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THE BEAVERMovie Reviews
Comedy drama about a chronically depressed man who overcomes his illness by speaking through a ratty old beaver hand puppet. Cast:Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer LawrenceDirector:Jodie FosterRelease Date:May 6, 2011DVD Release:August 23, 2011From:Summit EntertainmentRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 31 min.
The Beaver played in key cities to good not great reviews. • Jen Chaney wrote in the Washington Post, "...mostly makes us forget about Gibson’s madman persona and simply draws us into the story... in spite of the man’s reputation, he still manages to shatter our hearts." • And Eric Eisenberg wrote for Cinema Blend, "...provides a heartfelt and unflinching look at a condition that millions suffer from both inwardly and outwardly..." More Reviews Below...
The Beaver Positive Reviews (48 Reviews, reviews below)
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD "...the way its themes dovetail with Gibson's own disgrace make it -- peculiarly enough -- the right film for him to have made in this very wrong moment."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 945 words, 05/04/11
David Germain, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...viewers likely will ponder whether Gibson was exploring his own dark emotional recesses at the same time.... Either way, Gibson creates a rich, engrossing portrait..."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 889 words, 05/05/11
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "Gibson excels as a man fighting mental illness, managing to project anguish even in the company of the stuffed animal.... the tightly wound Foster is less believable..."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 97 words, 05/05/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...weird but oddly traditional... about a family in peril, about an angry son, and about a wife/mother's struggle to protect her (unusual) loved ones by any means necessary."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 554 words, 05/06/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "If you can get past your feelings for the troubled Gibson, you get to watch a high-wire performance of the highest caliber.... The film has the power to sneak up and floor you."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 04/29/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "As uneven as it is, this might be Gibson's finest performance.... But the story lacks honesty. For a film about the real problem of mental illness, it never feels authentic."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 327 words, 05/20/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...almost successful, despite the premise of its screenplay, which I was simply unable to accept.... Yet here is another of Mel Gibson's fine performances..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 05/06/11
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...there's something lacking in what Foster ultimately brings to this material.... the film certainly ends up being what you'd call a conversation starter."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 825 words, 05/04/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: WEAK "...adheres to a gnawingly familiar arc in which an unhappy family suffers, learns from its pain (the script is a veritable lesson plan) and comes together..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 05/06/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...a filmmaker who's too earnest, too lenient with the script and too tentative with the actors... carries neither the insight nor the uplift to make the weight of its dark journey worth it."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 05/06/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...all over the place as drama -- but genuinely compelling as a one-of-a-kind piece of public self-flagellation.... Foster has certainly provided Gibson with a unique mea culpa..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 05/04/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "Gibson gives a depressed performance, abstract and unsatisfying.... we know how much is missing. As a raging nutcase, he's capable of so much more."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 583 words, 05/02/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...almost successful, despite the premise of its screenplay, which I was simply unable to accept.... Yet here is another of Mel Gibson's fine performances..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 05/06/11
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...earnest, intermittently droll... both exploitative and humanizing... Would that the direction were half as nutty as the script or as wacked-out as its star!"(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 05/04/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a strange beast even without an unhinged Mel Gibson animating its innards. But don't let this, or Mad Mel's vile off-screen behaviour, lead you to reject it out of hand."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 700 words, 05/06/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Gibson looks tired and strained and haunted and, even with that ridiculous Cockney voice, like a man who knows a thing or two about the id's dark urgings."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 752 words, 05/06/11
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Key to the film is the knockout performance by the troubled Mel Gibson... He gets great support from Anton Yelchin as his estranged son and from Foster..."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 148 words, 05/05/11
KEY CITIES (14 Reviews)
Jen Chaney, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...mostly makes us forget about Gibson's madman persona and simply draws us into the story... in spite of the man's reputation, he still manages to shatter our hearts."(See all of Jen Chaney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 819 words, 05/06/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...often moving and always disturbing... Little is explained, motivations aren't explored. We miss them, at times. It's still a film of power, wit and thought-provoking ideas..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 05/20/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Think what you may of Mel Gibson offscreen, he is an actor of great power and finesse, and here he delivers a searing performance..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 05/20/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...alternately fascinating and dull, though mostly the latter.... needs more than its tabloid meta-drama to seem stronger than an extra-long episode of network television."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 777 words, 05/06/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Foster, who plays Gibson's wife here, cracks like a whip on-screen. Her scenes with Gibson have an emotional intensity she's never shown with any co-star..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 534 words, 05/06/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Is Gibson showing us the character or himself or some combination of the two? You decide. But whoever that is onscreen, it's the saddest man in the world."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 632 words, 05/06/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "None of this sounds as if it should work for a second as drama, so great credit goes to Foster and the cast for keeping the story small, quiet and often very moving."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 351 words, 05/06/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The acting throughout -- Foster, Lawrence, Yelchin -- is superb, and this may well be Gibson's finest performance, just as it's Foster's most balanced job of directing."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 329 words, 05/20/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "Foster's direction is disappointingly straightforward and uninspired.... [still,] I respected 'The Beaver' for having the conviction to treat mental illness seriously..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 05/13/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...earnest, intermittently droll... both exploitative and humanizing... Would that the direction were half as nutty as the script or as wacked-out as its star!"(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 05/04/11
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...provides a heartfelt and unflinching look at a condition that millions suffer from both inwardly and outwardly, making you truly care about the characters and their lives."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 05/04/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a movie with real nerve endings, something we don't usually see on the mainstream movie landscape: Its subject matter isn't just midlife ennui, but true suffering."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 05/05/11
Bill Weber, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...crams in too many ideas that are fumbled and quickly dropped... Gibson's passion is vanquished by his collaborators' retreat into boilerplate sentimentality."(See all of Bill Weber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 564 words, 04/30/11
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Key to the film is the knockout performance by the troubled Mel Gibson... He gets great support from Anton Yelchin as his estranged son and from Foster..."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 148 words, 05/05/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: FAIR(cg) "Both in her direction and performance, Foster seems self-conscious and chilly... the film leaves too many jokes and emotions all dammed up."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 597 words, 05/13/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "Bizarre and belabored, yet grimly fascinating.... the film delivers more than it promises... Gibson delivers a performance that draws on exceptional skill..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 394 words, 05/06/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: WEAK "...adheres to a gnawingly familiar arc in which an unhappy family suffers, learns from its pain (the script is a veritable lesson plan) and comes together..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 05/06/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...a filmmaker who's too earnest, too lenient with the script and too tentative with the actors... carries neither the insight nor the uplift to make the weight of its dark journey worth it."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 05/06/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD "...for all it's missteps, the film won me over -- first, for Mel Gibson's raw, aching performance and, second, because this oddball movie is so simply and stubbornly itself."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 754 words, 05/06/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: EXCELLENT "It isn't quite a masterpiece, but it does offer an astonishing and resonant performance by Gibson... a brilliantly contradictory performance."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,095 words, 05/04/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Andrew Barker, Daily Variety: FAIR "Foster doesn't know how to manage it or navigate the script's seismic tonal shifts, and ends up producing a film that's deeply strange, yet incapable of leaving an impression."(See all of Andrew Barker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,104 words, 03/16/11
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...a hopeful portrait of mental illness that while quirky is serious and sensitive.... Foster finds the script's subtleties and grounds the film with just enough pain..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 859 words, 03/16/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...a filmmaker who's too earnest, too lenient with the script and too tentative with the actors... carries neither the insight nor the uplift to make the weight of its dark journey worth it."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 05/06/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...disappointing... a diffuse and rambling family melodrama that has hard time finding its dramatic center -- or right mood for that matter.... sharply uneven, tough to watch..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,405 words, 03/28/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: WEAK "...adheres to a gnawingly familiar arc in which an unhappy family suffers, learns from its pain (the script is a veritable lesson plan) and comes together..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 05/06/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "Bizarre and belabored, yet grimly fascinating.... the film delivers more than it promises... Gibson delivers a performance that draws on exceptional skill..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 394 words, 05/06/11
16.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Beaver's reviews are separated by an average 16.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Beaver (48 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Beaver's reviews cover 96.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 29,565 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 616 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Beaver Coverage, Volume & Length (48 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 12.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Beaver's reviews on average broke 12.9 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Beaver's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Beaver (48 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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