Embedded with complex emotion, this family-oriented psychological drama centres around Walter Black, who was once outwardly successful in every aspect of the word. He inherited the CEO position of his now deceased father's toy company, Jerry Co. But largely because of his inability to manage the company, it which is near bankruptcy, he is now clinically depressed, which is manifesting itself primarily in him wanting to sleep all the time.
He has tried every therapy known, to no avail. He has even tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide. His depression is negatively affecting his family. His teen-aged son, Porter Black, is a bright boy who is able to parlay his ability to think like others into a successful money making venture of secretly writing school papers for his classmates. However, he is afraid that he will turn out like his father, his fear to the point of him trying consciously to wipe out any similarity he has with his father from his own being. Walter's adolescent son, Henry Black, is a loner, who gets picked on by others. As she feels she can't help him in any way, his engineer wife, Meredith Black, finally kicks him out of the house, much to Porter's joy.
However, after finding it in a dumpster, Walter, ultimately with the support of his therapist, finds that he is able to express himself through the use of a beaver hand puppet, the beaver acting as a third person expression of himself. In doing so, he is able to function normally in all aspects, albeit with a beaver puppet on his hand talking for him at all times. In turn, most of the people in his life accept Walter's new beaver appendage, as it has in turn improved their lives with him.
However, Meredith soon wonders if Walter is indeed getting better, especially if he will ever be able to live without the beaver, and return to being the man she married. Can Walter find a way to reconnect with this family? Will he ever be able to communicate normally, without the help of the beaver?
Cast: Cherry Jones, Mel Gibson
Crew: Jodie Foster (Director), Hagen Bogdanski (Director of Photography), Marcelo Zarvos (Music Director)
Rating: U (India)
Genres: Drama
Release Dates: 19 May 2011 (India)
Tagline: He's here to save Walter's life.
English Name: The Beaver
Did you know? The screenplay for this film was featured in the 2008 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year. Read More
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as Vice President
as Walter Black
as Porter Black
as Skeptical Man
as Prosthetic Technician
as Reporter
as Nurse
as Volunteer Dad
as Norah
as Meredith Black
as Jon Stewart
as Norah's Mom
as Waiter
as Nurse
as Matt Lauer
as Hector
as Henry Black
as Man
as Terry Gross
as Jared
Direction
Director
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Production
Producer
Co-Producer
Executive Producer
Writers
Dialogue Writer
Camera and Electrical
Director of Photography
Assistant Cameraman
Key Grip
Camera Operator
Sound
Foley Editor
Sound Editor
Foley Artist
Assistant Sound Re-recording Mixer
Boom Operator
Art
Art Director
Production Designer
Set Decorator
Set Dresser
Assistant Props Master
Assistant Art Director
Casting
Casting Director
Casting Associate
Extras Casting
Costume and Wardrobe
Costume Designer
Editorial
Editor
Makeup and Hair
Makeup Artist
Post Production
Post Production Supervisor
Special Effects
Special Effects Coordinator
Stunts
Stunt Coordinator
Visual Effects
Visual Effects Producer
Visual Effects Supervisor
Compositor
Digital Compositor
Transportation
Driver
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital, DTS
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Stereoscopy:
No
Taglines:
He's here to save Walter's life.
Filming Locations:
Trivia:
This movie was filmed in Westchester County, New York and New York City. A portion of the movie was filmed at White Plains Senior High School in White Plains, New York.
This film marked a return to upstate New York for Mel Gibson since he and his family left for Australia in the 1960s.
Before Gibson was hired, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey were both signed on to star at different stages of production.
Jodie Foster approached originally Kristen Stewart for the role of Norah, remembering their experience in Panic Room (2002), but the actress was committed to the Twilight franchise.
This movie is Jodie Foster's first film as director shot in 2.35.
The screenplay for this film was featured in the 2008 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year.
Before Summit Entertainment settled for a release date in Spring 2011, this film had been shelved due to Mel Gibson allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva.
Jodie Foster says on the DVD commentary that a lot of the studios that passed on the project did it because she refused to change the ending, in which Walter loses his hand. If she had changed it, they would've agreed to finance the movie.
This is Gibson and Foster's first film together since the blockbuster Maverick (1994).
This film marked a return to upstate New York for Mel Gibson since he and his family left for Australia in the 1960s.
Before Gibson was hired, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey were both signed on to star at different stages of production.
Jodie Foster approached originally Kristen Stewart for the role of Norah, remembering their experience in Panic Room (2002), but the actress was committed to the Twilight franchise.
This movie is Jodie Foster's first film as director shot in 2.35.
The screenplay for this film was featured in the 2008 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year.
Before Summit Entertainment settled for a release date in Spring 2011, this film had been shelved due to Mel Gibson allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva.
Jodie Foster says on the DVD commentary that a lot of the studios that passed on the project did it because she refused to change the ending, in which Walter loses his hand. If she had changed it, they would've agreed to finance the movie.
This is Gibson and Foster's first film together since the blockbuster Maverick (1994).
