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The Beaver
World Magazine ^ | Casey

Posted on 05/14/2011 6:35:43 AM PDT by flowerplough

If there is one thing Mel Gibson understands, it is damnation. The once-lauded actor was able to bring the concept to life in The Passion of the Christ, before the scandals that knocked him from his Hollywood throne and moral pulpit. In The Beaver, directed by and co-starring Jodie Foster, Gibson portrays a man crippled at first by regret and depression, then by the domination of a strange creature that was to be his salvation.

Walter Black (Gibson) lies on his bed, paralyzed from what doctors diagnose as depression, although medical labels are inadequate for his existential crisis. The toy company he runs has withered in his absence. His wife Meredith (Foster), supportive at first, now feels she must choose between caring for her husband and protecting their two sons from watching his destruction. His teen son Porter (Anton Yelchin) lives in terror of becoming like his dad. Little Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart) just wishes to become invisible.

As Walter fails even at suicide, he is rescued by a gruff, dominating, stuffed beaver. This creature looks like a puppet on Walter's hand, but to Walter he is perfectly real and embodies his salvation. However, what seems like salvation becomes its own form of enslavement.

There is a reason why Gibson once reigned at the top of Hollywood's A-list. His acting is spectacular, more so because he plays two characters at once. The audience sees Gibson's lips move as he voices the Beaver. However, even as Gibson screams the puppet's angry words, his face, as Walter, melts with sorrow and humiliation. It's a wonder to behold.

(Excerpt) Read more at worldmag.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: beaver; cinema; film; jodiefoster; melgibson; movies; thebeaver
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1 posted on 05/14/2011 6:35:43 AM PDT by flowerplough
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To: flowerplough
(Oh gawd, here come the jokes...)


2 posted on 05/14/2011 6:39:41 AM PDT by paulycy (Islamo-Marxism is Evil.)
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To: flowerplough
Rolling Stone's Peter Travers (a critic whose opinions I tend to agree with) gave it three out of four stars, basically saying it's a pretty good movie. He added that audiences who are able to separate Mel's acting from his personal life will be well-rewarded by this film.

I predicted some time ago that it would be the lowest grossing film of Gibson's career. Now I'm curious.

3 posted on 05/14/2011 6:40:27 AM PDT by Gena Bukin
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To: flowerplough
A woman with a beaver walks into a bar...

5.56mm

4 posted on 05/14/2011 6:43:31 AM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: paulycy
(Oh gawd, here come the jokes...)

"Yeah, "Mel Gibson in Jodie Foster's Beaver!" was funny the first 10,000 times I heard it. Now, not so much.

5 posted on 05/14/2011 6:43:37 AM PDT by Gena Bukin
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To: flowerplough

Imagine Jodie’s disappointment after reading the script past the title.


6 posted on 05/14/2011 6:45:19 AM PDT by edpc (I disagree. Circle gets the square.)
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To: Gena Bukin

jodie foster only likes beaver...


7 posted on 05/14/2011 6:46:02 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Gena Bukin
I predicted some time ago that it would be the lowest grossing film of Gibson's career. Now I'm curious.

It will take a pretty poor showing to knock off "Attack Force Z".

8 posted on 05/14/2011 6:46:02 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: paulycy
Shave your Beaver
9 posted on 05/14/2011 6:47:39 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 843 of our national holiday from reality. - OBL Dead? The TSA can go away!)
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To: flowerplough

10 posted on 05/14/2011 6:49:15 AM PDT by Drango (NO-vember is payback for April 15th)
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To: null and void

Mine’s bigger than your’s.


11 posted on 05/14/2011 6:51:50 AM PDT by Drango (NO-vember is payback for April 15th)
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To: Drango

That isn’t a good thing...


12 posted on 05/14/2011 6:53:12 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 843 of our national holiday from reality. - OBL Dead? The TSA can go away!)
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To: Vaquero

Not true. I hear she’s also fond of fish. Red Snapper.


13 posted on 05/14/2011 6:54:26 AM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: flowerplough
Li'l Beaver gives it a thumbs up!


14 posted on 05/14/2011 6:59:28 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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To: PzLdr

reminds me of the young lady who went fishing with 5 of her male friends....and came home with a red snapper


15 posted on 05/14/2011 7:13:27 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: flowerplough
" As Walter fails even at suicide, he is rescued by a gruff, dominating, stuffed beaver. This creature looks like a puppet on Walter's hand, but to Walter he is perfectly real and embodies his salvation. However, what seems like salvation becomes its own form of enslavement. "

So, someone help me out. I'm sure there's a metaphor that's obvious but it's not obvious enough for me.

What's it about? (That way I don't have to go see it.) :)

16 posted on 05/14/2011 7:22:34 AM PDT by OKSooner (Obama confessed "his muslim faith" on the George Stephanopolous show on September 7th, 2008.)
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To: flowerplough

Re the original “Leave it to Beaver”:

Dave Barry once speculated on what it must have done to a boy’s emotional stability to be known from childhood on as “the beaver”.

Think about it.


17 posted on 05/14/2011 7:30:37 AM PDT by elcid1970 (Deport all Muslims. Nuke Mecca. Death to Islam.)
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To: OKSooner
What's it about? (That way I don't have to go see it.) :)

I'll let you know, possibly later on today.
18 posted on 05/14/2011 7:31:55 AM PDT by aruanan
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To: PzLdr

She was fifteen years old, going on thirty-five, Doc, and she told me she was eighteen. She was very willing if ya know what I mean, I practically had to take to sewing my pants shut. Between you and me, uh, she might have been fifteen, but when you get that little red beaver right up there in front of you, I dont think its crazy at all and I dont think you do either. No man alive could resist that, and thats why I got into jail to begin with. And now theyre telling me Im crazy over here because I dont sit there like a g**damn vegetable. Dont make a bit of sense to me. If thats whats being crazy is, then Im senseless, out of it, gone-down-the-road, wacko. But no more, no less, thats it.

19 posted on 05/14/2011 7:34:02 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: flowerplough; Perdogg; DollyCali; EveningStar; Borges; Mr. K; Blondie; altura; mylife; Mama_Bear; ..

Cinema

Post here or FR Mail DollyCali or Perdogg
to be added or dropped from this ping list.



20 posted on 05/14/2011 7:45:04 AM PDT by DollyCali (Don't tell God how big your storm is... tell your storm how BIG your God is!)
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