A quirky story paired with an emotional message, The Beaver takes risks that pay off.
It's the story about Walter Black that captures the audience, even if the
separate side story about his son doesn't come off quite so well.
Walter Black is suffering. He can't seem to find the joy in life
anymore. When his wife asks him to leave, Walter goes to a motel to kill
himself. But a beaver puppet has other plans. After finding the animal in a
dumpster, Walter puts it on his hand and the creature stops him from ending it
all. The beaver takes on its own personality and dictates Walter's life. His
two sons and wife all must learn how to deal with this as Walter learns a few
lessons of his own.
The Beaver is a unique
story about a very common illness: depression. We've all had bad days, so it's
easy to relate to Walter. Throughout the story we, like Walter's wife, are not
sure whether this will work, but we're all willing to give it a try. Luckily, The Beaver is able to straddle the thin
line between comedy and drama.
Mel Gibson is hardly recognizable in this film. He literally
becomes the beaver. The performance isn't perfect, but it's pretty great. Jodie
Foster is equally as good, but Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence disappointed
me. Anton plays Walter's older son, Porter and Jennifer is his love interest,
Norah. The story line between the two young actors is nothing like Walter's. It
is clichéd and loaded with obnoxious stereotypes. Furthermore, Anton and
Jennifer play it very straight, making it pretty boring to watch.
I was happy with how The
Beaver turned out. Walter's story is worth watching, especially because you
never knew what will happen next. The overall message may have been watered
down by the separate story of Porter and Norah, but I still give the film the
credit it deserves.
