If Mad Max Could Speak, What Would He Tell Mel?

Aug. 1, 2006 — -- To get himself out of this mess, Mel Gibson needs the courage of "Braveheart," the guile of "Mad Max," and the fortitude to unload that "Lethal Weapon" that is his mouth after a few too many.

The 50-year-old Oscar-winning director and actor has apologized for his "despicable behavior" and for making anti-Semitic remarks when police arrested him Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence. He's admitted he has a drinking problem and has gone into rehab.

But if Gibson hopes to continue as a force in show business, his problems have only begun.

Already, powerhouse agent Ari Emmanuel -- the man who inspired Jeremy Piven's character in "Entourage" -- has called on Hollywood to shun him, "even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line." Barbara Walters similarly told her audience on "The View" that "I don't think I want to see any more Mel Gibson movies."

Still, you can't debate Mel Gibson's future without considering the indelible mark he's made over the past quarter of a century as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. Perhaps no actor since Charlton Heston has played so many iconic characters.

Gibson's pantheon of heroes has battled Redcoats ("The Patriot"), drug dealers ("Lethal Weapon") and demented motorcycle gangs from the future ("Mad Max"). They fear not the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune ("Hamlet"), and keep fighting even with their enemies' arrows poking though their chest ("Braveheart").

As pundit after pundit weighs in on what Gibson might do to redeem himself, here's a look at how some of Gibson's most famous characters dealt with all manner of stress and adversity.

Mad Max (1979): Gibson's current circus of controversy might very well resemble the futuristic wasteland where former cop "Mad Max" Rockatansky fights for his survival … and his sanity.

But perhaps what gives Max courage is what Gibson needs now -- the ability to recognize that inner demons are sometimes the ultimate bad guys. As Max tells a lady friend, "I'm scared. ... It's that rat circus out there, and I'm beginning to enjoy it. Any longer out on that road, and I'm one of them, a terminal psychotic except that I've got this bronze badge that says that I'm one of the good guys."

Braveheart (1995): As the legendary Scottish hero Sir William Wallace, Gibson leads an uprising against the English. After allegations in the police report last week that he was surly and abusive toward the arresting officers, the actor might wish to heed the words of Wallace, who gave this lesson on the abuse of power to his nemesis, King Edward the Longshanks:

"There's a difference between us. You think the people of this land exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it."

If Gibson ever thought he was above the law in Malibu, Calif., he is now humbled. And as he turns to his arraignment on Sept. 28, he might keep in mind something else Wallace proclaimed: "It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom."

Lethal Weapon (1987): As "Lethal Weapon's" Sgt. Riggs, Gibson plays a cop with a death wish, and while he's a fearless drug-busting cop, his partner, Sgt. Murtaugh (Danny Glover), has to constantly remind him there are some things he shouldn't do, as we see in this little exchange.

Riggs: You want me to drive?

Murtaugh: No, you're supposed to be suicidal, remember? I'LL drive.

Riggs: Anybody who drives around in this town IS suicidal.

The moral: Sometimes you're a bigger hero if you don't drive.

The Patriot (2000): Gibson apologized for his "despicable" behavior on Saturday, a day after his arrest, without going into detail. He then apologized again on Tuesday, offering to meet directly with Jewish leaders, after an account of his anti-Semitic tirade was recorded in a police report that reached the Internet.

If Gibson is wracked with guilt and unsure what his next move should be, he bears a lot in common with Benjamin Martin, his character from "The Patriot," a French-Indian war hero haunted by his past, who is reluctant to take sides in the American Revolution because of what he has done on the battlefield.

"I have long feared that my sins would return to visit me, and the cost would be more than I could bear."

Martin's sister-in-law tells him, "You have done nothing for which you should be ashamed."

"I have done nothing," Gibson's character replies. "And for that I am ashamed."

The take-away for Gibson here is that however hard he must work to put this problem behind him, the only truly bad move is inaction.

Conspiracy Theory (1997): In allegedly saying during his drunken tirade things like "The Jews are responsible for all of the wars in the world," Gibson sounds a lot like the paranoid Jerry Fletcher, his character from "Conspiracy Theory."

Of course, Fletcher didn't blame all international conflicts on any single group. "The Vietnam War was fought over a bet that Howard Hughes lost to Aristotle Onassis."

Fletcher overcomes some of his anxieties, thanks to co-star Julia Roberts, so perhaps Gibson will reach out to a few friends.

Hamlet (1990): Frailty, thy name is Mel Gibson. Having to own up to alcohol addiction is certainly wrought with the same angst with which Hamlet ponders "To be, or not to be." And the Danish prince concludes what many in recovery will tell you: "Conscience does make cowards of us all."

Until then, something is rotten in the state of Denmark ... or Malibu.

Buck Wolf is an entertainment producer at ABCNEWS.com. "The Wolf Files" is published Tuesdays.