Jodie Foster flew to Austin to PR The Beaver. ¬†Amid tired bloggers, tech geeks and fanboy/girls, Foster must have seemed like as glistening and welcome as Glinda the Good Witch. ¬†The reports on Twitter has so far been positive. ¬†Foster knows she has to deal “the Gibson problem” head on. ¬†But she hopes, according to multiple interviews, that his performance can stand on its own. ¬†Listen, if Christian Bale can win an Oscar for The Fighter, Gibson can certainly be under consideration for forgiveness. ¬†You know, on down the line. ¬†But we know his name with the Oscar voters is mud. ¬†He’s already collected his share of gold from them — good lord, he has a directing Oscar and David Lynch does not, just to say.
I personally don’t think Gibson’s tirades and rants should have any impact on his work as an artist or actor. ¬†I believe they can be separate if the artist themselves can separate them. ¬†In many ways, this shit is none of our business, you know? ¬†What goes on between Gibson and his wife has nothing to do with us and we shouldn’t consider ourselves judge and jury of HIS life. ¬†On the other hand, in a case like Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, that DID seem to impact his work in a negative way, which made it harder to disregard his past. ¬†Roman Polanski is still a controversial subject here and elsewhere but I think he’s one of the best directors working today. ¬†What he did in the 1970s isn’t ever going to change that fact. ¬†Paul Gaugin was an asshole but also happened to be a brilliant painter.
At any rate, I will be willing to give The Beaver a chance and willing to consider Mel Gibson as an actor, despite the weird shit that comes out of his mouth.  Am I crazy?
Here is Foster talking about Gibson:
“The performance he gave in this movie, I will always be grateful for,” she explained.
“He brought a lifetime of pain to the character that we’ve been talking about for years, that I knew was part of his psyche and who he is. It’s part of him that is beautiful and that I want people to know, too. I can’t ever regret that.”
Foster went on to praise Gibson further, insisting that while he may have many faults, he is still a genuinely good person.
“He’s so incredibly loving and sensitive, he really is. He is the most loved actor I have ever worked with on a movie,” she said.
“And he’s not saintly, and he’s got a big mouth, and he’ll do gross things your nephew would do. But I knew the minute I met him that I would love him the rest of my life.”
