Mel Gibson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Walter Black - The Beaver (2011)

Following another bout of high-profile controversy in his personal life, longtime friend Jodie Foster cast Gibson in the title role of her latest directorial project. Although seemingly a premise designed for a comedy, The Beaver is instead a psychological family drama that sees the actor give his best performance in years as depressed and suicidal CEO Walter Black. Boasting a solid supporting cast that includes Foster, Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence, Gibson's raw and emotional turn as the distant father and failing executive is nothing short of fascinating. As the depressive, alcoholic, personality disorder-suffering Walter, Gibson gives an impressively layered performance that ranges from jet-black humor to a heartfelt portrayal of a man dealing with mental illness. At times the story does stretch credibility to breaking point and the beaver puppet often sounds distractingly like Ray Winstone, but after decades spent in big-budget genre pictures Gibson delivers a performance that reminds us of his capabilities as a hugely talented dramatic actor.