The Beaver

The Beaver (2011)

  • 61% of critics liked it
    (170 reviews)

  • 55% of users liked it
    (22,444 ratings)

Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with Mel Gibson in The Beaver - an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life. Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he… More

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PG-13,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Comedy
In Theaters
May 6, 2011 Limited
Summit Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Leah Rozen, The Wrap

    It's a bummer of a movie -- dark and at cross-purposes with both itself and any image do-over [Gibson] might be seeking.

  • Dave Calhoun, Time Out

    Beyond the initial idea, this is kid gloves filmmaking, when what we need is a bit more of the gloves-off stuff.

  • Tom Long, Detroit News

    The acting throughout -- Foster, Lawrence, Yelchin -- is superb, and this may well be Gibson's finest performance, just as it's Foster's most balanced job of directing.

  • Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

    The film is amusing, then melancholy, then weirdly funny, then not. It's a quiet, measured work.

  • David Germain, Associated Press

    With The Beaver, Gibson shows that for all his personal turmoil, he still may have a career in the twilight years.

Read all 21 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Carlos M


    Firmly directed by Jodie Foster and with a heartfelt performance by Gibson, this is an interesting drama about a depressed man suffering from schizophrenia and projecting part of his personality into a puppet. Even so, the script is unfocused and has an easy, sappy conclusion.

  • Samuel R


    Thanks to Foster's directing, there is a superb balance between a serious drama and a dark comedy. This makes 'The Beaver' both an enjoyable and emotional movie. Along with strong performances by Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, this film really does make you aware of how… More

  • Cynthia S


    What a surprise! I was not expecting to like this movie, but I did. Quite a bit! Very quirky. Rather dark. Some well placed humor, at times..but mostly sad, touching, and very well done. Jodie Foster is an exceptional director, in my opinion. The whole thing even made me forget that I… More

  • paul s


    A film that features a man communicating through a hand puppet of a Beaver must be a comedy, right? Well, partly so - how could it not be? And yes, the film does have some moments that make you smile, but this Jodie Foster directed film is far deeper; deftly exploring clinical… More

  • Alexander D


    Aside from being incredibly boring, THE BEAVER is an uneven motion picture. Though intended to perform as a look at one man's dreadful state of depression, we often end up getting a completely unrelated view of that man's son's hassle over trying to write his… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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