Never before in film history has America been so divided by a movie. Opponents lambasted The Passion of the Christ as well as its creator and director well before the movie had even released. On the other side of the debate, the religious faithful were building a groundswell of support for the film that crested upon its blockbuster opening on Ash Wednesday. Immediately upon release, The Passion set record after record at the box office, all while opponents were still waging a war of words against Mel Gibson and his creation. Now, for the first time, readers are given a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this history-making film and the life-changing experience that it was for Mel Gibson. Mark Joseph, the producer of Inspired by The Passion of the Christ, from time spent on the movie set and more than forty hours of interviews with Mel Gibson, has brought to light the amazing story behind the film phenomenon.The Passion of Mel Gibson gives readers a private, inside look at the figures surrounding the film--Mel Gibson, Jim Caviezel, and the many others who made The Passion the incredible box-office success it is. From Caviezel's miraculous survival after being struck by lightning to the rabid criticism from secular media and the attacks on Mel Gibson's own father, this book discusses the range of emotional highs and lows the entire cast and crew experienced during production and upon the film's release. Gibson's drive to make this movie (which took him twelve years to complete) is the main story in this captivating book, and readers will learn many of the details behind his motivations and actions during the trials and tribulations of making this historic, controversialfilm.
