ICON FILM PRODUCTIONS
                MEL GIBSON, PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
               SYDNEY/LOS ANGELES

 

Dear Abie:
 
I hope I am not being too presumptuous by calling you “Abie”, but after getting to really know you over the last year, I think of you as a real friend. Let’s turn back the clock and see what was doing in 2003. I had sunk $ 25,000,000 into a movie that no major Hollywood studio wanted to distribute. Can you imagine how I felt after 20+ years in Hollywood and no one wanted to do me a little favor!! I had made millions for these guys over the years, and now they had forgotten who I was. (Sounds like the Joseph story doesn’t it?) They didn’t know it, but after spending 25 million dollars on the film, I had run out of money to advertise, promote, and market my life’s dream. I was thinking that I had made the most expensive home video in the history of the world!  Oh boy, was I in trouble!  I got on my hands and knees and prayed for a miracle. Suddenly, you appeared. An angel must have sent you.
 
You got me the kind of publicity that a foreign language or a religious film never gets. Yes, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center climbed aboard the bandwagon, but it really was your crusade. You managed to get this movie (and me), publicity that I never dreamed possible. Even my Dad got into the act. He, too, thanks you for promoting his views as well. My film was front-page news for weeks. I didn’t have to spend a dime on advertising or promotion. YOU did it all for me.
 
Suddenly my worries were over. My movie was bigger than ever. It was a blessing that the major Hollywood studios turned my movie down. I struck an even better deal with my current distributor, the relatively unknown New Market. After this opening weekend, I have all my money back, and I’m into PROFITS.
 
Abie, I owe it all to you. 
Happy Purim, 
Your friend, Mel

 
March 1, 2004
 
Mr. Abraham Foxman
Anti Defamation League
823 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017


Reader Comments:

From Michael Goldberg:

Dear Mel,

Thank you for crediting me with the financial success of your movie. But I must say that your letter shows how little you understand what I did or why I did it. Rather, it serves to confirm the view of many people that you have a knack for failing to understand simple concepts, often miss the key points on important issues, and are not an authority about events that affect people in our times, much less the events that occurred two millennia ago.

Please understand, my motivation for speaking out against your film was to assure the well being of greater humankind and to ensure the fair characterization of history. While it is impossible to know what would have transpired without opposition to your movie, it seems very likely that a fringe element would have attempted to right the “wrongs” as characterized in your movie and been called to arms; there is no telling what kind of hate crimes these foolhardy followers would have succeeded in perpetrating upon Jewish people worldwide, an outcome I am sure neither of us would have wanted.

Due to my publicity, narratives by prominent journalists including Diane Sawyer and Stone Phillips, the criticism of historians, analysis by film critics, and critiques by various religious, economic, and racial institutions worldwide, the assertions you put forth were widely disregarded.

In fact, by the time your film was released, the story had been told and the bomb had been diffused. The public had been told that the movie was controversial; the public had been told of the historical inaccuracies of your portrayal; the public had been told of the shock and gore and brutality; most important, the public had been made aware that retribution of any kind was unacceptable, and any call to arms could not be tolerated in this society.

And the public listened.

We are thrilled that, to this point, there have been no reports of mistreatment or murder of Jews; there have been no reports of desecration of cemeteries or synagogues; there have been no reports of calls to arms or even marches and public shows of opposition.

Anywhere.

Sure, as a result of my having spoken out more people wanted to see your effort, but because I raised awareness of your skewed perspective none were motivated to react inappropriately. In this, my actions were successful; I accomplished exactly what I set out to do. But your financial gain is only a corollary of my success in preventing undesirable results, and I don’t think I fully deserve the credit you are giving me.

But since it appears to be of paramount importance to you, I want to congratulate you on your financial success; I’ll stick to loftier ambitions. Zay gezunt.

Your friend,
Abie