The Beaver (2011)

61% of critics liked it
(168 reviews)
56% of users liked it
(20,714 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 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 tries, Walter can't seem to get himself back on track...until a beaver hand puppet enters his life. -- (C) Summit

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: May 6, 2011 Limited
On DVD: Aug 23, 2011
Studio: Summit Entertainment

Critic Reviews

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.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
For a film about the real problem of mental illness, it never feels authentic. Depression is not something neatly tied up. If this is meant as an allegory, it's vague and unconvincing.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
If anyone can see past the suggestive title, the oddball premise and the controversial casting of this film, they might be surprised to find it surprisingly tolerable.
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
Gibson's performance as Walter Black ranks among the best of his career.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
The device of the beaver is a constant distraction from what is otherwise a compelling tale of a man and family in crisis.
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.
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
Sthn trith ths skhnothetikh apopeira, h Jodie Foster akomh den exei piasei thn ennoia toy rakor, alla ayto einai to mikrotero ap' ta problhmata mias dramenti poy pairnei to thema ths katathlipshs arketa elafra, gia na thes na thn aytoktonhseis
Neil Pond, American Profile
Moviegoers probably won't be interested in seeing Mel Gibson in an onscreen train wreck that reminds them so much of the mess he's made of his real life.
Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
Put the puppet back into the dumpster.
Tim Martain, The Mercury
Aside from having a title that turns me into a puerile, sniggering teenager every time I talk about it, The Beaver is a heartbreakingly good movie.
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Se maneja en el filo entre la comedia absurda y el drama lacrimógeno, una combinación no siempre efectiva. Dentro de un buen elenco se destaca el intento de Mel Gibson por volver a los primeros planos.
Amy Killin, Moviedex
The Beaver makes for a creative portrayal of mental illness, and of family life around those who live in the dark, reaching a fine balance of drama and comedy.
William Kostakis, MovieFIX
Jodie Foster's The Beaver is a film about mental illness that, refreshingly, isn't like most films about mental illness.
Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
Mel Gibson is quite wonderful as Walter and it's to Foster's credit that she is able to balance the serious with the bizarre so convincingly.
Thomas Caldwell, Cinema Autopsy
The Beaver is one of the strangest and most inconsistent dramas in recent years.
Ed Gibbs, Sydney Morning Herald
This is a wholly wasted opportunity for Gibson -- and a disappointing misfire from Foster.
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
It is a totally manufactured product, this film, completely free of sincerity and reality
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
There's a strong and positive sub-text to the story, offering a depth of understanding to an often considered subject that is taboo. But whether audiences will buy Gibson talking with the hand is another question

Read all 24 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

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
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 girlfriend's graduation speech. Also, the film flies by in a matter of 90 minutes (thank God), but that amount of time didn't seem to be quite enough to propel it much further than the point at which it started. Not to mention, the ending is quite predictable. THE BEAVER does not work well as a comedy, nor does it meet up to the sufficiency of a drama. The humor here is quite commonplace and along the lines of what we would expect for a movie about a disturbed family man (i.e. "Today at school, a bully threw me into a dumpster." "What did your teacher do about it?" "She got me out of the dumpster."), and if that's your kind of humor, go right ahead with this one. THE BEAVER strives to be poignant, but can you really expect to be moved by a movie about a crazy guy who talks by using a puppet? Think about it and decide. Ranked #5 worst of 2011.
Saskia D

In my opinion this movie is underrated, but I understand it is not for everybody. It exposes the (self)destructive effects of a long depression in an original way. I like it when you don't know if you should laugh or cry. Nice work Jodie!
KJ P

In Jodie Foster's directorial debut, "The Beaver" tells the harsh tale of Walter (played by Mel Gibson) who has many mental illnesses. The film doesn't take it's time to say that his older son hates him, his younger son is confused, but still loves his father,… More
In Jodie Foster's directorial debut, "The Beaver" tells the harsh tale of Walter (played by Mel Gibson) who has many mental illnesses. The film doesn't take it's time to say that his older son hates him, his younger son is confused, but still loves his father, and his wife (Jodie Foster) throws him out. In the literal sense, after being thrown out, he finds a beaver puppet in the dumpster down in some alley. He takes it back to his new apartment as he talks to himself as another person, through the beaver. Walter represents his happy/confused side, while the beaver represents his one-sided hatred on life. There are many intense scenes and the acting is perfect. You truly believe that he is talking to a puppet, the only problem is, I think it could have been a tad longer and given a few more details about how their family used to be. Besides that fact, "The Beaver" is a must-see for any age and it is one of the best stories that has been put on screen in 2011!
Chris W

Once successful toy company exec and happy family man Walter Black has fallen into a deep depression that sees him well into a dark place from which there may not be a return. Upon finding a beaver hand puppet in a dumpster, Walter decides to begin wearing and communicating through… More
Once successful toy company exec and happy family man Walter Black has fallen into a deep depression that sees him well into a dark place from which there may not be a return. Upon finding a beaver hand puppet in a dumpster, Walter decides to begin wearing and communicating through the puppet, feeling that it may jsut be the thing he needs to revive his bleak situation. Based on that premise alone, I was intrigued. However, I still had some reservations about this movie. For one, this project in general, depending on how the material was handled, was either going ot be a great hit, or a massive failure. It is a bit hard to buy into the premise and take it seriously. For another, the casting of Mel Gibson in the lead ended up being both a blessing and a curse, his real life meltdowns and outbursts give him the credibility needed to make the material work, but also make it hard to accept the film due to the fact that he hasn'tr quite yet overcome his own real life undoings. Despite all that, I was still intrigued and wanted to give the film a chance, because well, I was curious to see how this film was handled, and because I'm willing to give Gibson a chance, no matter how big of an unsympathetic nutjob he might be (or come off as). And, you know what, I'm glad I gave this film a chance. It is good. It is certainly weird, but the film takes the material seriously, and I think if anyoen who sees it does likewise, they will find that this film does have a lot to offer and does deal with some serious and imortant issues. As for the tone, well, this film does have some funny moments, but it's not a comedy. What humor there is stays on the dark side, keeping the film as mostly an odd psychological drama. It gets pretty dark too. I figured it would get into the serious territory, but when this film decides to get dark, it gets pretty dark...more than I was thinking. The film has big Alexander Payne vibe to it, and, even though I don't think Foster (as director) is at Payne's level, she handles the material in just the right way, thus the film flirts with the farcical and parodic side of things, but thankfully never quite crosses into that area. The film is a bit absurb, and like I've said, you have to be able to buy into the premise and suspend some disbelief, but this is certainly a film that is not boring, very compelling and interesting, but it definitely scores some big points for having a fresh and interesting take on how someone might deal with mental illness. As a nice counterpoint to the main story, the film also follows Walter's oldest son Porter, who resents his dad and tries his hardest to not end up like him. Porter makes a living on the side writing papers for other students, and this leads him to begin a little something with the class valedictorian who reveals she has some struggles of her own. I did enjoy this movie, and yeah, it is entertaining, but it's definitely not the most happy film ever (it's far from being the bleakest though), but it provides tons of food for thought and does a really strong job of treating the material with care and respect. That said, I kinda felt like the script could have been a little sharer and stronger. The B story works well, but I think it could have been fleshed out more and better, and actually has enough there that it could have been a film all on its own. As far as the acting goes, Gibson does deliver some really good work, but his polarizing nature (mostly because of the last few years) might make it hard for some to be very accepting. I think it mostly helps him, and casting someone known more for comedy would probably have been a mistake, unless of course the material would have stayed as is instead of changing tonally. Foster is solid as always as Walter's wife Meredith, but for me, aside from Gibson, I think the ones to watch here are Anton Yelchin as Porter and Jennifer Lawrence as the valedictorian Norah. Yelchin's been around the movies since he was a kid, but he hasn't quite had the major breakthrough to really ensure he'll have a lifelong career. As far as I know though, he's pretty much almost always delivered exellent work, and this film helps strengthen the case for him being considered as someone to appreciate more. Lawrence has thankfully not been a one trick pony in the wake of Winter's Bone, and with this one, she takes what could have been a shallow, bland boring role and gives it depth and nuance. Even if you despise Gibson for his real life indiscretions, you should give this film a chance. It might be hard to do that, but it's worth it. This is an unconventional film that won't be for everybody, but if you come to it with an open mind and a desire to see a film with a good deal of substance and thought provokingness, then you should be happy. I'm a little torn on it, so let's call it a toss up between a 3.5 and a 4.
Anthony L

As debuts go, Jodie Foster has done pretty well, especially as she co-stars in it too. She could have taken the story and really schmaltzed it up or turned it into an awful physical slap-stick comedy - missing the point entirely. She knew what she was doing and she achieved it, not… More
As debuts go, Jodie Foster has done pretty well, especially as she co-stars in it too. She could have taken the story and really schmaltzed it up or turned it into an awful physical slap-stick comedy - missing the point entirely. She knew what she was doing and she achieved it, not perfectly but at the required level. I do feel sorry for her though, as this film should and would have done better had it not have been for Mel Gibson's public downfall. I'm not judging this film based on Mr. Gibson's personal views though, I'm basing it on his performance and I have to say, it's one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. I exaggerate not. To do what he did convincingly takes pure talent; it might be overlooked now but I have no doubt that this will be regarded as a future classic - A contemporary Harvey even. It's just a shame then that he is somewhat let down by his younger co-stars who are given far too much screen time considering their (lack of) talent. Ignore them though, Gibson's performance alone rockets this films rating to a nearly perfect 4 and a half stars!
Melvin W

Walter Black: 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. "He's here to save Walter's life." The Beaver is one of the oddest films I have seen this… More
Walter Black: 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. "He's here to save Walter's life." The Beaver is one of the oddest films I have seen this year. It is an offbeat and inventive look at depression. It is wonderfully directed by Jodie Foster and well acted by all involved, especially Mel Gibson and Anton Yelchin. The film, is at times, darkly hilarious and at other times devastating and heartbreaking. Still, despite my admiration of the film, I still never completely fell in love with it. The Beaver follows a family of four. Mel Gibson plays Walter, who is CEO of a toy company, as well as a father and husband. He is extremely depressed and spends all of his time sleeping. His attitude affects his family in different ways. The youngest just shuts himself off from people. The eldest watches his father and notices what similarities they have. He writes them down on post it notes, so that he can eventually destroy all the similarities. Jodie Foster plays his wife and she has had enough. At the beginning of the movie we see her kick Walter out of the house. Then Walter meets a puppet and begins to open up through it. He speaks in an Australian accent and wants everyone to talk to the Beaver. I really liked the premise and how it was handled throughout, but I didn't feel like the movie had a good enough ending. I didn't expect a huge payoff, but I expected some form of closure and didn't really get it. I turned it off feeling a little unsatisfied. On a whole though, I was surprised and pretty happy with The Beaver. It was a film that definitely had its own voice and direction. It's also a good look at insanity and depression, as well as a solid family drama.
Nate Z

Eerily mirroring his real-life public breakdown, Mel Gibson stars in The Beaver as Walter Black, a man crippled by depression who finds a therapeutic outlet via animal puppet. The beaver is a puppet that Walter chooses to speak through, albeit in a cockney Brit accent that sounds… More
Eerily mirroring his real-life public breakdown, Mel Gibson stars in The Beaver as Walter Black, a man crippled by depression who finds a therapeutic outlet via animal puppet. The beaver is a puppet that Walter chooses to speak through, albeit in a cockney Brit accent that sounds faintly like Ray Winstone (The Departed). Given this twee premise, you'd expect plenty of laughs, but under the prosaic direction of Jodie Foster, also starring as Black's anguished wife, the movie comes off like a stupefying heart-tugger, a sub-American Beauty style in suburban mawkishness. The comedy and drama elements don't gel at all, and The Beaver is too tonally disjointed to settle down. Gibson gives a strong performance as a man battling his demons, and the subject matter of mental illness is thankfully treated with respect despite the fantastical premise. It's the extraneous moments outside the beaver that help to detract and distract. The story of Walter's son (Anton Yelchin) worrying that he's already showing signs of mental illness, doomed to end up like the father he hates, is a palpable storyline. But writer Kyle Killen sums up this dilemma with clumsy brevity, having the son jot down post-it notes of behavior he has in common with dad, behavior to be eliminated. The entire subplot involving the son romancing the school Valedictorian (Jennifer Lawrence, sunny and beautiful as always), a pretty gal troubled with grief, never feels authentic. That's the problem with The Beaver; too much feels inauthentic to be dramatic and it's too subdued and brusque to be dark comedy. It's like the strangest public therapy session ever for a fading star. Nate's Grade: C+
Sajin P

'The Beaver' is the story of a depressed man, who in his desperate need to reconnect with his family and profession, develops an alter-ego in the form of a hand puppet. The film may have its funny elements, but basically it plays out as a well executed drama. Mel Gibson… More
'The Beaver' is the story of a depressed man, who in his desperate need to reconnect with his family and profession, develops an alter-ego in the form of a hand puppet. The film may have its funny elements, but basically it plays out as a well executed drama. Mel Gibson seems to be back at his best, handling a challenging and risky role like this with subtle ease.
Kytyrah K

If you want a happy-go-lucky comedy with fluff for the kids but enough depth to feed your inner adult, stop right there and put this down before someone gets hurt. This is not at all the hilarious, family comedy the trailers might have led you to believe. In fact, you might not want… More
If you want a happy-go-lucky comedy with fluff for the kids but enough depth to feed your inner adult, stop right there and put this down before someone gets hurt. This is not at all the hilarious, family comedy the trailers might have led you to believe. In fact, you might not want your younger kids watching it at all. This much established, let's make clear I liked this movie a great deal. As a comedy, this movie is surprisingly serious, employing all manner of insightful commentary on mental health, social issues, and family relation to flesh out a plot concept that originally might seem trite and cartoonish. Walter Black (Gibson) is masterful portrayed as a toy company CEO who's lost touch with his emotions in the rush to success. Incapable of handling anything that touches his emotional core, Walter is as blank as an unplugged computer monitor. His wife (Foster) sees the road they are headed down and decides to call it quits, kicking him out of the house where they lived with their two sons. This is the catalyst for Walter to reassess his life and then opt for what seems to him the only solution; to get roilingly smashed and kill himself. After two unsuccessful (And somewhat hilarious, if you are as twisted as myself) failed attempts in this venue, Walter finds salvation in the form of a hand puppeteered beaver with a sardonic and brutally honest verbal style. Enter a mixture of hilarity and tragedy as Walter learns to enjoy the freedom of expression The Beaver affords him through disassociation. I will warn you, if you suffer from the mental epidemia spreading through moviegoeing America in which you are unable to detach an actor's private life from his artistic work, just give it up. You will be unable to enjoy this film, and I pity you. If you are in the small majority of film connoisseurs who can detach from the tabloid frame of mind, you might just find this movie as touching, insightful, and tragicay- comical as I did. Rock on.
Unknown H

Now this isn't the kind of movie that you can go into with expectations of what it will be and for the most part I didn't. The Beaver made for uncomfortable viewing for the first half an hour or so, while your own "sane" mind tries to grasp the disturbingly… More
Now this isn't the kind of movie that you can go into with expectations of what it will be and for the most part I didn't. The Beaver made for uncomfortable viewing for the first half an hour or so, while your own "sane" mind tries to grasp the disturbingly tangible "insanity" of Gibson's character, a part he played tremendously well. After you settle into the to rhythm of the film it delivers an emotionally poignant and heartbreakingly real adaption of one of the thousands of ways mental illness can manifest itself. You may be able to find holes in the plot or some of the more central themes of this film, but it is without a doubt one of the best constructed and magnificently acted piece of cinema in many, many years. Nice to see Gibson back where belongs, firmly on the screen in a role that you cannot stop watching. Very good.
Sophie B

A really good story of a life breaking down. Walter turned to something else to let him escape the trials and responsibilities of life, but also to let him indulge in the glory and fun life can offer. Very sad and emotional but it was flat and too easy at some parts. Would his… More
A really good story of a life breaking down. Walter turned to something else to let him escape the trials and responsibilities of life, but also to let him indulge in the glory and fun life can offer. Very sad and emotional but it was flat and too easy at some parts. Would his staff/wife really be that understanding so quickly? Wouldn't he be sent straight off to a mental ward? Great job by Foster.
Bathsheba M

This movie takes the risk of asking hard question, then succeeds by not coming up with either pat or Hallmark answers. There is no easy answer to living with or being a depressed person and I was frankly amazed at the satisfying yet not schmaltzy ending. Jodie Foster, director and… More
This movie takes the risk of asking hard question, then succeeds by not coming up with either pat or Hallmark answers. There is no easy answer to living with or being a depressed person and I was frankly amazed at the satisfying yet not schmaltzy ending. Jodie Foster, director and star, stunningly portrayed a woman confused by what her husband has become and wants it all to go back to way things used to be....sans the Beaver...but we can never go back...we loose people, we get tangled up in blue, and then we become something else...and the movie sets up that premise right in the beginning. Mel Gibson was brilliant and for those people who refuse to see his films because of what he says A) while drunk or B) while having a supposedly private vicious argument with his lover, all I can say is--your loss.
Dan S

An ambitious though heavily flawed short-running study of a successful man (Mel Gibson) battling depression, and how his life is saved from certain disaster through the use of a beaver puppet he finds stuffed in the trash. It is an absolutely ridiculous plot, and the writing drifts… More
An ambitious though heavily flawed short-running study of a successful man (Mel Gibson) battling depression, and how his life is saved from certain disaster through the use of a beaver puppet he finds stuffed in the trash. It is an absolutely ridiculous plot, and the writing drifts from brilliant black comedy to tedious melodrama far too often, but the main reason this film remains so watchable is Gibson's rock-solid, moving turn that may not be a huge performance after all. I have said it before and I will say it again, Gibson is a figure with many personal problems, but he is an absolute force on the screen, whether it be directing films or acting in them. Here, he turns in an absolute gem of a performance, which single-handedly shifts the movie from "forgettable Lifetime" movie material to a near-good one. As said, the movie is hamstrung by its writing, especially its inability to give the father-son relationship between Gibson and Anton Yelchin the proper respect and time it deserves, but a trio of great performances (Gibson, Yelchin, and Jodie Foster who also directed this picture) make it occasionally touching despite being mostly preposterous. It has a lot of ideas and I for one do not know why Foster decided to go with such a short running time here. It is no secret that the public is enamored with Mel's recent habits, and the opportunity to see him play such a similar character to himself for a longer period of time would only help him on the sympathy front. As is, the movie is undercooked, despite showing spurts of promise.
Kase V

'The Beaver' is a solid drama that takes an interesting look into depression and family issues. Its short run time keeps the pace brisk and the experience rewarding. The camera work is very well-done, and every performance in the film is brilliant. The film may slightly… More
'The Beaver' is a solid drama that takes an interesting look into depression and family issues. Its short run time keeps the pace brisk and the experience rewarding. The camera work is very well-done, and every performance in the film is brilliant. The film may slightly alienate its audience when Gibson's character goes over the top, mostly because its such a shocking and sudden turn from depressed to maniac. Aside from these rugged tonal shifts and slightly lacking script, 'The Beaver' is a drama you shouldn't miss.
Justin Y

In a nutshell, Jodie Foster's The Beaver successfully captures the emotion of depression.Occupying an hour and a half of screen time, which doesn't seem like a whole lot, The Beaver trudges along until its finale. Although this… More
In a nutshell, Jodie Foster's The Beaver successfully captures the emotion of depression.Occupying an hour and a half of screen time, which doesn't seem like a whole lot, The Beaver trudges along until its finale. Although this story does tell its tale with sympathy, most of it ends up as cumbersome. The subject matter really does play a big part in the amusement level of this production.Not surprisingly, The Beaver, along with the lead character of Walter, asks for a lot of attention. Yes, The Beaver is the most memorable piece of this film; however, it does get stale before all is said and done. Furthermore, the subplot involving Walter's son is uniform and tough to get into.Mel Gibson does a good job at portraying Walter, as well as delivering a some fascinating voice work for The Beaver. Jodie Foster pulls off double duty as director and playing Walter's wife, Meredith. Despite a monotonous sub-story with Anton Yelchin, the lovely Jennifer Lawrence is alluring on screen. The Beaver isn't a terrible movie, but it's a challenge to encompass from start to finish.
Pedro H

He's here to save Walter's life. Emotional The Beaver is a very emotional film, those that drag out your emotions and make them very sensible; but, at the same time it is beautiful. The acting is… More
He's here to save Walter's life. Emotional The Beaver is a very emotional film, those that drag out your emotions and make them very sensible; but, at the same time it is beautiful. The acting is surprising and overall its a movie worth watching as it is true art. The story is about Walter Black(Gibson), a married father who has entered his high peak of depression, while atempting to commit suicide Walter finds a Beaver puppet in the trashcan; but surprisingly this Beaver is alive, he talks and eventually becomes Walter's hero. The movie follows how Walter and his made up puppet and how this effects his depression and the ones around him. This movie is deep, its touching and although quite random and a little provocative it is able to fully entertain. The acting in this movie is great, and this surprises me because I'm not a Mel Gibson fan, but I certainly do love his role and his acting in this movie. Jodie Foster also does a great job, and Anton Yelchin gives a surprisingly good performance. The movie has an awesome soundtrack, along with its well established script and directing. Overall its a must go. Walter Black: "We reach a point 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 the box is to get rid of it all together..."
Lorenzo v

"He's here to save Walter's life." A troubled husband and executive adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating. <center>"He's here to save Walter's life." A troubled husband and executive adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating. <center>REVIEW</center> 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.
Mike S

Harnessing the dramatic value of Mel Gibson's descent into madness, this bizarre story of a psychologically damaged father who communicates through a hand-puppet, is an original and ultimately gripping experience that really tugs on the heartstrings. At first, when I saw the… More
Harnessing the dramatic value of Mel Gibson's descent into madness, this bizarre story of a psychologically damaged father who communicates through a hand-puppet, is an original and ultimately gripping experience that really tugs on the heartstrings. At first, when I saw the trailer, I thought it was some kind of elaborate joke. In fact, me and my brother whom I saw it with couldn't stop laughing at the whole gimmick with the beaver. It's unintentionally hilarious, especially considering Gibson's real-life mental health. There's even a scene where he makes love to his wife with the puppet still on his hand. Very weird to say the least. Beneath the awkwardness of it all though, dwells a surprisingly relatable human condition. For what could easily have been the turkey of the year, became something poignant and meaningful in the hands of director Jodie Foster. An interesting character study, that actually makes some well-reasoned points about the lesser sides of modern society. Now whether Gibson really harbors this admirable self-distance, or simply did it to get his career back on track, can be debated. But it's a potent film nevertheless, despite its tendencies to be bordeline-parodic. I hope the beaver puppet gets an award for best supporting role. He'd sure have my vote if I was in the Academy. Or maybe he could do a spin-off with "Wilson" from Castaway. Now that would be something worth paying for. Sarcasm aside though, this was actually a strangely believable story with a lot of beautiful performances. Mel Gibson may not possess all his marbles anymore, but that's exactly what makes this movie such a compelling one to watch.
Left J

"One of the best movies about depression that don't look depressive at all." The life of the troubled husband Walter Black proves that Jodie Foster could do much more as a director than anyone could think. She has the eye and the spirit for the job if she managed to… More
"One of the best movies about depression that don't look depressive at all." The life of the troubled husband Walter Black proves that Jodie Foster could do much more as a director than anyone could think. She has the eye and the spirit for the job if she managed to turn a movie with a puppet into probably the best original drama of this year. Walter Black (Mel Gibson) is a depressed man who surrounded by monotony, daily routine, empty weekends, work issues and family disaster tries to find a way out of his pathetic and sad life, a life he lived because he accepted it and fueled it with his own ego, dull behavior and mindless actions. He is a man that got caught in his own trap. He is a man close to hang himself. Close to jump from a balcony. He is a man who's selfish side always wins and decides to excuse him from the mistakes he made and pardon him from all the responsibility, pushing him over the edge of his own life and reality. But, accidentally or not, his favorite puppet becomes the voice of the warrior inside him. The split-personality process is shown perfectly in this film. The Beaver, his arm-puppet, gets to be the rational and the kind side of Walter and as long as he lives and could use his voice and express himself, the rusty and hurt side of Walter will stay hidden somewhere in some mind jail cell he built. With the help of "The Beaver", Walter finds a way home to his kids and wife, Meredith Black (Jodie Foster), a woman who fought for her husband as much as she could but felt forced to leave him and protect her kids from his own depression and strange behavior. Apparently, one of his kids, the older son, Porter Black (Anton Yelchin), is the "enemy" of both Walter and Beaver. Now The Beaver really finds himself in an awkward position. He made everyone love him and appreciate him back, he got his wife back, he got his company back on track, he got millions of people across America that find his story inspiring yet his own son despise him. The problems do not end here in this "hocus-bogus" show but they continue when the puppet becomes more than just "the good side". The real issues appear when the puppet identifies with Walter and Walter lets The Beaver identify with the whole Walter. Then, Walter loses any track of responsibility, and he must find a way to regain his dominance and defeat this Beaver who sometimes looks more and more like a villain than the hero he once was. This inner fight is hard and might end badly for both of them but in the end, it's all about what Walter wants and not the Beaver. As you can see, the story is much more interesting and deep than it might seem. It's not a story about a puppet at all. It's a story about a man losing his own sanity, having problems with his personality and having a hard time integrating again into the -what we call- normal social world. And all of that thanks to his pathetic fall to depression, which is probably one of the worst enemies a human being could have. But this is exactly what I love about this movie. We live in an era where almost 1 from 3 people suffer from some kind of depression. This movie puts and end to this sad enemy and gives us hope and a reason to fight for our families, careers, and ultimately, our own mind and soul. The dialogue is very well written and the story structure is pretty good but still the main focus of this film is not the bold story but this beautiful performance of Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson offers us one of the best portrayals of his career and definitely one of the best portrayals of 2011. I'm sure he found the character fascinating because I personally think he could easily identify with it in many aspects so it might have been easier for him than we think. The point is: this is Mel Gibson's movie thanks to his subtle yet powerful piece of acting but should we forget about Jodie Foster? As far as acting she does a good job yet nothing that really could stand out but as far as direction goes, she was more than just good. The attention to little details was impressive, the contrast and the cinematography looked very good and gave a sense of calm even though the story was far from being calm at all (there we have another good contrast), while the music matched all the portions in the film. This is definitely one of the best movies about depression that don't look depressive at all. It's a must-see film for any film maniac out there and I don't think Mel could have had a better comeback than this one. Storyline/Dialogue: 8.5/10 Acting: 9/10 Technical Execution: 8,1/10 Replay Value: 8/10 ============================ Overall: 8,5
Everett J

Big thanks to a friend from work, Clayton, for recommending this to me. He and I generally have similar tastes in movies and he thought that this would be something I would like. Well, he was correct. It's a very well made, well acted drama. The concept would seem like a… More
Big thanks to a friend from work, Clayton, for recommending this to me. He and I generally have similar tastes in movies and he thought that this would be something I would like. Well, he was correct. It's a very well made, well acted drama. The concept would seem like a comedy. A depressed middle aged man begins to wear a beaver puppet on his hand as a way to cope with life. There are a few laughs mixed in, but overall it's more about a man who can't handle his life, his career, or his family. Mel Gibson returns to form here and gives one of his best acting gigs in years. You really believe, that he believes he is the beaver. Gibson doesn't ever go over the top with the role either, he keeps it very grounded and I think that really helps anchor the movie. Jodi Foster(who also directed) and Anton Yelchin also add a lot of depth to the movie as Gibson's family, who struggle with his depression. There are a lot of questions asked in the movie, and a lot of them aren't answered. But, it's not the type of movie that will wrap everything up, and you will know that everyone will end up ok. Instead, the movie plays as if it were real life, and the characters probably won't ever be completely ok. Parts are pretty depressing, and other parts are very entertaining. Not many other movies out there like this. If your in the mood for something different, then you should give this a chance. But if your not into dramas or movies dealing with mental illness, then you'll probably wanna watch something else.