The Beaver (2011)

Once standing atop a successful toy empire, Walter Black, the inheritor of Jerry Co., is now teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and grappling with a paralyzing depression. His affliction, a constant slumber and a failed suicide attempt, has put a strain on his family. His teenage son, Porter, a quick-witted entrepreneur who profits from ghostwriting school papers, fears he may inherit his father’s depressive tendencies, while his younger son, Henry, navigates the harsh waters of adolescence as a loner. Meredith, Walter's wife and a compassionate engineer, finds herself unable to alleviate her husband's pain and, in a fit of desperation, expels him from their home. In the midst of his personal turmoil, Walter stumbles upon a discarded beaver hand puppet in a dumpster. With the support of his therapist, he adopts the puppet as a medium to communicate, using it as an external persona to express himself. This strange coping mechanism introduces a bizarre twist to his life, enabling Walter to function normally once more—albeit with the constant presence of a beaver puppet on his hand. The transformation is both intriguing and unsettling for those around him. The puppet, acting as a unique translator of Walter's emotions, brings an unexpected wave of relief and improvement to the lives of his family. But as Walter's life begins to stabilize, questions emerge. Meredith, caught between relief and concern, wonders if her husband is genuinely healing or merely hiding behind his beaver alter ego. She yearns for the man she married, desperate to know if he can ever exist without the puppet. Concurrently, Porter grapples with accepting his father's eccentric new persona while navigating the complexities of adolescence and a blossoming relationship with his latest client, Norah, an academically gifted valedictorian with layers yet to be discovered. As the family unravels the mystery behind Walter's depression and his unconventional coping mechanism, the beaver puppet becomes a symbol of resilience and recovery, offering a peculiar yet profound look into the human capacity to cope and rebuild. "The Beaver" is a testament to the power of resilience and the enduring strength of family ties, even in the face of the most challenging circumstances.

The Beaver is a drama movie featuring Mel Gibson.

The Beaver is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Plex and Plex Player and it's also available on History Vault.

It is also possible to buy The Beaver on Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, Vudu and YouTube.