Now playing, The Beaver is Jodie Foster’s third directing effort, and it features longtime friend (and Maverick co-star) Mel Gibson as Walter, a mentally ill toy executive who finds a semblance of peace by talking through a hand puppet.  At first, Walter’s imaginary friend helps him reconnect with his wife Meredith (Foster) and bring a renewed vigor to his career.  Walter’s eldest son (Anton Yelchin), who harbors a crush for his school’s valedictorian (Winter’s Bone star Jennifer Lawrence), fears he will inherit his father’s condition, and he accurately predicts the puppet is merely a quick fix solution.

Foster, who directed Little Man Tate and Home for the Holidays, discussed the all-consuming aspect of filmmaking.  “I know that making a film, especially as a director, you work on a film for 2 1/2 years and you dream about it, and you think about the music and you wake up at 3 in the morning and come up with angles and you change the script to reflect things that you know are true, you shape the characters,” said Foster, who stars in Roman Polanski’s next picture, Carnage. “It’s you talking about a spiritual crisis in your life over and over again and examining it from every different direction.  Examining the characters from every direction too.  I’m not just Meredith, I’m also Walter, I’m also Anton’s (Yelchin) character, and Jennifer’s (Lawrence) character and seeing everything from their point of view.  That’s the most therapeutic thing you can do in order to get through a crisis.  It allows you to get to the other side and evolve.  (It’s) a lot better than going to the gym.”

In the following clip, Foster explains why she is not a fan of acting and directing on the same project.  She also discusses why she decided to hire herself on The Beaver.

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posted by Greg Srisavasdi