"I'm the Beaver, Walter, and I'm here to save your god damn life."
There’s no need to delve into the erratic behavior of Mel Gibson, the former Hollywood power player who has since become headline fodder for the tabloids. Once a bankable star, he is now considered persona non grata in the movie industry. Members of the cast and crew on The Hangover: Part II went apoplectic when it was announced Gibson was in line for a cameo and the offer was withdrawn. Gibson’s ballyhooed return to acting went largely ignored by general audiences. A violent revenge thriller was likely not the best vehicle for a comeback. Will they be more accepting if he were to play a mentally disturbed individual who communicates through the use of a hand puppet?
The Beaver was written by newbie Kyle Killen (who would go on to create the critically acclaimed, but short-lived Fox series Lone Star) and made the famed Black List in 2008. Steve Carell and Jim Carrey were both attached to the lead at various points before Gibson signed on at a time when his reputation wasn’t too tarnished. Then, the ugly calls to his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, were leaked to the media and Summit Entertainment went from having a potential awards season centerpiece to a forgotten direct-to-video release. Predictably, The Beaver was shunted down the pipeline several times before receiving a very limited release in mid-May.
In a moment of heavy-handed symbolism, the opening scene introduces Gibson as a man at wit's end lying in a Christ-like position with his arms out. He stares blankly into the sky as he floats across a swimming pool. Gibson is Walter Black, the CEO of a once-successful toy company, who is now crippled by a debilitating bout of depression. He is barely able to summon the strength to get out of bed. Walter's wife, Meredith (Jodie Foster), who ironically designs roller coasters for a living, can't deal anymore and boots him out of the house.
While throwing away some belongings, Walter finds a tattered beaver puppet in a dumpster behind a liquor store. He takes it back to his hotel room where he gets drunk and fails to kill himself while watching a rerun of Kung Fu. Awakening the next morning, Walter begins speaking to himself as the Beaver, affecting a Cockney accent and sounding an awful lot like Ray Winstone. Passing the Beaver off as a legitimately prescribed treatment, Walter is given a new lease on life. His youngest son, Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart), loves daddy and his new puppet pal. Their bonding over woodshop projects inspires Walter to market a Mr. Beaver Woodshop Kit that revitalizes his sagging company. Meredith even welcomes her estranged husband back into the house, but not everyone is enthusiastic about the new Walter.
His eldest son, Porter (Anton Yelchin), still wants nothing to do with him. Porter actually catalogs bad habits he shares with his father on post-its as a means to eradicate any chance of becoming Walter. Meanwhile, Porter has been making easy cash by writing other students' papers for them due to his ability to write in someone else's voice. He also romances Norah (Jennifer Lawrence), the school valedictorian and head cheerleader, who has lived a more traumatic life than she lets on.
By no means is The Beaver a modern day take on Harvey. There's no attempt to pass the Beaver off as a separate entity nor do they even hide the fact that Gibson is moving his lips when talking as the Beaver. It's hardly a whimsical comedy either. There are some cute moments in the first half of the film, such as Gibson brushing the Beaver's teeth and taking a shower with it. The story takes a very dark turn during the second half when it becomes clear Walter can no longer communicate without relying on the Beaver.
Invariably, you're ability to watch The Beaver will rely almost solely on your ability to separate Gibson's real life with his on-screen persona. It's hard not to think of the real Mel Gibson since the plot is an odd convergence of fact and fiction. Without a doubt, Gibson gives one of the best performances of his career as a man who is charismatic, disturbed, and sometimes downright pathetic. It's not hard to fathom that he tapped into a wide reservoir of personal experiences to portray the character. There's also a running commentary involving the media's culpability in furthering the damage of Walter's already fragile psyche. Walter makes the talk show rounds doing interviews with Matt Lauer and NPR's Terry Gross, but when the novelty wears off, he is cast from the spotlight like a leper.
There are weak spots in the narrative with vital plot points being glanced over too quickly. Walter gets invited back home after a montage, for example. The focus is spread too thin drifting away from the central character towards the toy company and media appearances. The love story between Porter and Norah feels like it was lifted from any generic indie flick, despite solid performances from Yelchin and Lawrence. Directed with earnestness by Foster, The Beaver gets points for crafting a serious drama around an outlandish premise
Rating: ** (*****)
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