Did Mel Gibson just ruin the best movie of his career?

[Darren Dirt]

apparently this movie about a guy who treats a puppet like a real person, it might actually have good acting and film-making contained therein... but might never see a release thanks to alcohol+angerissues?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-14/the-beaver-mels-multi-million-dollar-victim



just for the title's pun-potential alone, this movie has gotta get out there:

"Mel Gibson to Star in Jodie Foster's Beaver"
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=57025

others here: http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/41654#comment_2766544
and here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321860/board/nest/142437969

[Mr. Analog]

If it's a real, good movie it will become a cult hit. That's the best they can hope for.

Sadly if they'd shelved it for a couple of years it might have been something bigger.

[Lazybones]

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

[Melbosa]

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

Nope it actually landed him some more "crazy" character rolls that were very very funny to watch IMO !!

[Mr. Analog]

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

Lets take a look at the films and the opening weekend intakes after the whole Oprah thing:

War of the Worlds - Jul 4th 2005: $77,061,953
Mission Impossible III - May 5th 2006: $47,743,273
Lions for Lambs - Nov 11th 2007: $6,702,434
Tropic Thunder* - Aug 17th 2008: $25,812,796
Valkyrie - Apr 16th 2009: $21,027,007
Knight and Day - Jun 27th 2010: $20,139,985

*Supporting character

So, War of the Worlds came out just over a month after the whole Oprah thing and made $65 million on the July 4th opening weekend, if you compare that to Spider Man 2 which had opened on the July 4th opening weekend the previous year you see a slight difference, well, ok, a $23 million dollar difference ($88,156,227). Now there could be a lot of factors why Spider Man 2 did a whole lot better (large distribution, it was a sequel to a popular film, Spider-Man, etc) but consider this; AFTER 2005 Cruise made the sequel to MI:II (which was likely already in post by mid 2005) and then string of much smaller films and in one case, not a starring role.

When you go from having your name on the top of posters and starring in "Big Holiday" weekend blockbusters to starring in middle of the road (Valkyrie) to outright flop (Knight and Day) films you can be sure that he has been placed in Hollywood purgatory where he will toil until either fading away or somehow rekindle his career.

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

Nope it actually landed him some more "crazy" character rolls that were very very funny to watch IMO !!

I'm sure hoping you meant Tropic Thunder and not Valkyrie, actually, outside of his role in Topic Thunder and the cameo in Austin Powers there weren't many laughs in ANY of the films he's been in the 2000s. Even when you look at his upcoming projects: Mission Impossible: IV and "The Hardy Men" (yes, grown up Hardy Boys...?) I don't see "wacky funster", I see "Cruise trying to keep acting career alive".

But that's just my opinion

[Melbosa]

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

Nope it actually landed him some more "crazy" character rolls that were very very funny to watch IMO !!

I'm sure hoping you meant Tropic Thunder and not Valkyrie, actually, outside of his role in Topic Thunder and the cameo in Austin Powers there weren't many laughs in ANY of the films he's been in the 2000s. Even when you look at his upcoming projects: Mission Impossible: IV and "The Hardy Men" (yes, grown up Hardy Boys...?) I don't see "wacky funster", I see "Cruise trying to keep acting career alive".

But that's just my opinion

Knight and Day he also plays a pretty funny crazy character, and yes Tropic Thunder is the other that I was thinking of.

[Mr. Analog]

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

Nope it actually landed him some more "crazy" character rolls that were very very funny to watch IMO !!

I'm sure hoping you meant Tropic Thunder and not Valkyrie, actually, outside of his role in Topic Thunder and the cameo in Austin Powers there weren't many laughs in ANY of the films he's been in the 2000s. Even when you look at his upcoming projects: Mission Impossible: IV and "The Hardy Men" (yes, grown up Hardy Boys...?) I don't see "wacky funster", I see "Cruise trying to keep acting career alive".

But that's just my opinion

Knight and Day he also plays a pretty funny crazy character, and yes Tropic Thunder is the other that I was thinking of.

I found his character to be VERY CREEPY in that movie, not funny. "Let me just drug you, undress you and take you across the borders of a few countries over and over"... YIKES

[Melbosa]

I guess you could see him that way... I was laughing myself

[Darren Dirt]

Did Tom Cruz being crazy on Opera and in general stop his movies from selling?

This was well after he was dating Penelope Cruise -- did they switch names after they broke up?

When you go from having your name on the top of posters and starring in "Big Holiday" weekend blockbusters to starring in middle of the road (Valkyrie) to outright flop (Knight and Day) films you can be sure that he has been placed in Hollywood purgatory where he will toil until either fading away or somehow rekindle his career.

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cruisediaz10.htm

"outright flop" if it was an action movie, but being a comedy, its budget was under $120MM, and even presuming $20MM in marketing (generous, since even *I* never heard of it before it was released) its current $230MM+ sales = not a flop by any measure of the word.

But that's just my opinion

Knight and Day he also plays a pretty funny crazy character, and yes Tropic Thunder is the other that I was thinking of.

I think his couch-jumping was an act, to remind the world that he is capable of delivering great comedic performances, I think he was sick of serious dramatic/action roles and was fearful of being typecast.

Once you're determined "loony" by the populace, you can play bit parts and cameos and leads in comedies, no pressure of Academy Awards (tm) and no worry about being too "old" for a part (since they can put a fat suit and/or heavy makeup/wigs on ya if the part requires it) ... plus comedies = $$$ at the box office.

Imagine if Knight and Day had been played straight, which amazingly some reviewers thought it was trying to do, instead of obvious spoof/tongueincheek tone that it was.

I hope Cruise does another "cameo" soon, in MIB III maybe -- but this time more than just a still shot on a monitor depicting "aliens among us"

Even when you look at his upcoming projects: Mission Impossible: IV and "The Hardy Men" (yes, grown up Hardy Boys...?) I don't see "wacky funster", I see "Cruise trying to keep acting career alive".

I'd rather see "The Ed Hardy Men", Nick Kroll and Jon Daly can do some pretty funny characters...


...but back to Mel! C'mon people, puppets that seem real to the main character? Sadly, in this film they apparently don't kill, though.

[Darren Dirt]

If it's a real, good movie it will become a cult hit. That's the best they can hope for.

Sadly if they'd shelved it for a couple of years it might have been something bigger.

omg, DAMMIT, it might actually be GOOD:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3568211993/

Apparently, it's not that the puppet "seems real" to him, it's that he uses the puppet as the only way for him to communicate with others, after he suffers a mental breakdown or something.

Plus he's got 2 kids and a wife who hasn't given up on me.

I smell a tear-jerker coming on...

[Darren Dirt]

This IMDB thread links to (and quotes from) a handful of interviews.

Looks like IF the movie gets into a lot of theatres, it could be a "hit". Definitely sounds worth a rental though, if you're into movies that aren't just simple.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321860/board/nest/181240647

[Mr. Analog]

Survey says: ... NOPE

This movie was going to be a hard sell no matter who did it:
-Losing your job?
-Mental illness??
-Puppets???

But adding Mel on top of that... ouch

At best it becomes a cult hit, years from now probably.

[Darren Dirt]

Yeah but you forgot the most important part: REUINTING EMOTIONALLY WITH FAMILY THAT YOU HAVE DISTANCED YOURSELF FROM DUE TO THE MENTAL ILLNESS!


...maybe I am connecting too much with that part...



PS:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/05/audiences-reject-mel-gibson-as-the-beaver-flops.html
comments:

It sounds as if this movie is very different from the action-packed fare audiences are used to seeing Mel Gibson star in-that sounds like the more likely reason for the movie's low gross.


I saw the movie and Gibson does one of the best performances of his career, regardless of whatever he had to say in his private life. And for the record, I'm a proud jew.


I give Jodie Foster considerable credit for taking such a risk at this stage of her career. The Beaver is quite an unorthodox film that will not appeal to everybody but I found it to be quite moving and special in a lachrymose sort of way. Regarding Gibson, his portrayal of Walter Black is worth the price of admission alone.


I saw the film this weekend and can honestly say it was really well done, but the experience of the characters is often so sad that I took that home with me. I can see why the subject matter may not have mainstream appeal--it is definitely not a comedy. But it was sensitively made and the actors, including Mel, were really first rate.


This is not the type of movie people rush to the theater to see. Its a matter of people being choosy about what to spend their money on at the overpriced box office and they are going to go for the big blockbuster every time. If it's any good, it will likely make more money when released on dvd than it will in the theaters. I don't think its low take at the box office has much to do with Mel Gibson.

I think that last comment that I bolded = the real core problem here. I rarely go see "heavy dramas" in the theatre, I usually go out to a movie which will be a "ride" of some kind, either epic/thriller/action or ensemble-comedy.

[Darren Dirt]

definitely renting it.

http://staticmass.net/cinema/the-beaver-movie-2010-review/

[Mr. Analog]

Yeah, it's on my watch list for sure