As most know by now, The Beaver stars Gibson as a depressed man, estranged from his wife(Jodie Foster) and family, who discovers an old beaver puppet and begins talking exclusively through it. The script was one of the most sought after in Hollywood, and Mel Gibson's performance has been highly praised from early reviewers. Summit shelved the film indefinitely after Gibson's off-camera troubles came into the spotlight. The hope is that this will be Gibson's first real shot at a comeback, and judging by the material it appears perfectly suited to his current predicament.
Deadline notes a CBS/Vanity Fair poll that says 76% of respondents wouldn't consider Gibson's recent problems when deciding if to see one of his movies. I'd like to know what the poll said back when Edge of Darkness came out, which was much more in line with Gibson's most iconic roles and yet bombed at the box office. I think The Beaver looks pretty damn good, and I'm sure critics will salivate over it. Do I think that will translate into big dollars, though? Not really.
