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Comedy drama

The Beaver (2011): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

The Beaver (2011) movie poster

The Beaver is a 2011 comedy drama starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and Anton Yelchin. It runs 1 hour 31 minutes and earned $7.3 million worldwide on a $21 million budget. Critics gave it 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and 60 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.6/10.

IMDb rating
6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes
63%
worldwide gross
$7.3M
Metascore
60
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The Beaver (2011) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 31m (91 min)
Genres
Drama , Comedy
Original language
English
Budget
$21M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Beaver About?

The premise of The Beaver without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Walter Black, a toy company CEO, faces a personal crisis when his marriage fails and he loses his son's affection. Overwhelmed by despair, his life takes an unexpected turn with the discovery of a beaver puppet. Assuming the puppet's persona, Walter confronts his inner demons and begins a journey of self-discovery, attempting to repair his fractured relationships and find a path toward happiness.

The Beaver Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • depression
  • suicide attempt
  • suicidal
  • hospital
  • marriage
  • soft toy
  • banging head against wall
  • self harm
  • stuffed toy animal
  • stuffed toy
  • teenager
  • stuffed animal toy
+38 more
  • hand puppet
  • animal puppet
  • talking to a puppet
  • toy
  • puppet
  • beaver puppet
  • speech
  • dysfunctional family
  • directed by star
  • directed by co star
  • directed by cast member
  • ambulance
  • life support
  • garage
  • dumpster
  • alcoholic
  • alcohol
  • alcoholism
  • toy company
  • news report
  • cheerleader
  • marital problem
  • apartment
  • shower
  • graffiti
  • arrest
  • police station
  • brother brother relationship
  • painting
  • mother son relationship
  • separated parents
  • marital separation
  • balcony
  • shower curtain
  • suicidal thoughts
  • teen romance
  • painter
  • loss of brother
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Cast & crew

The Beaver Cast

Mel Gibson leads the cast, with Jodie Foster and Anton Yelchin.

Ratings

The Beaver Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Beaver 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and 60 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.6/10.

Plot

The Beaver Plot Summary

What happens in The Beaver from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Walter Black, portrayed by Mel Gibson, is a man trapped in the depths of despair, spending his days engulfed in depression. This dark state drives his family to their breaking point, leading his wife, Merideth, to make the difficult decision of kicking him out. Their youngest son, Henry, is incredibly introverted, while his older brother, Porter, is desperately trying to avoid following in Henry’s footsteps.

In an unexpected turn, Walter adopts a beaver puppet, which he initially uses as a means to communicate with himself while grappling with suicidal thoughts. However, this quirky decision soon evolves as Walter begins to use the puppet to engage with others, embarking on a journey to rediscover his purpose and rebuild his fractured life. Merideth eventually invites him for dinner, marking a potential reconciliation.

Full summary

The whole story of The Beaver, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Beaver Box Office & Budget

The Beaver grossed $7.3 million worldwide on a $21 million budget, 35% of what it cost. $970,816 came from the US and Canada and $6.3 million (87%) from the rest of the world.

2011 box office

Worldwide gross

$7.3M

35% of its budget back

US & Canada
$970.8K
International
$6.3M
Budget
$21M
US & Canada 13% Rest of the world 87%
Videos

The Beaver Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Beaver.

THE BEAVER - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Beaver?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What mental state is Walter Black primarily struggling with?

Cars

Cars in The Beaver

5 cars on screen, including the 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300 CD W123 and the 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI Typ 5K.

All 5 cars
  • 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300 CD W123 in The Beaver 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300 CD W123 Important role
  • 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI Typ 5K in The Beaver 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI Typ 5K Important role
  • 2009 Volkswagen Routan RT in The Beaver 2009 Volkswagen Routan RT Important role
  • 1991 Cadillac Allanté in The Beaver 1991 Cadillac Allanté Background role
Details

The Beaver Also Known As

27 alternative titles, including “Mr. Beaver” and “Le Complexe du Castor”.

Also known as
  • Mr. Beaver
  • Le Complexe du Castor
  • El castor
  • Um Novo Despertar
  • Podwójne życie
  • Бобер
  • Бобёр
  • Mi otro yo
  • La doble vida de Walter
  • Der Biber
  • Kukla
  • O Castor
+15 more
  • Pan Bobr
  • 海狸
  • A hódkóros
  • Bobor
  • החיים הכפולים של וולטר
  • 비버
  • Bebrs
  • Бобърът, თახვი
  • Ο άλλος μου εαυτός
  • 海狸先生
  • Bebras
  • 愛在手狸
  • Majava
  • それでも、愛してる
  • ผู้ชายมหากาฬ หัวใจล้มลุก

Seen The Beaver?

FAQ

The Beaver FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Beaver, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Beaver?

The Beaver runs 1 hour 31 minutes (91 minutes).

When was The Beaver released?

The Beaver was released on May 6, 2011.

Who is in the cast of The Beaver?

The Beaver stars Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and Anton Yelchin.

How much did The Beaver make at the box office?

The Beaver grossed $7.3 million worldwide ($970,816 domestic, $6.3 million international) on a budget of $21 million.

How is The Beaver rated?

The Beaver has 6.6/10 on IMDb, 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, 60 on Metacritic and 64% on TMDB.

Does The Beaver have a post-credit scene?

No. The Beaver has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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