However heavy the baggage that Mel Gibson carries from a decade ago, the audience screening his World War II battlefield hero movie “Hacksaw Ridge” at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills Monday night looked past it — to the movie itself.

“Show your heart — not just your applause — for Mel Gibson,” producer Bill Mechanic asked the crowd after the credits rolled.

As Gibson walked down the aisle to take the stage with fellow producers and key cast members, the audience gave a standing ovation. It was a departure from the typical Hollywood premiere, where the main introductions take place before the screening.

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Director Mel Gibson, Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Luke Bracey and Vince Vaughn seen at Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate Company, Los Angeles Special Screening of "Hacksaw Ridge" at The Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Lionsgate/AP Images)

Mel Gibson, Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Luke Bracey and Vince Vaughn (Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Lionsgate/AP Images)

Gibson quickly turned the attention to the main character’s real-life son, Desmond Doss Jr., who was a surprise guest for the screening.

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“Hacksaw Ridge” tells the story of Desmond Doss Sr., a conscientious objector who fought for his right to take the battlefield without a gun, serving as a medic in Japan. He rescued 75 soldiers during the battle of Okinawa and was the first conscientious objector in history to be awarded the Medal of Honor, an honor designated for battlefield heroics.

Desmond Doss’ son and Andrew Garfield (Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Lionsgate/AP Images)

“Some say it’s a war film. I think it’s a love story,” Gibson said before the film.

The 131-minute barrage of floor-rattling sound and relentless gruesome death left the Academy audience shell-shocked. After the credits and the speeches, the crowd spoke in hushed tones.

“It’s a movie that does that to you,” producer Mechanic told TheWrap after the screening.

“Everybody is a bit stunned. It takes a little while to filter through the brain and react. When I saw ‘Taxi Driver,’ [it] was like that or ‘Deer Hunter.’ How long has it been since you’ve seen one of those movies?”

Patrick Wachsberger, Co-Chairman, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, Andrew Garfield and Jon Feltheimer

Lionsgate chiefs Patrick Wachsberger (left) and Jon Feltheimer (right) flank Andrew Garfield (Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Lionsgate/AP Images)

Mechanic made the comments as Gibson and Vince Vaughn also hung around in the Samuel Goldwyn theater, taking pictures with fans as Andrew Garfield huddled on stage in an intense one-on-one with Doss Jr. during their first meeting.

The lead character’s son, who lives in Washington State, did not initially know the film was being made. “It’s a long story,” he said of how he got involved with the filmmakers. “I heard about it on Facebook,” he told TheWrap on the way to the afterparty.

Also Read: 'Hacksaw Ridge' Venice Review: Mel Gibson Says War Is Hell -- Except When It's Awesome

Many of the after party shots seemed destined to end up on Facebook themselves, with guests asking for pictures with Vaughn and guests like Gerard Butler in the dimly lit Academy lobby. Waiters passed filet mignon bites and shrimp through the crowd as a gaggle of agents congratulated Gibson.

Hours earlier, the Hollywood Film Awards announced that Gibson will receive the Director’s Award at their show on Nov. 6. It marks another step on the road to industry repatriation, following his presentation at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Grant Night this past summer and his Golden Globes appearance in January.

“I’m proud to support an extraordinary producer who’s witnessing the comeback of his career,” producer Lauren Selig told TheWrap at the afterparty. Selig (“Lone Survivor”), who has the Tom Cruise and Jesse Plemons actioner “American Made” coming next year, has a longstanding relationship with the actor-director-producer.

As part of that comeback, Gibson was endearingly rusty in buttoning up his heartfelt speech to the crowd.

“Hey, go home,” Gibson concluded on stage. “Thanks so much.”

Lionsgate releases “Hacksaw Ridge” on Nov. 4.

The Evolution of Jennifer Lawrence, From 'Winter's Bone' to 'Red Sparrow' (Photos)

Jennifer Lawrence has come a long way from her showbiz beginnings on TBS' "The Bill Engvall Show" in 2007.
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JLaw made one of her first red carpet appearances at the premiere of "The Burning Plain" at the 2008 Venice Film Festival.
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Lawrence won critical raves as Ree Dolly in the 2010 independent film "Winter's Bone," for which she earned her first Oscar nomination.
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Here's Lawrence at the 2011 Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.
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And here she is arriving at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards for "Winter's Bone."
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Lawrence scored a nomination for "Winter's Bone" at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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Lawrence appeared at 2011 Academy Awards, getting her first Oscar nod for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Winter's Bone."
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Here's Lawrence as Mystique in 2011's "X-Men: First Class."
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Jennifer Lawrence mesmerized in an undulating blue dress at the 2012 People's Choice Award, where she scored two nominations for "X-Men: First Class."
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She became a box office sensation playing bow-and-arrow wielding heroine Katniss Everdeen in 2012's "The Hunger Games."
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Lawrence was solid gold at the 2012 Los Angeles premiere of "The Hunger Games," one of the roles that catapulted her to worldwide stardom.
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Lawrence crossed the pond for the European premiere of "Hunger Games" in style.
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And she sparkled in emerald at a 2012 screening of "The Hunger Games" in New York City.
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JLaw greeted adoring admirers at a "Hunger Games" fan event in Madrid.
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Lawrence went with a two-tone look at the 2012 Academy Awards announcement, one year before winning her first Oscar for "Silver Linings Playbook."
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Here's Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role as the troubled Tiffany Maxwell opposite Bradley Cooper in "Silver Linings Playbook."
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Lawrence stepped out at the New York premiere of "Silver Linings Playbook."
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JLaw sizzled in a cutout dress at the 2013 Critics' Choice Movie Awards, where she snagged two Best Actress awards for "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Hunger Games."
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Lawrence posed with her Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Award in the press room during the 2013 Golden Globes.
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Lawrence wore navy at the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where she picked up a trophy for "Silver Linings Playbook."
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Lawrence took a memorable fall when climbing the stage to accept her Oscar at the 2013 Academy Awards.
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She eventually made it to the stage to grab hold of her Best Actress award for "Silver Linings Playbook" at the 2013 Academy Awards.
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And then she changed into a metallic anthracite dress for the post-Oscars Vanity Fair party in 2013.
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Lawrence reprised her role as Katniss Everdeen in 2013's "Hunger Games: Catching Fire."
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JLaw went with all white at a "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" party at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
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Lawrence sizzled in a sheer dress at the 2013 Los Angeles premiere of "Hunger Games: Catching Fire," a role for which she would win an MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance.
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Lawrence played Rosalyn Rosenfeld, the wife of a con artist, in 2013's "American Hustle."
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Lawrence lit up the press room at the 2014 Golden Globes after winning the award for Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama, Musical or Comedy for "American Hustle."
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Lawrence wore a patriotic sequined look when she snagged a trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for "American Hustle" at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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Lawrence stood out in bright orange at the 2014 Academy Awards, where she was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "American Hustle."
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Lawrence literally sparkled in a dress with a shattered-glass effect at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
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Lawrence took aim as Katniss Everdeen in 2014's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1."
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JLaw embodied the "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme at the 2015 Met Gala in New York.
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Lawrence took aim again in 2015's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2."
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Lawrence crossed the pond for the 2015 world premiere of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" in Berlin.
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And continued to the "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" London premiere.
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Lawrence went gothic at "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2" New York premiere in 2015.
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JLaw starred as Miracle Mop magnate Joy Mangano in 2015's "Joy."
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Lawrence blended into a white background at the New York premiere of "Joy" in 2015.
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JLaw stood out in red at the 2016 Golden Globes, where she took home the trophy for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for "Joy."
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Lawrence arrived at the 2016 Academy Awards in February, where she was nominated for her title role in "Joy."
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In April 2016, Lawrence joined co-star Chris Pratt on stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to promote their upcoming romantic sci-fi movie "Passengers."
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Here's JLaw reprising her role as Mystique in 2016's "X-Men Apocalypse."
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Lawrence sparkled in blinding silver at a May 2016 "X-Men Apocalypse" event in London.
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Lawrence seemed to be having a great time when she stopped by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in May 2016.
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Lawrence starred as stranded space traveler Aurora Snow in "Passengers."
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Lawrence and "Passengers" co-star Chris Pratt got together after an interstellar journey goes awry.
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JLaw played a stay-at-home housewife whose world is turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious couple in "mother!," directed by then-boyfriend Darren Aronofsky.
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She played a secret agent seeking her own agency -- as in, self-determination -- in the 2018 spy thriller "Red Sparrow."
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