The Man Without a Face

Last updated
The Man Without a Face
Man without a face movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mel Gibson
Screenplay byMalcolm MacRury
Based onThe Man Without a Face
by Isabelle Holland
Produced by Bruce Davey
Starring
Cinematography Donald McAlpine
Edited by Tony Gibbs
Music by James Horner
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • August 25, 1993 (1993-08-25)
Running time
114 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$37 million [2]

The Man Without a Face is a 1993 American drama film starring and directed by Mel Gibson, in his feature film directorial debut. The film is based on Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel of the same name. Gibson's direction received positive reviews from most critics.

Contents

Plot

In 1968, Justin McLeod has been living an isolated existence as a reclusive painter for the past seven years, after a car accident that left him disfigured on the right side of his face, with chest burns sustained in the post-crash fire.

Chuck Norstadt is a young boy who endures a contentious relationship with his academically brilliant sisters and their mother. One day, Chuck meets McLeod on a ferry when McLeod witnesses Chuck in an act of vandalism borne of escalating frustration. Chuck is both intrigued and slightly scared of him. Chuck needs a tutor to help him pass a military academy's entrance exam that he had failed earlier that year. Upon discovering that McLeod is a teacher, Chuck eventually persuades him to become his tutor. While he is initially baffled by McLeod's unorthodox methods, the two eventually develop a close friendship.

Chuck keeps his daily meetings with McLeod a secret in order to avoid being scorned for associating with a disfigured man whose past is shrouded in mystery. No one knows much about McLeod and few people have ever made an effort to know him, resulting in McLeod becoming the object of gossip, speculation and suspicion. Ultimately, Mrs. Norstadt learns that her son has been visiting McLeod. She and the rest of the town convince themselves that McLeod is sexually molesting Chuck, despite Chuck's adamant denials. Chuck researches McLeod's car accident, which involved the death of another boy, thus causing McLeod's fear of another attachment. Chuck is forcibly taken to a psychiatrist, who Chuck correctly suspects is also biased against McLeod.

Chuck inevitably confronts McLeod to learn the truth of his disfigurement and to discover the identity of the youth who was killed in the car crash. As it turns out, the boy was a student of McLeod's. Consequently, McLeod was unjustly branded a pedophile, exiled from his hometown, convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served three years in prison. Once his relationship with Chuck is openly known, McLeod is once again run out of town and ordered by the authorities not to have any contact with Chuck. Chuck enters the military academy he had worked so hard to get into.

At mail call, he is given back the letters he had sent to McLeod which were marked undeliverable. Needing to investigate, Chuck returns to McLeod's house only to find it empty, except for a painting he had done of Chuck that summer and a letter written by McLeod. The letter explains that McLeod has moved on and that he wishes Chuck the best of luck in his academic goals, thanking him for the gift of grace he'd so unexpectedly been given. Afterwards, Chuck is shown graduating from the military academy as his sisters and their mom (along with her newest husband) look on proudly. Chuck sees a familiar figure in the distance and recognizes it as his "faceless" tutor. They silently greet each other.

Cast

Release

The Man Without a Face was released on August 25, 1993, in 865 theatres. It ranked fourth at the US box office, making $4.0 million in its opening weekend. In its second weekend, it opened in 1,065 theatres, grossed $5.4 million and ranked second. After five weeks in theatres, the film went on to gross $24.7 million. [1] Internationally, it grossed $11.9 million for a worldwide total of $36.6 million. [2]

Reception

Critical response

The Man Without a Face holds a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews with an average rating of 5.7/10. [3] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [4] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [5]

Critic Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars. [6] He praised Gibson’s performance, calling it "a reminder of his versatility; not many actors can fit comfortably in both Lethal Weapon and Hamlet (1990), and here he finds just the right note for McLeod: Not a caricature, not a softy, not pathetic, but fiercely sure of what is right and wrong". [6] He also commended Nick Stahl on his portrayal of Chuck, writing "he doesn't believe that his face has to mirror every emotion; he takes a no-nonsense approach to the material that's fresh and interesting." [6]

Marjorie Baumgarten of TheAustin Chronicle was more critical, writing "Perhaps more accurately titled The Man with Half a Face, you can practically tell what kind of emotion each particular scene is going to convey solely by the angle from which Gibson's face is shot." [7] She criticized the film's continuity gaps and said, "There's not all that much that keeps this story moving, and the set-ups are all obvious and predictable." [7]

David Ansen of Newsweek wrote "The Man Without a Face is such a noble, well-intentioned little film... that one feels like an ogre picking on it. Alternately poky and melodramatic—and occasionally witty and insightful—Malcolm MacRury's uneven screenplay too often strains credibility." [8]

Treatment of sexuality

The film's treatment of sexuality between Justin McLeod and Chuck Norstadt differs from the book by Isabelle Holland. In the original novel, McLeod behaves in a way that could be interpreted as child grooming, taking Chuck swimming and behaving affectionately toward him. Chuck, meanwhile, seems to be attracted to McLeod as more than just a father figure. There is one scene where it is strongly implied that Chuck and McLeod have some kind of sexual experience in his bedroom. In the film, McLeod demonstrates no sexual interest in the boy at all, even though Chuck appears downstairs in his underwear when the police officer calls.

Gibson has expressed dislike for the book because of its implied sexual contact between McLeod and Chuck: "I read the script first and that's what I liked. The book is just – I'm sorry, but the guy did it. And you know, like, why? I just wanted to say something a lot more positive." [9]

Urban legend

Around the time of the release of Gibson's 2000 film The Patriot , and again around the time of the release of his 2004 film The Passion of the Christ , an Internet rumor falsely attributed to radio commentator Paul Harvey claimed this film was based on an actual incident that happened to Gibson as a young man. The rumor proved to be false. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Year of Living Dangerously</i> (film) 1982 Australian romantic political drama

The Year of Living Dangerously is a 1982 romantic drama film directed by Peter Weir and co-written by Weir and David Williamson. It was adapted from Christopher Koch's 1978 novel The Year of Living Dangerously. The story is about a love affair set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno. It follows a group of foreign correspondents in Jakarta on the eve of an attempted coup by the 30 September Movement in 1965. The film is considered one of the last in the Australian New Wave genre.

<i>Hamlet</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Franco Zeffirelli

Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy of the same name, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Mel Gibson as the eponymous character. The film also features Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Dillane, and Nathaniel Parker. An international co-production between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy, the film was the first produced by Icon Productions, a company co-founded by Gibson.

<i>What Women Want</i> 2000 film by Nancy Meyers

What Women Want is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy film written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, and Diane Drake, directed by Nancy Meyers, and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.

<i>Desperado</i> (film) 1995 film by Robert Rodriguez

Desperado is a 1995 American neo-Western action film written, co-produced, edited and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It is the second part of Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy. It stars Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi who seeks revenge on the drug lord who killed his lover. The film was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. Desperado grossed $58 million worldwide. It has been cited as Salma Hayek's breakout role.

<i>The River</i> (1984 film) 1984 film by Mark Rydell

The River is a 1984 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell, written by Robert Dillon and Julian Barry, and starring Sissy Spacek, Mel Gibson, and Scott Glenn. The film tells the story of a struggling farm family in a Tennessee river valley trying to keep its farm from going under in the face of bank foreclosures and floods. The father faces the dilemma of having to work as a strikebreaker in a steel mill to keep his family farm from foreclosure. It was based on the true story of farmers who unknowingly took jobs as strikebreakers at a steel mill after their crops had been destroyed by rain.

<i>Tequila Sunrise</i> (film) 1988 film by Robert Towne

Tequila Sunrise is a 1988 American romantic crime film written and directed by Robert Towne, and starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, with Raul Julia, J. T. Walsh, Arliss Howard and Gabriel Damon in supporting roles. The film's original music score was composed by Dave Grusin.

<i>Ransom</i> (1996 film) 1996 film directed by Ron Howard

Ransom is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon. The film stars Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Lili Taylor, Brawley Nolte, Liev Schreiber, Donnie Wahlberg and Evan Handler. Gibson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. The film was the 5th highest-grossing film of 1996 in the United States. The original story came from a 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour titled "Fearful Decision". In 1956, it was adapted by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum into the feature film, Ransom!, starring Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen.

<i>Forever Young</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Steve Miner

Forever Young is a 1992 American fantasy romantic drama film directed by Steve Miner and starring Mel Gibson, Elijah Wood, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The screenplay was written by J. J. Abrams from an original story named "The Rest of Daniel".

<i>Payback</i> (1999 film) 1999 film by Brian Helgeland

Payback is a 1999 American neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut, and starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, and David Paymer. It is based on the novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake using the pseudonym Richard Stark, which had earlier been adapted into the 1967 film noir classic Point Blank, directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin.

<i>Rio Lobo</i> 1970 film by Howard Hawks

Rio Lobo is a 1970 American Western film directed and produced by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, from a screenplay by Burton Wohl and Leigh Brackett. The film was shot in Cuernavaca in the Mexican state of Morelos and in Tucson, Arizona. The musical score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It was the third Howard Hawks film varying the idea of a sheriff defending his office against belligerent outlaw elements in the town, after Rio Bravo (1959) and El Dorado (1966), both also starring John Wayne. Rio Lobo was the last film made by Hawks.

<i>Mary Reilly</i> (film) 1996 film by Stephen Frears

Mary Reilly is a 1996 American gothic horror film directed by Stephen Frears and starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich. It was written by Christopher Hampton and adapted from the 1990 novel of the same name by Valerie Martin.

<i>Jack the Bear</i> 1993 film by Marshall Herskovitz

Jack the Bear is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz, written by Steven Zaillian based on the novel of the same name by Dan McCall, and starring Danny DeVito. The film is about John Leary (DeVito), a single father raising his two sons in the 1970s San Francisco Bay Area after the death of his wife.

<i>Bird on a Wire</i> (film) 1990 film by John Badham

Bird on a Wire is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by John Badham and starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. Gibson portrays a man in the witness protection program who is unexpectedly reunited with his former girlfriend, played by Hawn, and both find themselves on the run. Critical reception was mixed, but the film was a box office hit.

<i>Charlotte Sometimes</i> (film) 2002 American film

Charlotte Sometimes is a 2002 drama film written, directed, and produced by Eric Byler. The title is taken from the song Charlotte Sometimes by The Cure, which in turn is based on the book Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer.

<i>Raggedy Man</i> 1981 film by Jack Fisk

Raggedy Man is a 1981 American drama film based on William D. Wittliff and Sara Clark's 1979 novel, and directed by Jack Fisk. It follows a divorced mother and telephone switchboard operator living with her two sons in a small town during World War II. The film was Spacek’s first film after her Academy Award-winning performance in Coal Miner’s Daughter, and was also her first film to be directed by her husband. For this role, Spacek received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. This was the directorial debut for Fisk, and the film debut for Henry Thomas, who next starred in his breakout role of Elliott Taylor for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

<i>The Boys of St. Vincent</i> 1992 Canadian TV series or program

The Boys of St. Vincent is a 1992 Canadian television miniseries directed by John N. Smith for the National Film Board of Canada. It is a two-part docudrama inspired by real events that took place at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John's, Newfoundland, one of a number of child sexual abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church.

<i>Mrs. Soffel</i> 1984 film by Gillian Armstrong

Mrs. Soffel is a 1984 American drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong, starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson and based on the story of condemned brothers Jack and Ed Biddle, who escaped prison with the aid of Kate Soffel, the warden's wife.

<i>Camerons Closet</i> 1988 film by Armand Mastroianni

Cameron's Closet, also known as Cameron's Terror, is a 1989 American supernatural horror film. The film was directed by Armand Mastroianni and stars Scott Curtis, Cotter Smith, Mel Harris, Tab Hunter, Kim Lankford, Gary Hudson and William Lustig.

<i>The Beaver</i> (film) 2011 film

The Beaver is a 2011 psychological drama film directed by Jodie Foster and written by Kyle Killen. It stars Mel Gibson, Foster, Anton Yelchin, and Jennifer Lawrence. Marking Gibson's and Foster's second collaboration since 1994's Maverick, it follows Walter Black, a depressed executive, who hits rock-bottom when his wife kicks him out of the house. At his lowest point, he begins to use a beaver hand puppet to communicate with people and overcome his issues.

<i>Daddys Home 2</i> 2017 American comedy film

Daddy's Home 2 is a 2017 American Christmas buddy comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris. A sequel to Daddy's Home (2015), it stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, John Cena, with John Lithgow and Mel Gibson. The plot follows now-reformed fathers Brad and Dusty, now co-parenting Dusty's kids, who have to deal with their own fathers visiting for the holidays.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Man Without a Face (1993)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Klady, Leonard (January 3, 1994). "Int'l top 100 earn $8 bil". Variety . p. 1.
  3. "The Man Without a Face (1993)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. "The Man Without a Face Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  5. "Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  6. 1 2 3 Ebert, Roger (August 25, 1993). "The Man Without A Face movie review (1993)". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Baumgarten, Marjorie (August 27, 1993). "The Man Without a Face". Austin Chronicle . Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  8. Ansen, David (August 29, 1993). "Goodbye, Mr. Gibson". Newsweek . Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  9. Joanna Conners (August 22, 1993). "The Many Faces of Mel". The Plain Dealer .
  10. "The Man Without a Face]". Snopes . 9 October 2000. Retrieved 2011-09-30.