The Beaver (2011) User Reviews

Watch it once ... then never again.

[Glock_Boy · 8/10 · 30 September 2011]

Give it to Mel Gibson. The man can act. He is one of the best and does not disappoint.

I rented this simply because I couldn't take the curiosity any longer. I had no idea what it was about.

Every performance here is solid and believable and deep.

The movie is about depression. So don't be surprised if you are left feeling ... depressed. I was. The movie concluded with an upbeat feel, but left me yearning for more.

This is one of those movies that, well, you watched it; you knew you had to - kind of like Schindler's List - then you put it away to never visit it again because you know the emotional pain that it delivers.

Mel nails the accent!

[hendry-robert · 8/10 · 28 May 2011]

It really sounds to me like Mel Gibson has modelled the voice and the accent for the puppet on Ray Winstone which shouldn't surprise me considering they have worked together in the past. However, top marks to Mel for that one because you really could be forgiven for thinking Ray did a voice-over for the puppet.

In general this is not the usual style of film I would watch but I really must say I was most pleasantly surprised at how engaging it was. For me at least, this was down to the Beaver (yes I realise how that sounds) but the remarkable thing is that I forgot it was a puppet controlled and voiced by Mel. I really began to see it as a complete separate character and it just gave the film whole other dimension.

Performances from Gibson and Foster were excellent (as you would expect). Their acting was totally spot on, never once seeming over the top or forced. Jodie Foster has done a sterling job on the directors chair skilfully taking the viewer on a journey in what I would have thought not a particularly easy film to direct. There are some humorous moments but this is not a comedy. You will occasionally laugh, and at times you will tense up during some of Gibsons darker moments. But that is a job well done from all.

This is certainly not a film for everyone but if you like a movie that's choc full to the brim with the human element, excellent acting and directing then I really would recommend it.

Broken Man Facing His Demons Works for Gibson

[lmelnick-999-260424 · 8/10 · 18 March 2011]

Although it's difficult to watch Mel Gibson now without the backdrop of alcoholism, abuse, bigotry, rants and disappointment, this role may actually be the perfect role for him to re-appear on the screen with sympathy and hope of redemption. He plays this role perfectly and the viewer is sucked into the emotion and distress of all characters dealing with their own challenges. It's a beautiful movie with a powerful message. Some have criticized Jodie Foster's directing, but I found the film to be very balanced with the right amount of comedy and tragedy. I loved the camera work and editing, especially with the Beaver as its own character. I also liked the secondary storyline about the teenagers. All the performances were very good. I think the entire movie is very well done, and although I have not changed my personal opinion of Mel Gibson at all, the movie does make you very sympathetic towards families dealing with crisis including his own, and as an actor, he pulls off a very difficult role.

Mel may be flawed in life but the movie is a keeper

[Jawsphobia · 6 May 2011]

I'd give this movie a full ten if not for confusion over the "weighted average" system in which IMDb supposedly disregards a lot of extreme highs or lows. And speaking of highs and lows, who better than a bi-polar actor to not only accept a stigmafied role of someone with a mental disorder but also to get past that and offer the meat and potatoes of entertainment as well? Full disclosure: I am on Team Mel when it comes to an ex girlfriend making headlines with her personal life with reckless disregard for the personal and professional toll; an overkill gesture followed-up ultimately by withdrawal of charges. . .

I won't get into debates over context and word choices in someone's private conversations or during a fit of rage. But others like to, and perhaps for that reason I was only one of about 21 people in the late showing of The Beaver opening night at the Varsity in Toronto, cinema 8. Apparently the VIP cinema there had a screening that started 20 minutes earlier, but I don't know how that or earlier screenings were attended. I'm hoping the movie does better. Even with a small crowd, the audience I was in responded with laughter where appropriate, and the atmosphere was often charged with anxious energy.

Jodie Foster is very dear in her own performance, and her directing choices don't falter. Mel gives glimpses of his goofy persona and one can speculate about which bits of whimsy might have been his contributions, but he also lets us dislike the character a bit or the condition he suffers and the film goes to some dark places. Nobody in the theatre dared laugh at the point that is most drastic and also anxiety inducing. In someone else' hands this film could easily be a TV Movie of the Week.

The woman who played the Sheriff in Signs is again Mel's confidant in The Beaver for the half of the story involving his business. Anton Yelchin (the new Scotty in Star Trek) is impressively grounded even as he suffers through some of his father's inherited symptoms and those typical of teens anyway.

If you are poisoned against Mel, I'm not going to say go see it but I'll go out on a limb and suggest that one of the opening sequences where he is at his lowest ebb might be especially entertaining for people who hate him and there is a certain gallows humour that might allow you to relax your guard. The daring premise and loving execution of the film from everyone involved is a nice mix and the film deserves a better fate than it is likely to get with gossips fanning the flame of scandal.

"Everyone loves a train wreck, especially one they're not in." - The Beaver

I know people are clogging the box office lines for Thor this weekend, and I haven't heard anything negative about that movie but I'm glad I saw The Beaver and that I can honestly say it is more than just weird; it is actually also out on a limb and inspiring without feeling like a cheat. That's my two cents anyway.

A good movie that could've been great

[EduardoSandrini79 · 7/10 · 13 April 2012]

The Beaver is a movie about how people deal with the hard times of life in different ways.

The main character is a father and CEO that is in the middle of a great depression. His family and company are both crumbling down because of it.

This is a topic that is rarely touched in Hollywood and the story raises some deep question. That is the forte of this film. However it doesn't go as deep as it could when answering those question and the third act sounds just too easy and simplistic for such dreadful problems. Moreover, the reactions towards the puppet, while somewhat believable at first, are hard to swallow most of the time.

Despite its lack of boldness in the third act, the movie has some great performances, specially from Mel Gibson (notice how the Beaver mimics Walter Black's every facial expression) as well as from Anton Yelchin. Jodie Foster does only an OK job, mostly due to her lack of screen time.

The movie could've been a classic but it is still way above average and it will still make you think about it long after you've finished watching it. I definitely recommended it.

Acting is amazing all around, especially Gibson's, but the script fails at certain levels that are really important for this kind of story.

[axismladen · 6/10 · 8 August 2011]

The Beaver is the story of Walter Black, a hopelessly depressed individual who finds the way out in a puppet that speaks for him. He finds a beaver puppet in a dumpster and decides to take it with him to the hotel room where he get's drunk and tries to commit a suicide. After the first attempt fails he climbs on the edge of the balcony and is about to jump, but than, all the sudden, the beaver speaks out and brings him to his senses. The idea, as simple and dull as it may sound, is actually quite good and interesting when you think about it. Unforunatelly, the script lacks a great deal in structure and character development which is ultimately why the movie is not nearly as good as it could've and should've been.

Jennifer Lawrence and Anthon Yelchin are both brilliant in the movie and a big talent is really visible in their performances. Unfortunately, while Yelchin is obviously very, very talented, i just can't see the leading man in him. His charisma is, i think, really not on the same level with his talent. However, that being said, i do not doubt it that both of them are gonna be Academy Award winners one day. Jennifer Lawrence is already almost there. With one nomination behind her, the second one is surely gonna come. And i think that one day, with the right choice of roles, she could even be Hollywood's best leading lady. She definitely has what it takes for it.

However, all the good performances in this movie really fall to water compared to the one of Mel Gibson. I don't know if he's acting or is it him self in the movie, and honestly i don't care. All i know is that he's brilliant. If only the character had more to offer, i'm sure the role would be remembered for a long, long time. But even though the movie fails at certain levels, Gibson's performance was definitely worthy of a much larger recognition. If you ask me, the reason he wasn't at the Oscars this year, if not as a winner than definitely as a nominee, is the fresh new scandal that happened in his life. And that's, i think, unfair because he is an actor and he should be judged as an actor and not as a human being. In fact, i don't think anyone can judge him as a human being since none of us knows him like one. The only way we (the audience), and the critics, can know him is as an actor. As Mad Max, William Wallace, Walter Black and so on.... As far as this role goes, at my opinion, he was definitely robbed of all the recognition he well deserved for the portrayal of Walter Black. An amazing performance that was unfairly overlooked by the Academy's voters.

The weakest link as far as the acting goes is, and i can't believe i'm actually saying this, Jodie Foster. It could be because she was busy working as a director on the movie, but her performance, even though good, is really not on the same level as those of Yelchin and Lawrence, and needless to say, as the one of Mel Gibson. Another thing i felt was very weak is the score. Well, it's not bad, it's good. It just doesn't fit this film. It's too melodic and.... Italian. I just don't think it's right for this kind of story. The score that this movie desperately needed should've been something like the one from American Beauty. That would fit great! Slow, sad, tragic... It would've been great!

I really wish the script was longer. And simply because you can't build so many complicated characters in ninety pages. Not convincingly anyway. And especially in a movie like this one which was supposed to be a deep story that deals with a very important subject. What i really like about the movie is the feeling of a solution circling around all the time, but staying unreachable to everyone. Like for example, Walter's wife showing him pictures of their family back when everyone was happy hoping that he'll see some hope or inspiration in it.... and so on... which he fails at doing. That could've been a real good description of the state he, and the depressed people in general, are usually in. But, once again, the script fails terribly in structure and it prevents it's character's from going in whatever direction they were supposed to go. Truth be told, i don't think it's the writer's fault so much as it is Hollywood's. Producer's rarely allow the movie to be a piece of art these day's, even when some movies like this one are meant to be just it. I wouldn't be surprised if the first draft was way better than the one they made the movie on.

To conclude my review, i wasn't bored, but i was definitely not blown away either. The only thing that was great about the movie is acting. Gibson's especially. Maybe it's because i had really high hopes for this movie, but i was a bit disappointed. It's a good movie, but i expected it to be great!!!! It's definitely worth a watch, but i wouldn't put my hopes into being left speechless.

A heavy handed drama which showcases sincere performances

[moviexclusive · 7/10 · 23 June 2011]

The phrase "I'm depressed" is a phrase we hear people lamenting a lot these days. Heck, we are guilty of whining about how depressed we are too. Work woes? Relationship problems? Uncertain future? Depression is more indeed a convenient state to live with, until a solution comes along. But how serious can depression get? How affected can one get to entirely lose interest in activities that dictate normalcy? While we are no medical experts, we are guessing that if one's feelings of sadness, anxiety, emptiness, worthlessness and restlessness lead to difficulties concentrating, remembering and making simple decisions, he should be duly concerned. We are also guessing that if one can only communicate through a hand puppet like the protagonist of this film, he is in need of medical attention too. After a 16 years hiatus (Home for the Holidays) as director, Jodie Foster casts good friend Mel Gibson (Edge of Darkness) as the CEO of a toy company who becomes depressed after being kicked out by his wife. A series of incidents leads to him taking on a new persona in which he speaks through a beaver hand puppet. His wife and elder son are unconvinced that he is serious about this, but as a favour to his younger son who loves the beaver, they try to play along with the depressed man. Anyone with some common sense would think that this setup is a joke, wouldn't he? We, too, would be cynical if someone comes up to us one day to say that he can only converse through a hand puppet. However, we wouldn't mind playing along if the puppet was cute. And in this case, the beaver is one adorable creation that you'd want to cuddle. But wait till you see how serious our protagonist is with his newfound identity. That is also probably when you realise that this 91 minute film written by Kyle Killen has got a somber message to tell. Things get heavy handed as Gibson's character plunges deeper into this absurd game, and as a concerned fellow human being, you begin to wonder how severe one's depression can get. Gibson seems to be the perfect actor to play the troubled protagonist. The Australian actor has been in the news recently for accusations of anti-Semitism, misogyny and racism – could the Academy Award winning filmmaker be facing some personal problems himself? His sunken eyes and sullen emotions in the film seem to be cry out for help, and you can't resist reading a little deeper into this role. Besides directing the film, his Maverick (1994) co star Foster takes on the role of the skeptical wife. The two have a comfortable on screen chemistry, probably due to their long time friendship. The film also features outstanding performances by up and coming young actor Anton Yelchin (Terminator Salvation) as the couple's elder son and Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) as his girlfriend hiding a secret. Audiences expecting a smart comedy (who wouldn't when the protagonist talks through a beaver puppet almost throughout the movie?) will be left cold by the production's serious tone. There is a unsettling feeling that the film tries a little too hard at times to shed light on depression as a medical condition, but we are assuming that its intentions are good – you wouldn't want yourself to resort to conversing via a hand puppet one day, would you?

Good acting, but story is disappointing

[jpewther · 7/10 · 15 May 2011]

Mel Gibson's acting was terrific, as both the super-depressed husband/father and his alter-ego, the Beaver. And when the Beaver first appeared, I thought this movie is really going to be different, quirky and fun. I still had hope when his wife initially accepted the Beaver alter-ego as much better than the big fat zero her husband had been the last time she had seen him. And as the Beaver explained, Gibson's character had tried every other cure for depression known to man: psychotherapy, anti-depressant drugs, self-help books, and nothing had worked. But now he was trying something new and radical, and it seemed to be working a miracle. So why not leave well enough alone, and see where the Beaver would take her husband? But nooooo...she can't take this obvious improvement, and insists on bringing her husband back to reality and his painful depression--thus bringing him into the jaws of disaster yet again.

Also, how is it that this man's oldest son is virtually psychic when it comes to being empathetic with his fellow students, and yet has no empathy or sympathy at all for his own father, whom he once loved? What is his excuse for hating his father so unrelentingly? We are never shown a reason.

The only family member who exhibits consistent kindness and empathy for this man in his new alter-ego form as the Beaver, is his youngest son, who doesn't mind at all that his father talks in a Cockney accent and uses a hand puppet, because now his father is very positive, creative and fun. Why is this small child the only family member who accepts the miracle of the Beaver? What stupid, mean people the others are! Is that what the author of this story was trying to tell us?

A very emotional and enjoyable movie

[med77_99 · 8/10 · 10 May 2011]

People seem to forget that humans make mistakes, and that Mel Gibson has his shares of mistakes that I'm sure he is feeling bad about and trying to fix, but people are just so judgmental and non forgiving. the problem is, I'm sure that most of them had made similar mistakes in their lives, but are still going on about Gibson, sheesh !!

back to the movie, I was looking forward to it, because i think Mel Gibson is a really talented actor, and I gotta say, the movie did not disappoint me. the story as most of you might know from the trailers, is that Gibson's character suffers from depression, which has negative impact on him as well as on his family surrounding him. and just as things seem to be looking hopeless, he finds the Beaver, and with it, he finds his voice and his self. A simple yet effective story, executed in a very professional manner, it is a journey into healing and trying to beat that nasty depression. the characters are played to perfection, as Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, who also directs the film, deliver memorable performances.

It also tackles the family relations and how it is affected by the father's sickness and turmoil, about family supporting each other and an emotional father - son story.

Digging deep into Mel Gibson's character Psyche, and how he escapes his inner depression through the puppet, the beaver, is just so interesting. and they actually made the Beaver, the puppet itself so real, it appeared as a completely independent character, who was funny and at times even freighting. In summary, a highly recommended movie, great acting and a wonderful story. If you are one of those who are still obsessing about Gibson's mistakes, then just go watch Jumping the Broom.

Breakdown, redemption and, in between, a beaver

[vinsond21 · 7/10 · 28 January 2012]

I was thoroughly immersed in this story of a man who handles his depression by speaking through his hand-puppet, a discarded beaver doll picked up from the trash. Jodie Foster impresses as both director and actress, and she succeeds in extracting fine performances from her strong cast with Mel Gibson as the convincing lead. The part when Gibson's character tries to break loose from the dominating beaver personality is genuinely scary. And though they play an estranged couple, Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson share real chemistry whenever their characters are together. The story is affecting, and the music score is sublime. I have found myself falling asleep while watching movies with lots of noise and action; this engaging little work had no problem holding my attention from beginning to end.

Depression and Puppets

[stevendedalis · 5/10 · 6 September 2018]

Unique. The one word I would use to describe the entire film is unique. It is full of questions never answered, the ending is, in my honest opinion, bad, and the main character is a puppet.

Wow that is a lot of unique ideas being poured into a serious drama about depression. The main character (Mel Gibson) is depressed and his wife (Jodie Foster) kicks him out. He finds a beaver puppet in the dumpster and turns that into his second personality to help save him from his depression. It works surprisingly. Then he goes back to the dumps. Then he is back again. And then the movie is over.

Terrible ending in my opinion. The movie left so much unfinished and unanswered questions that still lie in my mind. Such as his job, his sanity/health, and his family as a whole. They could easily make a second movie like this, but please don't.

As much as the movie is interesting, unique, creative, and playful, it is equally as annoying, bad, and simply confusing and dumb at parts.

Overall, this unique film has a lot of elements that are good and a lot that are bad so it falls at a lovely 5/5 rating.

Jodie Foster takes on depression and Mel Gibson in "The Beaver"

[ScottDMenzel · 8/10 · 19 March 2011]

"The Beaver" tells the story of Walter Black (Mel Gibson), a man who has lost his way in life and is dealing with an extreme case of depression. His wife Meredith (Jodie Foster) has told him to move out and his oldest son Porter (Anton Yelchin) hates him. Just when he is about to call it quits, Walter becomes friends with a hand puppet named The Beaver, who takes total control of Walter's life. With The Beaver constantly attached to Walter, he is able redeem himself at work and with his wife and youngest son. It isn't long though before living life through The Beaver catches up to Walter making his life even worse than ever before. It is now up to Walter to take back his life or to lose everything he has worked his entire life for and live it forever as The Beaver.

"The Beaver" is a really dark and depressing piece of cinema. As the film continues, you really saw how deep Walter's depression is and that he is in serious need of help. The man is living his life through a stuffed beaver! It's really an original and interesting take on depression, which has never been seen before. The subplot, which was focused around Anton Yelchin was also interesting and kind of played hand and hand as the same situation that Walter was dealing with.

Mel Gibson gives us an extremely powerful and dark performance in this film. This is something that you have never seen him do before and it's extremely scary to watch him portray this character. This is the most unique take on depression that I have currently seen and Gibson nails it. Jodie Foster is good as the dedicated wife and gives an emotional performance. You can tell that Meredith cares deeply for Walter and will stop at nothing to be with him. Anton Yelchin, gives the best performance of his career in this film. He is a kid who hates his father so much that he lives his life through others. He is so focused on hating his father that he doesn't realize he can't live his own life. That is until Jennifer Lawerence's character Norah comes along and helps him find himself. The acting in this film is just ravishing with everyone involved showcasing some of the best performances of their careers.

While I admired the film's creative and unique take on depression as well as everyone's acting, there were a few elements of the film that didn't sit well with me. The first being why the heck didn't anyone have Walter committed to a mental institute? About 30 minutes in, I couldn't suspend belief that an entire company would allow its CEO to run a company through a hand puppet. That just wasn't plausible. I also didn't get how Meredith didn't take more active role in helping Walter out. There is a scene where Meredith and Walter go to dinner and Meredith tells the Beaver that she wants Walter to come out. This scene is quite disturbing as it shows just how much the Beaver has taken control. At this point, however, why Meredith doesn't bring him to counseling is just unbelievable. He has obviously lost his mind at this point. I just didn't get it those two factors of the film. It's like everyone cared yet no one really took the time to guide him to the light so to speak.

Despite those minor hiccups, I really enjoyed the film. I liked that it was about two stories in one. There was Walter living life through depression aka The Beaver and there was Porter living his life through writing about others. Both of these stories were showing how much Walter and Porter were alike and how much Meredith and Norah are alike. It was a very unique way to view living life through others or other things but it worked out perfectly. My favorite thing about the film was the last 30 minutes. The entire third act was remarkable and really overshadowed all my initial dislikes in the film in regards to no one committing Walter. It was a truly powerful and scary because it showed the true side effects of depression and just how deep into the depression Walter really was. I don't want to give anything away but I will let you know that something does happen to Walter in the last 30 minutes that truly impacts his life. It brings the overall tone of the film to a very dark and depressing state but I feel it was an important part of the film. This film wouldn't have worked out to be so good if it wasn't for how deep it got in that last 30 minutes.

In the end, "The Beaver" will definitely not be a film for everyone. If you are going expecting a comedy, I will warn you right now that you should stay far away. This is not a comedy and it's not even a dramedy. While it does have a few light-hearted moments here and there, this is probably one of the darkest mainstream films that I have come across in quite some time. I don't know how well this is going to do, one for the obvious reason of Mel Gibson, but also because of the small niche market for this film. It obviously has great performances, good direction, and a well written story but the subject matter isn't what most people want to see. I think it's great to see a film be as ballsy and real as this one but I also know this isn't what sells tickets. I would be curious to see how this does when it's released. I personally think it's a must see and recommend those who are into really serious dramas to put this on the top of your list. It's a really unique take on depression, as well as a unique piece of cinema.

A VERY good movie on a untouchable subject

[iumma · 6/10 · 26 September 2011]

Lets get this straight, this movie is depressing. Why? Because it is about depression. The plague of roughly 10% of the American population, conservatively speaking. And yet this is a topic that Hollywood keeps away from with a twenty foot pole. And again why? Probably for no other reason that they think that no one will want to see a depressing movie. And you know what, they are right. This movie was a HUGE commercial flop, not helped by Mels off screen issues. And I have to say Foster probably new she was on the losing side of this gamble. But that said, the movie turns out to surprise and ultimately nail the 800 pound gorilla of depression. Nobody wants to talk about it, much less make a film about it. However the millions and millions of people that live with some degree of functional depression - the kind where you are not institutionalized or trying to find the medicated silver bullet, but you are just living your life - have to be able to relate to the story that is told here. If you believe the lie that we are all told (that is touched upon in the movie), that "everything will be OK", then you have never suffered the pain of depression, or of irreplaceable loss. This movie paints this in a very real, albeit over-the-top, way. In the end there is no silver bullet to curing oneself of depression, it can be a long, sometimes permanent road. Foster prescribes her character with the most unusual sort of medication in the Beaver, and that why the movie suffered: it was too much. The mass market could not buy it, and saw it as a fumbled attempt at a rough subject. I wholeheartedly disagree. I think Fosters directing and Gibsons acting - coupled with a great subplot led by a superb bit of acting by Yelchin - made this film believable, and ultimately a memorable and solid movie. Most of the movie viewing public wont make it through the first half-hour, and I even thought I would have to shut the movie off early on. However, if you give this movie the benefit of the doubt, I think you will not be disappointed. Its not perfect, but how many movies are?

'The Beaver' did not dig deep enough...

[simmmz · 4/10 · 30 June 2011]

Despite being considered a 'high-concept' film, 'The Beaver' is a strangely safe and conventional family drama, void of genuine emotion and coated with a superficial veneer. Nothing resonates.

Something felt really off about the screenplay and direction. The most compelling aspect of the story was exactly how a person could develop an illness in which they choose to communicate through a puppet – but 'The Beaver' skims over this with an unexpected montage. The audience is given no sense of how Walter Black unravels. Actually, the audience is given no sense of Walter Black at all, so therefore the beaver puppet feels like nothing more than a gimmick. I'm truly surprised to read reviews that talk about a film that explores a 'broken man's attempt to rebuild his life'.

The performances weren't up to scratch either. Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence have both proved their acting chops in previous roles – but here they are inconsistent. Jodie Foster seemed slightly uncomfortable and self-conscious (a real surprise, as she is one of my all-time favourites), so perhaps taking on both directing and acting was unwise. Gibson's performance is difficult to comment on. Asthetically he looks the part of a shattered soul, but the writing provides very little insight into the man behind the puppet.

The music was intrusive, with one of the most distracting scores I've encountered in recent memory, and one of Radioheads most emotionally devastating songs was misused in an 'are you kidding me?' moment. To be positive, the cinematography is crisp and clear – and the film is clearly ambitious....but ambition does not equal a good film.

I was expecting 'The Beaver' to be a moving exploration of the human condition, with a focus on communication and mental illness. Instead, I got a superficial family drama that spreads itself too thin. The concept of 'The Beaver' had amazing potential, but unfortunately it did not dig deep enough.

10 out of 10 for Gibson's bravery

[laura_macleod · 5 December 2011]

OK, Mel Gibson used to be a very hot actor that everyone loved. Then he became famous and got caught in the trap of celebrity and fame. His aged face tells the story. The Beaver is not going to win any awards; not because it isn't a good movie - it is. However, with the history behind it of Gibson's rants and misdemeanors and the way he has offended the big boys of Hollywood; Gibson has no where to go anymore. But then he has great friends like Jodie Foster who believed in him and that is why The Beaver is a fascinating film - it tells the story of Mel Gibson and it is clothed in another tale that is probably highly unlikely in real life - BUT, it does explain why Gibson acted the way he did reading between the lines. The Beaver is the story of a man in a nervous breakdown, communicating to the world through a beaver hand puppet during his breakdown and then to the point of total collapse. In between this tale, is the effect on his family , his work and how the world sees him. The theme of the film is mental illness and Gibson does a fine fine job in acting - he really is a tremendous actor. What is really important here, is that Gibson bears his soul through the channel of the film script and I find that very admirable. It is his way of explaining himself and it is a humbling act. I have to admire Jodie Foster too because she is fearless. As the opening credits roll we see that the film has been financed by an Abu Dhabi film production company - how very obscure and not often seen in a Hollywood production. But of course, this is not a Hollywood production - this is a story beyond that - Hollywood is ruled by certain groups of people that Gibson offended - it takes brave people to tell their story against the odds.

Gibson acts up a storm in this oddly uneven drama

[george.schmidt · 6/10 · 24 May 2011]

THE BEAVER (2011) ** Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Riley Thomas Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence. Gibson gives a shrewdly smart performance as a seriously depressed toy manufacturer CEO whose downward spiral leads to a botched suicide attempt where he finds salvation in the titular hand puppet (!) that is his only source of redemption from his estranged family. While the tremendous acting of Gibson is worthy of seeing just for that the "REALLY" factor is abundant (i.e. "Really?! He hasn't been committed yet?! Really?!" ) that overshadows the light and tight direction of co-star (and good friend) Foster with an equally good parallel story of Yelchin as their oldest son attempting to distance himself while falling for class valedectorian Lawrence (who is hiding her own special grief too). Although rookie scribe Kyle Killen tries to breath some life into the mental illness dramatics it also calls to question of the tricky balance of keeping a straight face every time the Cockney accented critter decides to 'speak'.

One beaver you'll give somewhat of a dam about

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 7/10 · 5 March 2013]

If you really want to shake up the mold for the indie family drama, why not insert a beaver puppet? Writer Kyle Killen's hook for "The Beaver" clearly caught the attention of Jodi Foster, who directs and co-stars, and trailers showing Mel Gibson making a fool out of himself talking in a thick British accent with a beaver on his hand couldn't hurt the intrigue factor either.

It sounds like a comical approach, but "The Beaver" plays out consistently like a drama. The beaver puppet in the film serves as a deeply depressed, suicidal man's last-ditch effort to keep himself alive, and what this means for his family isn't exactly ripe for slapstick.

Gibson plays Walter Black, a toy company CEO who from the onset we learn (through Beaver voice over) has become almost catatonically depressed. After moving out and trying to take his own life, Walter starts talking to himself in the form a beaver puppet in order to turn his life around. He tells his wife, Meredith (Foster), that his psychiatrist recommended it as therapy and she plays along in hopes of getting back the man she once loved.

Walter instantly gains new confidence and energy. He forms a new bond with his younger son, Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart), rekindles some romance with Meredith and infuses his company with fresh ideas, including one for a beaver tool set. Only his older son, Porter (Anton Yelchin), refuses to accept the Beaver outright, unable to see anything but the man he deeply fears becoming.

Killen's script takes a rather realistic approach. The characters respond to Walter and the Beaver in ways you could consider both over and under-reacting. Young Henry reacts as a young child would to a puppet, teenage Porter sees it as a ploy of some kind and Meredith sees that this "therapy" could in fact be good for her husband. Everyone at the company is just glad things are stabilizing and moving in the right direction. As an audience, we can at least understand how channeling his better qualities into a separate personality could allow him to function on a day to day basis and even succeed.

The rest of the film plays out the results of Walter's experiment. No new obstacles enter the picture, it's just a matter of whether Walter can reconcile both his family and the Beaver before any irreparable harm is done to either party. The results materialize rather quickly, almost too quickly given that in theory, Walter and his family could have probably lived for years with the Beaver in their lives, even if someone cracking was an inevitability no matter how long the experiment lasted.

The only real comedy in "The Beaver" comes most interestingly from Foster's direction and Gibson's performance. Foster's directing choices, especially the way she shoots Walter and the Beaver together, not trying to point your eye to either Gibson or the puppet, capture the reality of this strange scenario while retaining most of its quirkiness. At some point, no matter how realistic the approach to the story, you have to acknowledge it's about a man who talks through a beaver puppet, and Foster does that.

Who better, really, to play a totally broken man being laughed at by everyone in the country (at one point Walter's story gets national exposure) than Gibson? Public perception of Gibson is so negative at this point that there almost is this magical quality about the Beaver and the way Gibson voices him in such a humorous, jovial manner. He also creates an impressive distinction between Walter and Walter being the Beaver that proves crucial to buying into the film's entire concept. The portions of the film that work well owe a lot of credit to his performance.

Lost in the shuffle is the main side plot, the budding relationship between Porter and the valedictorian at his high school, Norah (Jennifer Lawrence). Porter has a side job writing papers for his fellow students and Norah is nervous about giving the graduation speech. Their relationship draws certain parallels to what's going on with Walter, but the thematic connection doesn't erase how disparate these stories are.

"The Beaver" presents a lot of big but simple ideas about living with the various awful circumstances that life throws our way, about understanding the past's effect on the present and consequently our outlook on the future. Exactly what does it take for us to move on from the darkness of our past? "The Beaver" makes its case in a fashion that's a bit too tidy, but the approach is sincere and the film ends up better than expected.

~Steven C

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Don't let a puppet get all the credit

[Leopoldus · 7/10 · 25 January 2012]

Surprisingly enough, I was looking forward to see this movie, as I thought watching Mel Gibson be something else on screen than a hero could be nice, for once. Well, I was right. Mel gives a really convincing performance doing the man-having- everything-but-what-he-truly-needs going through a recovery that just cannot leave him, his relatives and the viewer unharmed at the end of the flick. The story also focuses on the way his son tries all he can to avoid becoming like him, and his own discover of the f*cked-up way life takes sometimes, concretizing the Great Motto "Shit Happens" through his teenage relations & the unavoidable trans-generational psycho- genealogy, when coming to deal with identity—one's or another's.

Jodie Foster did a pretty nice job directing this flick, the photography & directing making slowly fading Mel for the Beaver, without transferring any sympathy to the puppet and keeping the character on the edge of recovery and/or a deeper failure for the whole movie. The viewer gets easily sucked in, considering the common of the situation & the fact that depression can really go so far, and even though the teenager part is highly predictable the rhythm makes it stable and enjoyable. Good acting performances, good directing, good story, a more than good movie.

Much Needed Portrayal of Depression, Puppet A Little Much

[ASuiGeneris · 6/10 · 16 February 2017]

This is as weird as I thought it would be.

Puppet Therapy is never this extensive. In addition to the obvious fact that it is used with children. I only decided to watch it because I am watching all of Miss Lawrence's films (as always, she performed gloriously, portraying a troubled high school valedictorian).

Has anyone else noticed how much Foster looks like Hunt? Enough for me to be thinking about "What Women Want" for a significant part of the film.

I will say, though, that Mel Gibson did manage an impressive rendition of the clinically depressed. (Attribute his personal life details here.) There were also a few memorable quotes.

"This is a picture of Walter Black, a hopelessly depressed individual. Somewhere inside him is a man who fell in love. Who started a family. Who ran a successful company. That man has gone missing. No matter what he's tried, and he's tried everything, Walter can't seem to bring him back. It's as if he's died, but hasn't had the good sense to take his body with him. So mostly what he does is sleep." (I know how he feels.)

"This is a picture of Walter Black, who had to become The Beaver, who had to become a father, so that one day this might just become a picture of Walter Black."

(I love how The Beaver narrates the opening lines, but, by the closing lines, Walter has regained himself and is the one doing the narrating.)

"Today I'm here to warn you, that you are being lied to. Our parents, our teachers, our doctors, have lied to us. And it's the exact same lie. The same six words, 'Everything is going to be okay'. What if it isn't? What if some of human experience is just something you inherit, like curly hair and blue eyes? What if pain is just in your DNA, and tragedy is your birthright? Or what if, sometimes, right out of the blue, when you least expect it, something changes?"

"I'm not okay, not at all. What do I do with that? What do any of us do? Besides lie. This is what I believe, right now there is someone who is with you, someone who is willing to pick you up, dust you off, kiss you, forgive you, put up with you, wait for you, carry you, love you. So while everything may not be okay, one thing I know is true, you do not have to be alone."

"We reach a point where, in order to go on, we have to wipe the slate clean. We start to see ourselves as a box that we're trapped inside and no matter how we try and escape, self help, therapy, drugs, we just sink further and further down. The only way to truly break out of the box is to get rid of it all together. I mean, you built it in the first place.

If the people around you are breaking your spirit, who needs them? Your wife who pretends to love you, your son who can't even stand you. I mean, put them out of their misery.

Starting over isn't crazy. Crazy is being miserable and walking around half asleep, numb, day after day after day. Crazy is pretending to be happy. Pretending that the way things are is the way they have to be for the rest of your bleeding life. All the potential, hope, all that joy, feeling, all that passion that life has sucked out of you. Reach out, grab a hold of it, and take it back."

"Funny. I think it is a mess (her graffiti art), but you think it is amazing. I think you are amazing, but you think you are a mess."

**** Spoilers ****

I understand the idea, the personification, the fact that he has a mental illness. But making The Beaver come alive, having some sort of psychotic episode, then trying to saw off his hand crossed some sort of line. It is not that I do not empathize. I assure you that I have seen my share of real life psychotic episodes; that scene in particular seemed unrealistic to me. I am not sure whether or not it has to do with the fact that it was Mel Gibson.

Leave it to "The Beaver"

[dee.reid · 9/10 · 23 August 2011]

What bad thing hasn't been said about the troubled actor Mel Gibson in the last 12 months? Woman beater? Racist? Anti-Semetic? Pig? How about great actor? Regardless of how you feel about Mel Gibson the person, there is no denying that Mel Gibson the actor is still pretty outstanding; his latest, the criminally underrated comedy-drama "The Beaver," proves his mettle as one of our great performers.

As directed by Jodie Foster, who also co-stars, "The Beaver" is a film that had little going for it in the area of promotion, and was virtually ignored at the box office; there's no doubt in my mind that Gibson's crazy personal life played a hand in the film's disappointing critical and box office performances. And that is not to say that this film is any way bad. In fact, it's actually quite good. Although its premise is actually quite ludicrous and should not succeed by any rational means (but this isn't a completely rational film) - Gibson stars as a depressed family man named Walter Black who can only express himself through a beaver hand-puppet - you have to turn on your suspension-of-disbelief button into maximum overdrive mode.

Foster plays his wife Meredith, who is forced to bear witness to a man who may be steadily losing his mind, along with her two sons - troubled high schooler Porter (Anton Yelchin) and kindergärtner Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart). Henry's young age allows him to freely accept Walter and "The Beaver," but Porter openly resents him. In a sub-plot, Porter is also behind a lucrative paper-writing scam that also brings him the attention of a pretty classmate named Norah (Jennifer Lawrence), who is not as straight-laced as she seems, either.

But the focus here is Mel Gibson. Whether he's Mel Gibson or "Mad Mel," it is entirely possible that like "The Beaver" does here, it may have allowed Gibson to seek some sort of therapy for his troubling personal issues. I'm fairly certain he's not the first screwed-up actor in Hollywood to seek therapy through an on-screen film role. In fact, whatever issues he may not be able to say himself, "The Beaver" hand-puppet allows him to say what's on his mind.

"The Beaver" is a good film, no more, no less, with a truly capable performance by Mel Gibson, who despite what you think of him, is still one of the great actors (still) working in Hollywood.

9/10

Oddly, not what I expected

[terrencepatrix · 6/10 · 10 August 2011]

I knew beforehand that this movie was about a beaver puppet. Kind of hard not to. I knew that it had something to do with the main character having some sort of a mental breakdown. What I did not know was that this wasn't a comedy. I just naturally assumed such a silly premise was going to be...funny. It's not funny. It's not funny at all. I'm only saying this to prepare people who, like me, expected a comedy.

This movie is most definitely a psychological drama. Whereas there are a few chuckles, they're derived from how bizarre this movie is at times.

The premise of this movie is a man (Mel Gibsons character)has spent the last two years of his life under the weight of a crushing depression. He's barely able to muster up the energy to show up to work, which happens to be a toy company, a company that was passed on to him after his father died. He spends most his day sleeping as much as he possibly can. His wife seems to largely ignore his predicament, immersing herself in her own work. His oldest son openly despises him out of the fear that he might one day become him. His youngest son barely even knows who his father is. His self destructive depression gets so extreme that his wife asks him to leave, so he does, heading to a seedy hotel. On the way he stops by a liquor store, where in the parking lot dumpster he finds...what else...a beaver hand puppet. For reasons he doesn't understand yet, he takes it with him. This is where the movie gets bizarre. After getting ridiculously hammered, he puts on the beaver puppet and attempts suicide. Right as he's about to step off a balcony to his death, a voice calls out to him, causing him to fall back into his room. The TV falls on to his head knocking him out cold for the rest of the night. He awakens to a face to face meeting with...the Beaver. It talks in a strange Aussie accent, and tells him he's going to take over his life.

The rest of the movie is essentially a emotionless Mel Gibson being led around by his charismatic hand puppet "The Beaver". Everything he's ever wanted to be, or say, or do, "The Beaver" accomplishes it for him. This is not done for comedic effect, but to show just how severely his psyche has fractured. It's dark, and a little scary at times just how much control this other personality has, even while it's producing results.

I can't say I didn't find this movie interesting, but I found it's dark tone a bit unsettling for my tastes. I thought the acting was spot on by all involved. It's just so damned dark and depressing at times that it's a difficult watch, the ending completely saved it though. It was climactic punctuated by positive resolution. It's not your every day movie, it is definitely geared towards a more mature audience.

Painful to watch, a disappointment

[pbeer2 · 1/10 · 8 May 2011]

I really like Jody Foster and wanted to like this movie that she has been making the rounds on talk shows for. I found Gibson's character and his family totally unsympathetic, just sad. The therapeutic puppet strategy which I believe is used often with children just didn't seem fitting to me. The whole thing seemed too strange and too painful to watch. The plot meandered all over the map and didn't hold my interest. The flopping between comedy and dark drama was unsettling and jarring. Very unrealistic to my thinking. Perhaps a less rough hewn actor or cuter puppet might have carried it better. Some of the puppet sequences seemed twilight zone creepy. I came out feeling unsatisfied and depressed.

Good movie. Great drama. Depression awareness all in one.

[gringogigante · 8/10 · 12 May 2012]

I loved this movie. It found it sad that the timing of his personal implosion over-shadowed the importance and quality of this movie, but I loved it. All of it. Is it an Academy Award Nominee? No, but I'll recommend it to all who ask about it.

I wish his personal life had not unraveled to such a degree....who would want that for anyone. I wish Hollywood and the press wouldn't have exploited every last second of it, but such is the shallow world of both. I found it particularly fascinating and ironic that he was booted from the cast of The Hangover II because none of the actors wanted to support his woman abusing ways.....and then they brought back Mike Tyson (a wife beater and rapist)for a recurring role. Why would one be surprised by the shallowness of H-town.

Rent this. Besides the fact that everyone deserves a second chance, it's a good movie.

Looking at Jodie Foster's Beaver

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 27 January 2013]

The Beaver jokes don't really get old, nor does good movies about inanimate objects with human qualities. Anthropomorphism movie such like this, belong with other greats like Castaway, and Lars and the Real Girl. These movies have always been a treat to watch. Director Jodie Foster brings out a movie that deals with the real life issue of depression to the screen while trying to balance both comedy and drama. Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black (Mel Gibson) was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. The movie doesn't really explain why his depress about, but it's does explain what he try to do about it. No matter what he tries, Walter can't seem to get himself back on track. He reach his lowest point when his estranged wife Meredith (Jodie Foster ) kicks him out. Walter with nearly no hope, find a way out when he discovers in a dumpster, a beaver puppet. Walter use the Beaver as a way to cope with reality, as well to bridge himself from losing it with insanity. The Beaver acts like a therapy middle man, as a way for Walter to create a new life or in his words 'A new slant', as he's not able to work through the emotional, physical pain of the past. Mel's performance is stunning. He plays this part walking a tightrope between the man who is shutting down personally yet wanting to reach out to his children & wife the only way he can. It's kinda weird hearing Mel Gibson doing a Australia cockery accent for the Beaver. I haven't heard that voice since his early works. The Beaver voice does sounds like Bob Hospkins or Ray Winstone sometimes. The Beaver is also charming, but very mean-spirit when speaking at Walter in a way showing that Walter might have self-hatred of himself. Letting the beaver take control of business meetings, domestic matters, most everything in his formerly sorry life, Walter frees himself to be a new and better man, albeit a man who speaks in two voices and goes everywhere with a buck-toothed sock on his hand. The problem with this, is that Jodie Foster's character Meredith pressures Walter to get rid of the Beaver, and doesn't allow Walter time to learn that he doesn't need the Beaver at all. This decision by Meredith leads Walter into another dark path. The relationships between the family members is real and you could feel both the tension and pain they were suffering. The movie had some uncomfortable moment, yet it's looks so what 'out there'. The fight with the beaver looks silly as hell, while the scene is suppose to be taken serious. I can't help laughing at it. I thought it could have been better with cut shots of Walter, or just the puppet talking. Having both in the film makes the scenes with them look cheesy. Walter is not the only one struggling to locate an authentic sense of self. The older son, Porter (Anton Yelchin), ghost-writes his high school classmates' papers and speeches for money. The boy's awkwardly developing relationship with the class valedictorian Norah (Jennifer Lawrence) takes up fully half the screen time in a sub-plot that would better work for explaining why Walter is depress. Norah's issues come out of nowhere, and it's really hard to connect this story to that of Walters. Yelchin lacks an animating spark and is merely adequate, at times I nearly forgot who the actor is. At some scenes, I thought I was watching Elijah Wood, or a piece of wood. The only thing worth noticing is how Porter doesn't want to end up like his father, but has similarly to that of his father having hate of his father. I particularly enjoyed the generational similarities of the father, grandfather and son. The movie seem like two different movies at times, but it's loosely fix together between father and son. The music has a nice European charm to it, but it can be a bit depressing. Still, it's about mental illness, so what did you think was going to happen. It's a tear jerker with a powerful optimistic conclusion ending that leaves audience with a happy note. What the movie does well, is show the foregrounds of the American family as a fractured but ultimately healing source of depression. This film is an incredible, original, powerful work of art with surprises and shocks and deep themes and feelings stirred up. This film deals with our demons, with the parts of ourselves that we cannot control and that we fight each day, it deals with our defects of character and psychological wounds. Now to the critic that judge the film based on Mel Gibson's personal life. To me, just being flat out honest, I could care less about Mel Gibson personal's life. He obviously an amazing actor. That kinda sucks for people who can't see him as anything else but an Anti-semitic maniac. While it does upset me with what is going on in Mel Gibson's personal life, he is still a fantastic actor and i wish that the majority of people were able to look past that, It's time to forgive and forget. The public is in danger of allowing the recent press regarding Mr. Gibson to deprive them of an outstanding film about the effects and outcome of mental illness on a large spectrum of people. The movie should be judged on the performance alone, not bash due to what the actor does outside of a film.

This Beaver needs a different Ward

[ferguson-6 · 5/10 · 17 May 2011]

Greetings again from the darkness. Clearly, depression is no laughing matter for anyone who suffers from it, or their friends, family or co-workers. But a puppet? Speaking as someone who is not qualified to speak on the topic, I do see how the puppet thing might be good therapy for someone who is depressed and has lost their "voice". But a movie about it?

The good news ... IF I were going to make a movie about a depressed dude who talks through a puppet, I would cast Mel Gibson. If the premise is ever going to be believable or watchable, Mel is the man to make it happen. Director Jodie Foster fully understood this and was willing to take the financial risk of having PR-nightmare Gibson attached.

The frustrating part is that he almost pulls it off, despite the fact that he is TALKING THROUGH A PUPPET most of the movie. We get to see a puppet co-star in a heavy-handed drama, not a comedy like what would come to your mind when you think of a puppet movie. This puppet shares family meals, board meetings, and love-making. Yep, really.

Mr. Gibson proves what a terrific actor he is, though at times, I had difficulty not thinking of his real life personal escapades as the on screen drama was playing out. The opening shot of a beleaguered Gibson adrift in a pool makes it impossible to separate fact from fiction. Plus I found Gibson's choice of mimicking Ray Winstone's voice for the puppet to be quite distracting.

I actually found the sub-plot with the oldest son, played by Anton Yelchin, to be far more interesting. His rogue business and pursuit of cheerleader/valedictorian Jennifer Lawrence was very intriguing. Ms. Foster not only directs, but also plays the wife/mother who provides far more patience and trust than her husband probably deserved.

Seeing this movie back-to-back with "Everything Must Go" just about sent me into depression overload. All the puppet movie really showed me was that Gibson can still act and that Foster is still a fine actress and director, despite the material.