As The Beaver states in this film “everybody likes watching a train wreck, unless it’s happening to them”, so you could be forgiven for people wanting to see this film simply to see whether Mel Gibson (Edge Of Darkness, TV’S Complete Savages) still has it as an actor. The answer is, yes Mel certainly still has it and while the bigoted ones out there who want to boycott this film because of Gibson’s personal problems won’t want to hear this if there was any justice in the world then Gibson would be accepting for his brilliant performance in The Beaver.
Gibson plays Walter Black, the husband of Meredith (Jodie Foster – Nim’s Island, The Brave One) and father to Porter (Anton Yelchin – Like Crazy, You And I) and Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart – TV’S How I Met Your Mother & House). He was once the head of a successful Toy company but now he has slumped into a deep depression. A depression that has left Meredith at wits end, has Porter worried about every little thing that makes him like his father and has left Henry as a complete social outcast. However, things change for Walter when he discovers a puppet known as The Beaver whom Walter finds that he can communicate with.
Director, Jodie Foster (Home For The Holidays, Little Man Tate) really needs to be congratulated for taking a risk on a script like this. To be honest the story is quite strange but it does work and you can’t help but feel for the characters at hand. Despite the fact that Walter’s behavior is putting his family through hell you can’t help but feel for him and you really do want the characters to be happy by the end of it all.
One of the major reasons for The Beaver working so well is the brilliant script provided by Kyle Killen (TV’S Lone Star), the script is heart breaking at times but will have you falling off your chair with laughter at others. It truly is a mix of drama and black comedy, something that so many screenwriters have tried to create over the years but have failed miserably. The film certainly doesn’t deserve to be savaged like it has by a bigoted American audience who through their actions only show that their own prejudices are equal to (if not worse) than anything Mel Gibson has ever said or done.
Due to the fact the film did so badly at the American Box Office it is hardly likely to warrant any Oscar buzz but to be honest Gibson’s performance is one of the finest performances by an actor over the last decade. In fact the whole cast are brilliant. Foster is stunning as usual while Anton Yelchin shows why he is one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars.
Forget what the Americans have said about The Beaver, this is an amazing film that deserves to be held in the highest accord. Hopefully down the track The Beaver can be recognized as a great film and be included with other cult classics such as Donnie Darko. One of the films of the year.
Director: Jodie Foster
Stars: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Riley Thomas Stewart
Classification: M
Runtime: 91 mins
Buzz Rating: 
Available on DVD from 7th December, 2011