It is said in Hollywood that you are only as good as your last film. This proved true Tuesday morning for Mel Gibson when he received his first Oscar nomination in 21 years. His film Hacksaw Ridge racked up six nominations that include Gibson for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor for star Andrew Garfield, film editing, sound mixing and sound editing.
The WWII drama has been a hit worldwide for Lionsgate with a $65 million U.S. box office plus another $92 million overseas, totaling nearly $158 million. As far as Oscar nods go, it's tied with Lion and Manchester by the Sea and behind La La Land with 14 and Arrival and Moonlight with eight each.
As Gibson’s first directing effort in 10 years, Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of WWII American Army Medic Desmond Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa. Doss, who refused to kill anyone, saved 75 people and became the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without ever firing a single shot.
Controversy has clouded the 61-year-old actor and director since taking home an Oscar for Best Director for Braveheart in 1996. He soon after became entangled in multiple scandals including a 2006 DUI arrest in Malibu, wherein he unleashed anti-Semitic slurs at a police officer. This incident severely damaged his reputation and career and many in Hollywood turned against him. Then, in 2010, he was accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend. He later pled no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge. Gibson has made his apologies and has referred to that time in his life as a “rough patch.”
He spoke about his controversial past in October in an interview with USA Today saying, “I’ve worked on myself a lot. I’m a different person than I was back then. But the thing that remains the same is I think I could always tell a story.”
Gibson was nominated alongside directors Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and Denis Villeneuve (Arrival). Gibson is the only one in the group who has been previously nominated.
He has seemingly turned his life around, regaining his Hollywood footing. And, in his personal life, the star welcomed his ninth child, a son named Lars Gerard Gibson, with his girlfriend over the weekend. Many have questioned if the Hollywood community would welcome him back with open arms after his recent nomination by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Best Director, while the film was nominated in the best motion picture drama category at the Golden Globes. The answer seems to be a resounding yes, though it remains to be seen if he will take home another golden statue.
The 89th Annual Academy Awards will be awarded on February 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, airing at 8.30 p.m. ET on ABC. Here is a full list of nominations.
