Remember that time Mel Gibson went crazy, chased away everyone who ever loved him, and found himself all alone, without any clear career prospects? And then remember how he found a disgusting little beaver hand-puppet in the trash, gave the puppet a Ray Winstone voice, and used his new little pal to reconnect with his family and save his career? Obviously, you’re thinking of The Beaver, the curious-looking film by Jodie Foster that has gained some unexpected real-world weight in light of Gibson’s busy summer. In an impressive attempt to sell a relatively unsellable movie, the first trailer practically seems to directly address Gibson’s real-world meltdown, LeBron-style. I can’t decide if I’m laughing sincerely or ironically. See for yourself!
It’s worth pointing out that The Beaver is written by Kyle Killen, the creator of the dearly departed, barely arrived Lone Star. But there’s no getting around the weirdness factor… or the Gibson factor, for that matter. PopWatchers, what do you think about this first look at The Beaver? Are you ready to watch Mel Gibson in a heart-warming film about a man and his hand-puppet? And seriously, is that Ray Winstone’s voice?
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Read more:
Mel Gibson dark comedy ‘The Beaver’ nabs release date
‘The Beaver’ poster: Pay no attention to that man behind the beaver!
Jodie Foster talks about ‘The Beaver’ and Mel Gibson’s rants. When are we going to see this movie?
Mel Gibson explains why he slapped Oksana Grigorieva
Owen Gleiberman: Mel Gibson and the tale of the tape
Lisa Schwarzbaum: Mel Gibson: Despicable he, but will his behavior keep you from buying a ticket to his movies?
I wish it was anybody but Mel Gibson in this role. I’ve never been able to bring myself to enjoy Roman Polanski or Woody Allen movies thanks to the minds behind them, and the same goes for Mel. It’s a shame; this movie looks like it has a lot of potential.
What about Disney films?
You are equating Mel to Polanski and Allen? You have got to be kidding me. That’s pretty sick.
I think he’s equating the criminality of some of Mel’s actions with the criminality of Polanski and Allen and how it makes it difficult to support their films
Yeah, but Polanski’s actually a good director.
i second that realy comparing to pedophiles to bigot, nice
@ rees: that’s a very extreme streach
Mel isn’t any better than Polanski, I agree with Rees. Both attacked women, how is it an “extreme stretch”? And Mel is a racist, I won’t support that and go to his films.
Verbal abuse really isn’t the same as rape.
@GN thank you.
@Everyone else, Mel Gibson is a racist, bigoted wife beater. I’m sorry that it offends you that it makes me uncomfortable to pay money to sit around for two hours and try to pretend he’s a normal actor trying to make an honest living.
and what are your feelings on kobe bryant, robert downey jr., mike tyson, ben rothlesburger and the dozens of other actor, athletes and musicians that have been accused, arrested or even sent to prison for there infractions? do you avoid all of their work?
Trolling.
Maybe I missed something, but when did Woody Allen commit a criminal act?
No, you didn’t miss anything. Woody DID NOT commit a criminal act nor was he ever charged with one. Several of the misinformed yahoos posting here don’t really concern themselves with the facts.
Yeah, it wasn’t a crime. He just had a relationship the adopted daughter of his ex Mia Farrow, later married her, and adopted two kids with her. Allegedly he molested his adopted daughter with Farrow back in the ’90s….
I refuse to watch Jodie Foster’s Beaver as long as Mel Gibson is in it.
I wish Mel had pulled out and let a more deserving actor take on this meaty role.
High five.
Bonk, best comment of the week. Nice way to ground us after all the trolling and nerdiness above.
pitty
Wow, this movie looks incredible. To Mel: What you did was wrong and I excoriate your behavior on those tapes. But I still believe that you can atone for your wrong doing, seek psychiatric help, and redeem yourself. Keep making movies because damn, you are a talented actor and director. And I for one love watching your movies.
I think that means that you are kinda prejudice or racist your self right?
That comment actually shows you are the prejudiced one (and hypocritical). And you should learn about what redemption means. It is not synonymous with “excuse.”
I completely agree with you. I think the movie looks great. But, I don’t know that I’ll get past the Gibson thing. The sad fact is I used to love him.
It may be a heart warming movie, but after the year Mel has had, I don’t think the general public can seperate his personal life from this movie and it will tank.
Likely the last beaver he’ll ever touch.
Yeah, like $$$ can’t buy ‘beavers’.
dare i say it, i almost kinda like the trailer.
I agree. I think it was smart to edit the trailer in a way that “references” Mel’s personal crap.
I think it looks good. And i think it’s stupid how people can’t just enjoy a movie without worrying about the actor’s personal life.
Those people either have very short movie viewing list or just hypocrites. I’m thinking the latter.
Sometimes it’s about the actor’s life transcending our ability to see his work fairly and objectively. Actors are supposed to disappear into their roles; how am I supposed to watch “The Beaver” without thinking about the real-life human being behind the sympathetic character?
He ruined his own acting image. I don’t feel any need to apologize for not being able to see his movies in an objective light anymore.
So no one should care about crimes committed? Rolo that’s nice… people like you keep Polanski in business as he hides from prosecution charges.
Mel Gibson has not been charged with anything yet.
Good point.
So what about the hundreds of other people with incomes hinged on the success of Polanski/Gibson films? “Serves ‘em right for working with them”?
If you got rid of everyone in Hollywood that had commited crimes or accused of doing so, there would be no one left.
And you probable watch Two and a Half Men with one of the biggest degenerates in Hollywood
Maybe people get so sick of being inundated with stories about celebrity scandal for months before the movie comes out, and they are fatigued to the point where paying $10 to see a movie starring a person who has been making headlines for being a verbally abusive bigot seems worse than just setting fire to said ten-dollar bill? Or is that just me?
@rees..just go see the movie and enjoy it. gibson has a lot more heart than allen or polanski put together. whatever happened to understanding and forgiveness?
I agree. And comparing Mel to Roman and Woody is stupid. What is the matter with people…are they that uninformed and cruel?
Polanski and Allen are GREAT moviemakers, who have created masterpieces of cinema that will last for the ages. Mel Gibson’s main claim to fame (other than his rants) is that he directed the worst film (BRAVEHEART) to win the Oscar for best picture in history. Only a fool would even dare to compare the mildly talented Gibson with the genius of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. What an idiotic and ignorant comment!
point was on the heart Mark, not talent. I personally love Allen and Polanski movies, no doubt. But craft wasn’t the issue.
Frank – what a callous comment. Wow. So they can commit any crimes they please as long as the public/yourself “forgives”?
how in the heck did you read that into my comments. Forgiveness does not condone their actions. it gives people including yourself an opportunity to start again a new person.
Seems to be the case, if you haven’t noticed already.
This trailer has been out for about a week on other websites. Maybe if EW stopped focusing on Glee 24/7 they would have had this sooner.
I am looking forward to this film! And it’s about time people stopped dragging in someone’s personal life into their professional one. Move on already! Sheesh! I am so tired of the media making money off of the scandal’s in one’s private life. Try a little self-respect!
The Beaver’s voice? It is clearly Mel’s in most of this trailer. The first shot we hear the Beaver in this trailer? It might be Ray’s…it could also be Mel’s.
Funny you mention “self respect” while complimenting a man who is racist and admits to assaulting a woman who was holding a baby. Sick!
Obviously you read his court statement? Did you also read the part where he stated he slapped her because he feared for his baby’s life? Whatever the truth is, he has NOT been charged in any crime. And if he is such a racist why does he have black people defending him? Yea he said some stupid things and he needs psychiatric help, but comparing him to a child rapist is ridicules.
Bobby, we forgot to tell you, the Mel Gibson Fan Club meeting moved to the Twilight section of the site… you know, so that all the idiots would feel more at home.
I actually think it looks REALLY good, and if it starred anyone but Gibson, we might be talking awards.
However, I can understand how people are completely put off by him and would never want to support anything he ever does again, no matter how good a movie with him in it/by him looks.
Are you Oksana’s PR rep? (Lol!)
I, like most other people, can’t wait to see this film.
Ha! If I were Oksana’s PR rep, I don’t think I would’ve started my comment with “I think it looks REALLY good.”
Besides, I’d be WAY too busy leaking angry phone calls to Radar.
I don’t like Oksana, but I dislike men who assault women even more.
he’s never been convicted of assaulting her, and there are many indications that he didn’t, indications which are far more credible than Oksana, who herself is clearly no bargain.
Her calm cool demeanor while she was secretly taping him would have been enough for you to slap the c r a p out of her too.
I’m gonna see it. And since he and Winstone were a good pair of adversaries in ‘Edge of Darkness’ it could be a good pairing here, haha!
Go, Jodie!
So, Mel Gibson plays a jerk who can’t control his emotions? No stretch there. The biggest stretch in that movie will be Jodie Foster playing a straight woman with a husband and a kid. She makes good movies, and she & Mel are great together, but I just don’t see this doing well at the theaters. I see people renting this thing and watching it in private at home.
I’m sick of the double standard that straight actors can play gay and get praised, but no one wants to accept a rumored gay person playing straight. No wonder she’s so private. People assign labels to you and won’t accept you as anything else. She’s an actress. An actress who was fully convincing playing Mel’s love interest in Maverick. So that’s your own issue that you can’t accept her playing married to a man.
Agree.
Why wouldn’t you buy Jodie Foster as a spouse and a mother? She’s both in real life.
Yeah, ’cause Jodie Foster’s never played a straight person before. *eye roll* I can’t wait to see her in this seeing that it could actually be good. It feels like it’s been so long since she really impressed.
Gotta say, it does look good. And I can’t help it, I’ve always loved Mel Gibson in movies. Same goes for Jodie Foster. It does feel a little weird to say that I’d like to see this, but on the other hand, I do see the value of the argument for not letting an actor’s personal life get in the way of your enjoyment of a movie.
damn I want to see this movie
Mel looks great in this flic. Come on people get over it already! There arent too many good movies out there this one looks like a tupical Mel and Jodie flic. Cant wait to see it.
Uh – no. You think it’s okay what he’s done that’s your choice. Don’t tell others to support him.
What? Your argument makes no sense. There are hundreds of other people who spent time in the production of this movie, I highly doubt Mel Gibson needs your support.
Lou is a tupical doufus.
I don’t know why people are so shocked that it looks good… Jodie foster directed it and they are both great actors. Just because he has a scandal doesn’t mean his movies are all of a sudden awful!
Exactly! His movies were awful a LONG time before his scandal started…
but they were surprised… I read about “The Beaver” long before his ordeals, read about the script being on the Black List for unproduced good scripts, and read that Jodie Foster was directing, so but I wouldn’t be surprised at myself liking it, maybe others would, but I guess my train of thought is different.
Exactly wrong!
haha you obviously are a blind idiot.
I wouldn’t say that people are surprised that it looks good. (Like you mentioned, Gibson and Foster’s resumes speak for themselves.)
I’d probably guess that people — who either consciously or subconsciously told themselves they’d never see another Mel Gibson movie — were surprised at themselves for actually enjoying the trailer and wanting to see it.
I was interested in this since seeing the script on the Black List (at the top, I might add). Anything that is higher than The Social Network script-wise must be pretty darn good.
Did anyone else see this and say to themselves “Yep, I can see Mel Gibson ACTUALLY doing this…”?
I just wonder what he did to get his hand into Jody Foster’s beaver??