The Man Without A Face

Internationally acclaimed actor MEL GIBSON starred and made his directing debut with THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE.

To the people of Cranesport, Maine, Justin McLeod (MEL GIBSON) has been an outsider since the day he arrived in their peaceful coastal village. For the last seven years, his scarred face and the mystery surrounding his past have made him the object of rumour and scorn. Whispered snatches of a tale involving a terrible car accident, a fatally injured student, and a brilliant teaching career cut short follow McLeod all over town. He has learned to live with the solitude his tragic past and disfigurement have forced upon him.

Twelve-year old Chuck Norstadt (NICK STAHL) is also an outsider - to his own family. Living with his flirtatious mother and two sisters, Chuck has only cloudy memories of his dead father, who disappeared when he was a toddler. His confusion over his fathers departure and his feeling of being unwelcome within his own family have made Chuck a defensive and distant kid on the outside - and a desperately unhappy one on the inside.

Chuck is resolved to spend this summer in Cranesport studying for an entrance exam to the boarding school his father had attended. But, having failed the entrance exam once, he realises he needs help and turns to McLeod for tutoring.

As their summer unfolds, both McLeod and Chuck discover more than either had hoped for: their friendship, which begins as a clashing of horns, grows into a genuine sharing of ideas and thoughts, enriching both and providing each with a crucial perspective on his life. Chuck discovers his own intelligence, confidence and tolerance and McLeod rediscovers the ability to relate to another human being and the joy and excitement of teaching.

But when the townspeople of Cranesport learn he is tutoring Chuck they become distrustful of the man they fear and cannot understand. Chucks mother suddenly becomes a strident accuser, demanding that McLeod stay away from her son.