The Beaver (2011) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?

Bontent's parent guide suggests The Beaver is best for ages 13+. It's rated PG-13. In 'The Beaver', Mel Gibson plays Walter Black, a depressed CEO who attempts to communicate with his family exclusively through a beaver hand puppet. The film explores themes of severe clinical depression, family…

The Beaver is officially rated PG-13. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 13+.

In 'The Beaver', Mel Gibson plays Walter Black, a depressed CEO who attempts to communicate with his family exclusively through a beaver hand puppet. The film explores themes of severe clinical depression, family estrangement, and the psychological toll of untreated mental health crises. Parents should be aware of…

A married couple is seen in bed together with suggestive movements and sounds, though they remain fully clothed throughout the encounter. This scene is brief and focuses on the emotional distance between the characters.

There are moderate scenes of self-injury and physical conflict. A character repeatedly bangs his head against a wall until he causes structural damage, and another character inflicts a facial wound on himself with a lamp. Additionally, there is a physical…

The dialogue includes moderate profanity, featuring an instance of an 'f-word,' several uses of 's-word,' and various insults like 'turd,' 'wanker,' and 'bitch.'

The film features depictions of pill-based medication use and clear scenes of a character struggling with alcohol consumption, including a moment of drunkenness.

The film deals heavily with severe depression, the dissolution of a family unit, suicide ideation, and dissociative identity disorder. It is a mature study of mental illness and the difficulty of recovery.

The Beaver runs 91 minutes, directed by Jodie Foster, released in 2011.

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