THE BEAVER (Jodie Foster). See listing. Rating: NNN
Director Jodie Foster finds the right tone for this story of a depressed father who tries to cope by speaking through a beaver puppet. She doesn’t pander by stooping to melodrama, nor does she try to lighten the tone with unnecessary comedy. And yet The Beaver’s not a total downer.
A few elements are a bit too much of a stretch. Puppet therapy is often used with children but almost never with adults, so the general acceptance of Walt’s relationship with his new best friend, especially in his workplace, seems unlikely.
Key to the film is the knockout performance by the troubled Mel Gibson, who throws himself into the difficult role of the unstable Walt. He gets great support from Anton Yelchin as his estranged son and from Foster, who’s suitably restrained as Walt’s increasingly exasperated wife. Jennifer Lawrence proves that last year’s Oscar nom was no fluke.
