THE BEAVER

     MEL GIBSON  JODIE FOSTER  ANTON YELCHIN  JENNIFER LAWRENCE

WALTER BLACK (GIBSON) IS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION, AND AS A RESULT, HE AND HIS WIFE MEREDITH (FOSTER) DECIDE TO SPLIT UP.  WALTER MOVES OUT, AND ONE NIGHT WHILE TOSSING STUFF IN A DUMPSTER, HE FINDS A BEAVER PUPPET, PUTS IT ON AND STARTS SPEAKING AND LIVING THROUGH THE BEAVER.  MEANWHILE, WALTER'S SON PORTER (YELCHIN) IS WORRIED HE IS BECOMING JUST LIKE HIS FATHER, TO THE POINT OF WHERE HE KEEPS LISTS OF THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HIM AND HIS FATHER.  PORTER IS ALSO TRYING TO START A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOT SMART GIRL AT SCHOOL, NORAH (LAWRENCE).
I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE A STUPID IDEA FOR A MOVIE, BUT GIVE DIRECTOR FOSTER PLENTY OF CREDIT FOR NOT DELVING INTO THE INANENESS THIS MOVIE COULD HAVE BECOME.  INSTEAD, IT IS A MOVING AND REVEALING LOOK INTO THE DESTRUCTION AND HEALING OF A MAN WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND HOW THAT ILLNESS CAN TEAR APART A SEEMINGLY STABLE LOVING FAMILY. 
GIBSON ONCE AGAIN SHOWS US JUST HOW GOOD AN ACTOR HE IS.  THERE ARE MANY SCENES WHERE HE CONVEYS MANY DEEP EMOTIONAL FEELINGS THROUGH A SIMPLE EXPRESSION.  I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS PERFORMANCE.  FOSTER IS ALSO VERY GOOD IN HER ROLE AS THE MOTHER AND WIFE.  SURPRISE, SHOCK , SUPPORT AND ANGER ARE MANY OF THE FEELINGS SHE SHOWS AND SHE DOES THEM VERY TRUTHFULLY.  YELCHIN, AS THE SON, HAS A VERY TOUGH ROLE:  HE LOVES HIS DAD, BUT IS AFRAID HE IS BECOMING LIKE HIM, AND THEREFORE REALLY DOESN'T WANT TO BE AROUND WALTER.  HE IS ALSO ATTRACTED TO NORAH, BUT MAKES A FEW STUMBLES THERE THAT ALMOST ENDS THEIR RELATIONSHIP.  ALL OF THIS HE DOES TRUTHFULLY AND REALISTICALLY.  FINALLY, WITH NORAH, LAWRENCE HAS A CHARACTER WHO IS TOUGH AND SELF-ASSURED YET IS HURTING AND FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT HER BROTHER'S DEATH.  WHEN PORTER FORCES HER TO CONFRONT HER FEELINGS, LAWRENCE'S TRUE SKILL AS AN ACTOR COMES OUT AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE.
BE SURE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE, YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT HOW GOOD IT IS.
RATING  3.5 out of 5