Mel Gibson does it his way

The re-released “Passion of the Christ” is slightly less brutal | Andrew Coffin

Mel Gibson barely brushes his teeth these days without attracting attention, flouting convention, or getting in a tussle with someone or other.

The superstar does things his own way and appears to act and speak, certainly by Hollywood standards, with refreshing candor—witness his recent public show of support (via a signed fax) for the effort to save the life of Terri Schiavo.

What else has he been up to lately? Most notably, Mr. Gibson and his distribution partner, Newmarket Films, decided to re-release The Passion of the Christ, shrewdly timed to be in theaters through Easter. This wasn’t a straightforward re-release, though. Responding to what Mr. Gibson, in an online introduction to the new version, referred to as requests from viewers to be able to take “your Aunt Martha or your Uncle Harry or your grandmother,” about six of the most graphic minutes were cut from the film. (See below)