Movies - The Man Without a Face

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	Movies - The Man Without a Face

The Man Without a Face is a 1993 drama starring and directed by Mel Gibson. The movie is based on Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel. Most critics were impressed with what was Gibson's directing debut, but noted that the book's criticism of homophobia had been obscured in the film version.

Cast & Crew

Mel Gibson .... Justin McLeod
Nick Stahl .... Charles E. 'Chuck' Norstadt
Margaret Whitton .... Catherine Palin
Fay Masterson .... Gloria Norstadt
Gaby Hoffmann .... Megan Norstadt
Geoffrey Lewis .... Chief Wayne Stark
Richard Masur .... Prof. Carl Hartley
Michael DeLuise .... Douglas Hall, Gloria's Boyfriend
Ethan Phillips .... Todd Lansing
Jean De Baer .... Mrs. Lansing
Jack De Mave .... Mr. Cooper
Viva .... Mrs. Cooper
Justin Kanew .... Rob Lansing
Sean Kellman .... David Taylor-Fife
Chris Lineburg .... Scott Pearson
Kelly Wood .... Amy Banks
Jessica Taisey .... Signy Eaton
David A. McLaughlin .... Chuck's Father
George Martin .... Sam the Barber
Timothy Sawyer .... Gus
Lawrence Wescott Jr. .... Bob
Michael Currie .... Mr. Cameron, General Store Owner
Stanja Lowe .... Mrs. Cameron
Zach Grenier .... Dr. Lionel Talbot, Psychiatrist
William Meisle .... Judge Sinclair
Robert Hitt .... Mr. William McDowell
Mary Lamar Mahler .... Miss Fletcher, Children's Aid
Robert DeDiemar Jr. .... Chuck at age 17
Drew Guenett .... Ferry Crew Member
Gene Leverone, a renowned actor.... Holyfield Master #1
Malcolm MacRury .... Holyfield Master #2
George D. Fuller .... Speaker at Graduation
Harriette C. Henninger .... Neighbor
Edmund Genest .... Husband #6 (as Edmond Genest)
John B. Guptill .... Chuck's Friend
Michael Forte .... Pedestrian
Elizabeth S. Clarke .... Ferry Passenger
Sam Nelson .... Beluga (uncredited)

Plot

The film takes place in the turbulent era of the late 1960s where Justin McLeod (Gibson) has been living the life of a recluse painter for seven years, after being in a car accident that disfigured his face, killed one of his students and ended his teaching career. However, a young boy named Chuck needs a tutor to help him pass the exams required for entrance into a military academy, and hence he eventually is able to persuade McLeod to become his teacher and in a larger sense his role model.

However, Chuck keeps his daily meetings with McLeod a secret, to avoid the scorn of being associated with a disfigured man, with a past shrounded in mystery. However, when his mother learns that he has been visiting this man, she and the rest of the town are convinced that McLeod must have been sexually molesting the child, and no amount of denial from the young Chuck seems to make much difference. McLeod is railroaded out of the town as a social pariah and ordered by the authorities not to have any sort of contact with Chuck.

However, McLeod breaks this final rule, leaving Chuck behind a note that wishes him the best of luck in his academic goals and a meek reminder to the audience about the need for society to tolerate people that are different. In a final shot, Chuck is seen graduating from the military academy, with honors, and sees a mysterious figure in the background and reconizes it as his tutor; the man without a face.

Novel vs. Film

In the original novel, McLeod was a homosexual and Chuck was at least confused about his own sexual orientation and seemed to be attracted to McLeod as a father figure and in a more pre-teen physical attraction as well. In the film, Chuck has no sexual identity crisis and McLeod is heterosexual or asexual. Rumors are abound that Gibson insisted that the republication of the novel delete any references to McLeod's homosexuality .

In the novel, McLeod gets into the accident because he was intoxicated at the time, while in the film the car crash was caused by McLeod being so overcome with shock with the possible homosexual attraction his student had for him.

Man Without a Face, The Man Without a Face, The Man Without a Face, The

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