The Beaver
A depressed husband uses a beaver puppet as an improvised second self while struggling to reclaim his family and sense of purpose.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- darkly comic
- sincere
- reflective evening
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film earnest and straightforward, with Mel Gibson's committed performance and Jodie Foster's visual instincts making its difficult premise intermittently effective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Walter speaks through a beaver puppet as he tries to manage depression and reconstruct his identity.
Walter's suicidal crisis and estrangement are presented alongside the inherently strange behavior of communicating through a puppet.
Walter's wife Meredith and sons must respond to his crisis while he attempts to re-enter family life.
Walter uses the beaver as an apparently independent spokesman, masking and exposing his own emotional problems at once.
Films like The Beaver, and why
Little Miss Sunshine
shared domestic drama, depression themes, emotional vulnerability, and a troubled family attempting reconciliation
World's Greatest Dad
shared darkly comic tone, mental health subject matter, family dysfunction, and unconventional coping mechanisms
The Hours
shared intimate psychological drama, marital strain, male depression, and difficult emotional recovery
Movie Details
- Director
- Jodie Foster
- Release Date
- 2011-05-05
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (957)
Cast
- Mel Gibson
- Jodie Foster
- Anton Yelchin
- Riley Thomas Stewart
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Kelly Coffield Park
- Zachary Booth
- Cherry Jones
- Jeff Corbett
- Baylen Thomas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, History Vault, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Beaver about?
- A depressed husband uses a beaver puppet as an improvised second self while struggling to reclaim his family and sense of purpose.
- What is The Beaver like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Beaver as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Beaver violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Beaver as mild.
- What did critics think of The Beaver?
- Critics broadly found the film earnest and straightforward, with Mel Gibson's committed performance and Jodie Foster's visual instincts making its difficult premise intermittently effective.
- Which films are like The Beaver?
- Films with a similar feel include Little Miss Sunshine, World's Greatest Dad, and The Hours.
- How long is The Beaver?
- The Beaver runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Beaver?
- In United States, The Beaver streams on Amazon Prime Video, History Vault, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
