Can a hand puppet save a broken man from his own psychological collapse?
In short: In the 2011 drama The Beaver, a depressed CEO attempts to reclaim his life by communicating exclusively through a beaver hand puppet. While the film earned praise for its performances, it became a notorious box office failure, overshadowed by the real-life controversies surrounding its lead actor, Mel Gibson.
Directed by Jodie Foster and written by Kyle Killen, The Beaver tells the story of Walter Black, a toy company executive hitting rock bottom. After being kicked out by his wife, Black attempts suicide before discovering a beaver hand puppet in the trash. He adopts the puppet as an alternate personality, using it to navigate his relationships with his family and revitalize his failing business. The film explores themes of mental health, specifically dissociative identity disorder, as Black becomes increasingly reliant on the puppet to function.
The production faced significant hurdles before reaching the screen. The screenplay originally topped the 2008 Black List, and actors like Steve Carell and Jim Carrey were attached at various stages before Mel Gibson was cast. Filming concluded in November 2009, but the project’s reception was inextricably linked to Gibson’s personal life. Following his well-publicized battery conviction and other legal issues, critics found it difficult to separate the actor’s off-screen behavior from the character’s struggle with alcoholism and crisis. Time magazine famously noted the uncomfortable parallels between the film and reality.
Upon its May 2011 release, the film struggled to find an audience. Despite a warm reception at the SXSW Film Festival, it became a box office bomb, grossing only $7.3 million against a $21 million budget. Summit Entertainment, the distributor, initially planned a wide release but pivoted to a limited art-house run after poor opening weekend returns. Foster attributed the film's commercial failure to American audiences' discomfort with the dramedy genre. Critics remained divided; while some praised the direction and performances, others, including Roger Ebert, struggled to accept the film's central premise, ultimately resulting in a mixed critical consensus.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Beaver (film)
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