Product Details

• Actors: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence, Anton Yelchin
• Directors: Jodie Foster
• Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Blu-ray, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Dubbed: Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Summit Ent. DVD
• DVD Release Date: August 23, 2011
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0053XZ8YC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,635 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In the age of 24/7 news cycles and paparazzi storms, separating a celebrity's outside activities from their projects is a near-impossibility. In some select cases, that may not be such a bad thing. When judged solely by what's on the screen, The Beaver is a strange curio of a film, an extremely well-acted, yet rather austere profile of a suburban meltdown that tiptoes uneasily between drama and black comedy. When the personal life of its star Mel Gibson is factored in, however, it becomes exponentially more vital. Kyle Killen's script follows Walter Black (Gibson), the terminally depressed CEO-by-inheritance of a toy company, whose wife (director Jodie Foster) finally gives him the heave-ho after years of miscommunication. On the edge of ending it all, he discovers a buck-toothed puppet in a dumpster, and proceeds to use it as a separate (and worryingly dominant) entity determined to help him put his life in turnaround. As he begins to regain the trust of his bewildered yet game family and coworkers, his alienated oldest son (Anton Yelchin) strikes up a tentative romance with a cerebral cheerleader (Winter's Bone's amazing Jennifer Lawrence). Once Walter begins bringing his furry counterpart into the shower, however, things start to crack. Foster's intelligence as a director is well established by this point, but her measured, reasoned approach seems somehow wrong for the premise, which may have benefited from a wilder, on-the-brink feel to match that of its characters. Gibson, however, always seems willing to go farther than the film's controlled tone allows, bringing a hysterical, mesmerizing pathos to the increasingly manic give-and-take relationship between himself and his dark side. Foster's odd, sympathetic film is well worth watching, but its theory could stand a little more of her lead actor's troubled chaos. --Andrew Wright

Product Description

Walter, once a successful and happy family man, has hit rock bottom. But, in his darkest hour, he finds a rather unusual savior: a beaver hand-puppet that takes over Walter's life in an attempt to change things for the better.

Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson in a film critics call bold, complex, and funny.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 92 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Two stories worth 2.5 Oscars... May 14, 2011

By Honest John

Although I've never been a fan of Mel Gibson as an actor, producer, or person, I was drawn to see "The Beaver" by watching the fascinating movie trailer clips of Gibson playing a seriously depressed middle-aged man, as well as the associated media interviews given by Jodie Foster explaining what she was trying to achieve as director. Wow! First of all, this film is far more entertaining than the subject matter (debilitating depression) or the reviews would suggest. Even Foster who directed the film calls it "quirky" and "not a comedy". No, it's not a comedy, but there are a number of scenes in this film that made me chuckle. My favorite is a profile shot of Gibson and the Beaver puppet resting in bed after making love with Foster. A very cool and humorous shot... So you will be entertained if you are open to just following the movie as it unfolds. This is not a boring movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed almost everything about "The Beaver". It's well-written and directed, the quality of the filming is good, and I became emotionally engrossed in the main characters even though the plot is uneven in certain spots. To my surprise, I didn't even think about Mel Gibson being a troubled celebrity during the movie. As Walter the primary character, he was so convincing physically and his performance was so believable that I followed Walter's progress through the story without seeing him as Mel Gibson the person. Jodie Foster says she chose Gibson because he was perfect for the role, and she is correct. I can't think of anyone else who could pull off such a memorable performance acting mostly with a hand puppet. So my first Oscar nomination goes to Mel Gibson for playing Walter.

My second Oscar nomination goes to Jodie Foster for directing a multifaceted and creative movie that connects with the audience and entertains on many levels. And she does that smoothly while dealing with a serious subject without being preachy or making the audience feel down. I was able to watch Walter's saga of depression without getting depressed myself. Instead, I was intrigued by the characters and how they interacted. Jodie Foster certainly deserves an Academy Award for her directing skills in "The Beaver".

My remaining "half Oscar" goes to Jodie Foster and Anton Yelchin (playing the wife and angry son respectively) for their excellent supporting performances. Both of them are believable in their roles as confused and angry family members. They kept me interested in their reactions the whole movie as I watched the plot develop.

"The Beaver" is really two stories combined in one movie. The first story is about Walter's depression as the father, and the second story is about his son's personal growth as a teenager. They are both done well, although I agree with some reviewers who say the son's story intrudes too much on the primary plot of Walter's dealing with depression by using a puppet as his alter ego. A little less teenage drama would have been good, but it didn't really detract from my enjoying the movie overall.

I highly recommend "The Beaver" as a top quality film that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. When I left the theater, I knew that I had just watched a really good movie that was worth my time and money. That's a very nice feeling, and unfortunately all too rare these days...

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent movie May 31, 2011

By Amanda L. Short

i had been waiting to see this film for months and when it was finally released it wasn't released in my city. i traveled over an hour to see this film and was definitely not let down. both gibson and foster give outstanding performances in this dark comedy/drama. jodie foster is my favorite actress and this is the first film she has directed in 15 years. it was totally worth the time, money, and drive to see this film. will definitely be purchasing when it is released onto dvd. go see it!

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing drama May 22, 2011

By Robert G. Splaine Jr.

This is a film about a man whose marriage is collapsing and his family business is failing. He is about to commit suicide when a beaver puppet on his arm talks him out of it. This becomes his primary form of communication with all those around him. I found The Beaver to be quite enthralling with the effect the puppet had on his familial and business relationships remarkable and the performance of Mel Gibson to be outstanding. I just really liked the puppet character, the accent that was voiced for him by Gibson. The drama endured by his oldest son, with whom the relationship is strained, I felt was quite interesting. His tale doesn't distract from the Beaver storyline, but adds to it. The film is a fascinating look at how mental illness can damage a man's life and affect those around him.