuster helped to make him an international star everywhere but in the United States, where the actors' Australian accents were dubbed with American accents. The original film spawned two sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (known in North America as ''The Road Warrior''), and ''Mad Max 3'' (known in North America as ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome''). A fourth movie, ''Mad Max 4: Fury Road'', is in development, but both Gibson and George Miller have indicated that the starring role would go to a younger actor.

''Gallipoli''

Gibson played the role of the cynical Frank Dunne alongside co-star Mark Lee in the 1981 Peter Weir film. ''Gallipoli'' is about a group of young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I. They are sent to the Ottoman Empire, where they take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. During the course of the movie, the young men slowly lose their innocence about the war. The climax of the movie occurs at the brutal attack during Battle of the Nek. According to Gibson, “Gallipoli was the birth of a nation. It was the shattering of a dream for Australia. They had banded together to fight the Hun and died by the thousands in a dirty little trench war." The critically acclaimed film helped to further launch Gibson's career. He won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role from the Australian Film Institute.

''The Year of Living Dangerously''

Gibson played a naïve but ambitious journalist opposite Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt in Peter Weir’s atmospheric 1982 film ''The Year of Living Dangerously'', based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Koch. The movie was both a critical and commercial success, and the upcoming Australian actor was heavily marketed by MGM studio. In his review of the film, Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "If this film doesn't make an international star of Mr. Gibson, then nothing will. He possesses both the necessary talent and the screen presence." According to John Hiscock of ''The Daily Telegraph'', the film did, indeed, establish Gibson as an international talent.

Gibson was initially reluctant to accept the role of Guy Hamilton. "I didn't necessarily see my role as a great challenge. My character was, like the film suggests, a puppet. And I went with that. It wasn't some star thing, even though they advertised it that way." Gibson saw some similarities between himself and the character of Guy. "He's not a silver-tongued devil. He's kind of immature and he has some rough edges and I guess you could say the same for me." Gibson has cited this screen performance as his personal favorite.

''The Bounty''

Gibson followed the footsteps of Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, and Marlon Brando by starring as Fletcher Christian in a cinematic retelling of the mutiny on the Bounty. The resulting 1984 film ''The Bounty'' is considered to be the most historically accurate version. However, Gibson thinks that the film's revisionism did not go far enough. He stated that his character should have been portrayed as more of a villain and described Anthony Hopkins's performance as William Bligh as the best aspect of the film.

''Lethal Weapon'' series

Gibson moved into more mainstream commercial filmmaking with the popular buddy cop ''Lethal Weapon'' series, which began with the 1987 original. In the films he played LAPD Detective Martin Riggs, a recently widowed Vietnam veteran with a death wish and a penchant for violence and gunplay. In the films, he is partnered with a reserved family man named Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover). Following the success of ''Lethal Weapon'', director Richard Donner and principal cast revisited the characters in three sequels, ''Lethal Weapon 2'' (1989), ''Lethal Weapon 3'' (1993), and ''Lethal Weapon 4'' (1998). With its fourth installment, the ''Lethal Weapon'' series embodied "the quintessence of the buddy cop pic".

''Hamlet''

Gibson made the unusual transition from the action to classical genres, playing the melancholic Danish prince in Franco Zeffirelli's ''Hamlet''. Gibson was cast alongside such experienced Shakespearean actors as Ian Holm, Alan Bates, and Paul Scofield. He described working with his fellow cast members as similar to being "thrown into the ring with Mike Tyson".

''Braveheart''

Mel Gibson directed, produced, and starred in ''Braveheart'', an epic telling of the legend of Sir William Wallace, a 13th century Scottish patriot. Gibson received two Academy Awards, Best Director and Best Picture for his second directorial effort. In winning the Academy Award for Best Director, Gibson became only the sixth actor-turned-filmmaker to do so. ''Braveheart'' influenced the Scottish nationalist movement and helped to revive the film genre of the historical epic; the Battle of Stirling Bridge sequence is considered by critics to be one of the all-time best directed battle scenes.

''The Passion of the Christ''

Gibson directed, produced, co-wrote, and funded the 2004 film ''The Passion of the Christ,'' which chronicled the passion and death of Jesus (Jim Caviezel). The film was shot exclusively in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew. Although Gibson originally intended to release the film without subtitles; he eventually relented for theatrical exhibition. The film sparked divergent reviews, ranging from high praise to criticism of the violence.

The Anti-Defamation League further accused Gibson of anti-semitism over the film's unflattering depiction of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. Among those to defend Gibson were Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Daniel Lapin and radio personality Michael Medved. Referring to ADL National Director Abraham Foxman, Rabbi Lapin said that by calling ''The Passion of the Christ'' anti-Semitic, "what he is saying is that the only way (for Christians) to escape the wrath of Foxman is to repudiate (their own) faith."

In an interview with the ''Globe and Mail'', Gibson stated, "If anyone has distorted Gospel passages to rationalize cruelty towards Jews or anyone, it's in defiance of repeated Papal condemnation. The Papacy has condemned racism in any form... Jesus died for the sins of all times, and I'll be the first on the line for culpability".

Eventually, the continued media attacks began to anger Gibson. After his father's Holocaust denial was sharply criticized in print by ''The New York Times'' writer Frank Rich, Gibson retorted, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick.... I want to kill his dog."

Gibson's Traditionalist Catholic upbringing was also the target of criticism. In a 2006 interview with Diane Sawyer, Gibson stated that he feels that his "human rights were violated" by the often vitriolic attacks on his person, his father's beliefs, and his religious beliefs which were sparked by ''The Passion''.

The movie grossed US$611,899,420 worldwide and $370,782,930 in the US alone, surpassing any motion picture starring Gibson. In US box offices, it became the eighth (at the time) highest-grossing film in history and the highest-grossing rated R film of all time. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture.

''Apocalypto''

Gibson received further critical acclaim for his directing of the 2006 action-adventure film ''Apocalypto''. Gibson's fourth directorial effort is set in Mesoamerica during the early 16th century against the turbulent end times of a Maya civilization. The sparse dialogue is spoken in the Yucatec Maya language by a cast of Native American descent.

''The Beaver''

Gibson starred in ''The Beaver'', a film directed by former ''Maverick'' co-star, Jodie Foster. ''The Beaver'' premiered at The South by Southwest Festival in Austin on 16 March 2011 The opening weekend in 22 theaters was considered a flop: it made $104,000 which comes to a per-theater average of $4,745. The film's distributor, Summit Entertainment, had originally planned for a wide release of ''The Beaver'' for the weekend of , but after the initial box-office returns for the film, the company changed course and decided instead to give the film a "limited art-house run". Michael Cieply of the ''New York Times'' observed on 5 June 2011, that the film had cleared just about $1 million, making it a certified "flop". Director Jodie Foster opined that the film did not do well with American audiences because it was a dramedy and “And very often Americans are not comfortable with (that).”

Future films

In March 2007, Gibson told a screening audience that he was preparing another script with Farhad Safinia about the writing of the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (OED). Gibson's company has long owned the rights to ''The Professor and the Madman'', which tells the story of the creation of the OED.

Gibson has dismissed the rumors that he is considering directing a film about Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Asked in September 2007 if he planned to return to acting and specifically to action roles, Gibson said: "I think I’m too old for that, but you never know. I just like telling stories. Entertainment is valid and I guess I’ll probably do it again before it's over. You know, do something that people won’t get mad with me for."

In 2005, the film ''Sam and George'' was announced as the seventh collaboration between director Richard Donner and Gibson. In February 2009, Donner said that this Paramount project was “dead,” but that he and Gibson were planning another film based on an original script by Brian Helgeland for production in fall 2009.

He has also expressed an intention to direct a movie set during the Viking Age, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The as-yet untitled film, like ''The Passion of the Christ'' and ''Apocalypto'', will feature dialogue in period languages. However, some sources have speculated that DiCaprio might opt out of the project.

In June 2010, Gibson was in Brownsville, Texas, filming scenes for another movie, tentatively titled ''How I Spent My Summer Vacation'', about a career criminal put in a tough prison in Mexico.

In October 2010, it was reported that Gibson would have a small role in ''The Hangover: Part II'', but he was removed from the film after the cast and crew objected to his involvement.

Personal life

Family

Gibson met Robyn Denise Moore in the late 1970s soon after filming ''Mad Max'' when they were both tenants at a house in Adelaide. At the time, Robyn was a dental nurse and Mel was an unknown actor working for the South Australian Theatre Company. On 7 June 1980, Mel and Robyn Gibson were married in a Roman Catholic church in Forestville, New South Wales. They currently have one daughter, six sons, and two grandchildren.

After 26 years of marriage, Mel and Robyn Gibson separated on 29 July 2006. In a 2011 interview, Gibson stated that the separation began the day following his arrest for drunk driving in Malibu. Robyn Gibson filed for divorce on 13 April 2009, citing irreconcilable differences. In a joint statement, the Gibsons declared, "Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so." The divorce filing followed the March 2009 release of photographs appearing to show him on a beach embracing Russian pianist Oksana Grigorieva.

On 28 April 2009, Gibson made a red carpet appearance with Grigorieva. Grigorieva, who had previously had a son with actor Timothy Dalton, gave birth to Gibson's daughter Lucia on 30 October 2009. In April 2010, it was made public that Gibson and Grigorieva had split. On 21 June 2010, Grigorieva filed a restraining order against Gibson to keep him away from her and their child. The restraining order was modified the next day regarding Gibson's contact with their child. Gibson obtained a restraining order against Grigorieva on 25 June 2010. In response to claims by Grigorieva that an incident of domestic violence occurred in January 2010, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department launched a domestic violence investigation in July 2010.

Investments

Gibson is a property investor, with multiple properties in Malibu, California, several locations in Costa Rica, a private island in Fiji and properties in Australia. In December 2004, Gibson sold his Australian farm in the Kiewa Valley for $6 million. Also in December 2004, Gibson purchased Mago Island in Fiji from Tokyu Corporation of Japan for $15 million. Descendants of the original native inhabitants of Mago, who were displaced in the 1860s, have protested the purchase. Gibson stated it was his intention to retain the pristine environment of the undeveloped island. In early 2005, he sold his Montana ranch to a neighbour. In April 2007 he purchased a ranch in Costa Rica for $26 million, and in July 2007 he sold his Tudor estate in Connecticut (which he purchased in 1994 for $9 million) for $40 million to an unnamed buyer. Also that month, he sold a Malibu property for $30 million that he had purchased for $24 million two years before. In 2008, he purchased the Malibu home of David Duchovny and Téa Leoni.

Prankster

Gibson has a reputation for practical jokes, puns, Stooge-inspired physical comedy, and doing outrageous things to shock people. As a director he sometimes breaks the tension on set by having his actors perform serious scenes wearing a red clown nose. Helena Bonham Carter, who appeared alongside him in ''Hamlet'', said of him, "He has a very basic sense of humor. It's a bit lavatorial and not very sophisticated." During the filming of ''Hamlet'', Gibson would relieve pressure on the set by mooning the cast and crew, directly following a serious scene. In addition to inserting several homages to the Three Stooges in his ''Lethal Weapon'' movies, Gibson produced a 2000 television movie about the comedy group which starred Michael Chiklis as Curly Howard. As a gag, Gibson inserted a single frame of himself smoking a cigarette into the 2005 teaser trailer of ''Apocalypto''.

Philanthropy

Gibson and his former wife have contributed a substantial amount of money to various charities, one of which is Healing the Children. According to Cris Embleton, one of the founders, the Gibsons gave millions to provide lifesaving medical treatment to needy children worldwide. They also supported the restoration of Renaissance artwork and gave millions of dollars to NIDA.

Gibson donated $500,000 to the El Mirador Basin Project to protect the last tract of virgin rain forest in Central America and to fund archeological excavations in the "cradle of Mayan civilization." In July 2007, Gibson again visited Central America to make arrangements for donations to the indigenous population. Gibson met with Costa Rican President Óscar Arias to discuss how to "channel the funds." During the same month, Gibson pledged to give financial assistance to a Malaysian company named Green Rubber Global for a tire recycling factory located in Gallup, New Mexico. While on a business trip to Singapore in September 2007, Gibson donated to a local charity for children with chronic and terminal illnesses.

Religious and political views

Faith

Gibson was raised a Traditionalist Catholic. When asked about the Catholic doctrine of "''Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus''", Gibson replied, "There is no salvation for those outside the Church ... I believe it. Put it this way. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. She's... Episcopalian, Church of England. She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it's just not fair if she doesn't make it, she's better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the chair. I go with it." When he was asked whether John 14:6 is an intolerant position, he said that "through the merits of Jesus' sacrifice... even people who don't know Jesus are able to be saved, but ''through'' him." Acquaintance Father William Fulco has said that Gibson denies neither the Pope nor Vatican II. Gibson told Diane Sawyer that he believes non-Catholics and non-Christians can go to heaven.

Politics

Gibson has been described as “ultraconservative”.

Gibson complimented filmmaker Michael Moore and his documentary ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' when he and Moore were recognized at the 2005 People's Choice Awards. Gibson's Icon Productions originally agreed to finance Moore's film, but later sold the rights to Miramax Films. Moore said that his agent Ari Emanuel claimed that "top Republicans" called Mel Gibson to tell him, "don’t expect to get more invitations to the White House". Icon's spokesman dismissed this story, saying "We never run from a controversy. You'd have to be out of your mind to think that of the company that just put out ''The Passion of the Christ''."

In a July 1995 interview with ''Playboy'' magazine, Gibson said President Bill Clinton was a "low-level opportunist" and someone was "telling him what to do". He said that the Rhodes Scholarship was established for young men and women who want to strive for a "new world order" and this was a campaign for Marxism. Gibson later backed away from such conspiracy theories saying, "It was like: 'Hey, tell us a conspiracy'... so I laid out this thing, and suddenly, it was like I was talking the gospel truth, espousing all this political shit like I believed in it." In the same 1995 ''Playboy'' interview, Gibson argued against ordaining women to the priesthood.

In 2004, he publicly spoke out against taxpayer-funded embryonic stem-cell research that involves the cloning and destruction of human embryos. In March 2005, he condemned the outcome of the Terri Schiavo case, referring to Schiavo's death as "state-sanctioned murder".

Gibson questioned the Iraq War in March 2004. In 2006, Gibson said that the "fearmongering" depicted in his film ''Apocalypto'' "reminds me a little of President Bush and his guys."

In a 2011 interview, Gibson stated,

"The whole notion of politics is they always present you with this or this or this. I’ll get a newspaper to read between the lines. Why do you have to adhere to prescribed formulas that they have and people argue over them and they’re all in a box. And you watch Fox claw CNN, and CNN claw Fox. Sometimes I catch a piece of the news and it seems insanity to me. I quietly support candidates. I’m not out there banging a drum for candidates. But I have supported a candidate and it’s a whole other world. Once you’ve been exposed to it, once or twice or however many times, if you know the facts and see how they’re presented, it’s mind-boggling. It’s a very scary arena to be in, but I do vote. I go in there and pull the lever. It’s kind of like pulling the lever and watching the trap door fall out from beneath you. Why should we trust any of these people? None of them ever deliver on anything. It’s always disappointing."

Controversy

Alleged homophobia

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) accused Gibson of homophobia after a December 1991 interview in the Spanish newspaper ''El País'' in which he made derogatory comments about homosexuals. Gibson later defended his comments and rejected calls to apologise. However, Gibson joined GLAAD in hosting 10 lesbian and gay filmmakers for an on-location seminar on the set of the movie ''Conspiracy Theory'' in January 1997. In 1999 when asked about the comments to ''El País'', Gibson said, "I shouldn't have said it, but I was tickling a bit of vodka during that interview, and the quote came back to bite me on the ass."

Alleged anti-semitism in ''The Passion of the Christ''

Gibson's 2004 film ''The Passion of the Christ'' sparked a fierce debate over alleged antisemitic imagery and overtones. Gibson denied that the film was antisemitic, but critics remained divided. Some agreed that the film was consistent with the Gospels and traditional Catholic teachings, while others argued that it reflected a selective reading of the Gospels.

Sexism and domestic violence

In July 2010, it was alleged that Gibson had been recorded during a phone call with Oksana Grigorieva suggesting that if she got "raped by a pack of niggers," she would be to blame. Gibson was barred from coming near Grigorieva or her daughter due to a domestic violence-related restraining order. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has launched a domestic violence investigation against Gibson. Gibson's estranged wife, Robyn Gibson, has filed a court statement declaring that she never experienced any abuse from Gibson, while forensic experts have questioned the validity of some of the tapes. In March 2011, Mel Gibson agreed to plead no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge.

In a subsequent interview, Gibson stated,

"I was allowed to end the case and still maintain my innocence. It’s called a West Plea and it’s not something that prosecutors normally allow. But in my case, the prosecutors and the judge agreed that it was the right thing to do. I could have continued to fight this for years and it probably would have come out fine. But I ended it for my children and my family. This was going to be such a circus. You don’t drag other people in your life through this sewer needlessly, so I’ll take the hit and move on."

Racism

On 8 July 2010, Gibson was alleged to have made an ethnic slur against Latinos using the term "wetbacks" as he suggested turning in one of his employees to immigration authorities. On 9 July 2010, some audio recordings alleged to be of Gibson were posted on the internet. The same day Gibson was dropped by his agency, William Morris Endeavor.

The July 2010 reports of voice-mail recordings also included alleged racist remarks, with Gibson using the word "niggers". Civil rights activists commented that Gibson had shown patterns of racism, sexism and anti-Semitism and called for a boycott of Gibson's movies.

In April 2011, Gibson finally broke his silence about the incident in question. In an interview with Deadline.com, Gibson expressed gratitude to longtime friends Whoopi Goldberg and Jodie Foster, both of whom had spoken publicly in his defense. About the recordings, Gibson said,

"I’ve never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality – period. I don’t blame some people for thinking that though, from the garbage they heard on those leaked tapes, which have been edited. You have to put it all in the proper context of being in an irrationally, heated discussion at the height of a breakdown, trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship. It’s one terribly, awful moment in time, said to one person, in the span of one day and doesn’t represent what I truly believe or how I’ve treated people my entire life."

Alcohol abuse and legal issues

Gibson has said that he started drinking at the age of thirteen. In a 2002 interview about his time at NIDA, Gibson said, "I had really good highs but some very low lows. I found out recently I'm manic depressive."

Gibson was banned from driving in Ontario for three months in 1984, after rear-ending a car in Toronto while under the influence of alcohol. He retreated to his Australian farm for over a year to recover, but he continued to struggle with drinking. Despite this problem, Gibson gained a reputation in Hollywood for professionalism and punctuality such that ''Lethal Weapon 2'' director Richard Donner was shocked when Gibson confided that he was drinking five pints of beer for breakfast. Reflecting in 2003 and 2004, Gibson said that despair in his mid-30s led him to contemplate suicide, and he meditated on Christ's Passion to heal his wounds. He took more time off acting in 1991 and sought professional help. That year, Gibson's attorneys were unsuccessful at blocking the ''Sunday Mirror'' from publishing what Gibson shared at AA meetings. In 1992, Gibson provided financial support to Hollywood's Recovery Center, saying, "Alcoholism is something that runs in my family. It's something that's close to me. People do come back from it, and it's a miracle."

DUI incident with antisemitic remarks

On 28 July 2006, Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) while speeding in his vehicle with an open container of alcohol. A leaked report revealed that during Gibson's 28 July 2006 arrest for driving under the influence he made antisemitic remarks to arresting officer James Mee, who is Jewish, saying "Fucking Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson issued two apologies for the incident through his publicist, and in a later interview with Diane Sawyer, he affirmed the accuracy of the quotations. He admitted to making antisemitic remarks during his arrest and apologized for his "despicable" behavior, saying the comments were "blurted out in a moment of insanity" and asked to meet with Jewish leaders to help him "discern the appropriate path for healing." After Gibson's arrest, his publicist said he had entered a recovery program to battle alcoholism.

On 17 August 2006, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years probation. He was ordered to attend self-help meetings five times a week for four and a half months and three times a week for the remainder of the first year of his probation. He was also ordered to attend a First Offenders Program, was fined $1,300, and his license was restricted for 90 days.

At a May 2007 progress hearing, Gibson was praised for his compliance with the terms of his probation and his extensive participation in a self-help program beyond what was required.

Filmography

Gibson's acting career began in 1976, with a role on the Australian television series ''The Sullivans''. In his career, Gibson has appeared in 43 films, including the ''Mad Max'' and ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. In addition to acting, Gibson has also directed four films, including ''Braveheart'' and ''The Passion of the Christ''; produced 11 films; and written two films. Films either starring or directed by Mel Gibson have earned over US$2.5 billion, in the United States alone. Gibson's filmography includes television series, feature films, television films, and animated films.

Awards and accomplishments

Academy Award: Best Picture, for ''Braveheart'' (1995) Academy Award: Best Director, for ''Braveheart'' (1995) People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (1991, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004) People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Comedy (2001) ShoWest Award: Male Star of the Year (1993) ShoWest Award: Director of the Year (1996) American Cinematheque Gala Tribute: American Cinematheque Award (1995) Hasty Pudding Theatricals: Man of the Year (1997) Australian Film Institute: Global Achievement Award (2002) Honorary Doctorate Recipient and Undergraduate Commencement Speaker, Loyola Marymount University (2003) World's most powerful celebrity by US business magazine ''Forbes'' (2004) Hollywood Reporter Innovator of the Year (2004) Honorary fellowship in Performing Arts by Limkokwing University (2007) Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards (2008) Sexist Pig Award from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists (2011)

References

Bibliography

External links

"Exclusive: Mel Gibson's Apocalyto Now" (sic), by Tim Padgett/Veracruz, ''TIME'' magazine

Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:21st-century writers Category:Actors from New York Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American emigrants to Australia Category:American people of Australian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American screenwriters Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American Traditionalist Catholics Category:American voice actors Category:Best Director Academy Award winners Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners Category:Honorary Officers of the Order of Australia Category:People educated at the National Institute of Dramatic Art Category:People from Sydney Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award Category:Racism in the United States

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Coordinates	25°47′14″N80°11′24″N
name	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
background	group_or_band
years active	1972–present
origin	Narragansett, Rhode Island, United States
genre	Rock, heartland rock
label	Scotti Bros.
associated acts	Beaver BrownErnie and the Automatics }}

John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band is the name of an American rock band from Narragansett, Rhode Island, that began their career in the 1970s and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s. Originally known as simply Beaver Brown, the group (consisting of John Cafferty (born ca. 1950) on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gary Gramolini on lead guitar, Patrick Lupo on bass, Kenny Jo Silva on drums, Bobby Cotoia on piano, and Michael "Tunes" Antunes on saxophone) started out as a New England bar band and initially established a popular following throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut,and Massachusetts. They also had a following at The Fast Lane and Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

They achieved their greatest fame when they performed the music of a "Springsteen-esque" fictional band in the 1983 movie ''Eddie and the Cruisers''. The soundtrack album from the film reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced a #7 hit single ("On the Dark Side") on the Billboard Hot 100. "On the Dark Side" also held #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for five weeks.

The group's 1985 follow-up album ''Tough All Over'' made the top 50, getting some attention for "C.I.T.Y" and the title track, which became their second #1 single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Another song from that album, "Voice of America's Sons", was the featured theme song on the official motion picture soundtrack of the movie ''Cobra'', starring Sylvester Stallone. Subsequent releases were mostly sequels to the ''Eddie and the Cruisers'' concept, and Cafferty and the band faded from popular consciousness.

Prior to ''Cobra'', Cafferty's "Heart's on Fire" was featured in another Stallone film, ''Rocky IV'', and has been used in several parodies. They have been referenced in the Sean Connery/French Stewart/Burt Reynolds edition of ''Celebrity Jeopardy!'' on ''Saturday Night Live''.

They still tour sporadically. On September 3, 2004, keyboardist Bobby Cotoia died due to complications from liver disease at the age of 50.

Discography

Studio Albums

''Eddie and the Cruisers Soundtrack'' (1983) (#9) (3x Platinum) The band is simply called Beaver Brown on this album.

''Tough All Over'' (1985) (#40) (Platinum)

''Roadhouse'' (1988)

''Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! Soundtrack'' (1989)

Compilation Albums

''Eddie and the Cruisers: The Unreleased Tapes'' (1991)

''Eddie and the Cruisers: Live and In Concert'' (1992)

''Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen'' (2003) (2x Platinum)

''John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band: Extended Versions'' (2004)

Singles (Billboard Hot 100)

"On the Dark Side" (1984) (#7, #34, #68, #94) as it climbed the charts.

"Tender Years" (1984) (#31)

"Tough All Over" (1985) (#22)

"C-I-T-Y" (1985) (#18)

"Small Town Girl" (1985) (#64)

"Voice of America's Sons" (1986) (#62)

"Heart's on Fire" (1986) (#76)

"Song and dance" (1988) (#-) failed to chart.

"Pride and Passion" (1989) (#66)

(Mainstream Rock Tracks)

"On the Dark Side" (1984) (#1)

"Tough All Over" (1985) (#1)

Band members

John Cafferty (Vocals and guitar)

Gary Gramolini (Guitar)

Patrick Lupo (Bass)

Kenny Jo Silva (Drums)

Bobby Cotoia (Piano/Keyboards) Died: September 3, 2004

Michael "Tunes" Antunes (Saxophone)

Other band members

Paul "Cozy" Jackson (Saxophone)

Freddy (Saxophone)

Jackie Santos (drums)

Steve Burke (keyboards)

Bibliography

Himes, Jeffrey (1984). "Beaver Brown: Maturity and Power." ''The Washington Post''. October 24.

Strauss, Duncan (1987). "Cafferty Does Spooky Simulation of Springsteen." ''Los Angeles Times''. October 20.

(2006). "Upcoming Events." ''New York Daily News''. August 13.

Category:American rock music groups Category:Musical groups from Rhode Island Category:Rocky music Category:People from Narragansett, Rhode Island