Watch The Beaver Trilogy

The Beaver Trilogy, released in 2000, is a unique and bizarre film that centers around a chance encounter that director Trent Harris had with a curious man named Groovin' Gary in the early 1970s. The film is a mishmash of documentary footage, re-creations, and other performance pieces. It stars a relatively unknown actor named Sean Penn in the lead role, as well as the eccentric actor Crispin Glover.

The film is divided into three segments, each of which tells a slightly different version of the same story. The first segment, entitled "The Beaver Kid", is a short documentary that Harris made in 1979. It chronicles his encounter with Gary, a peculiar young man who is obsessed with Olivia Newton-John and who performs a bizarre pantomime of her song "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting." Harris becomes fascinated with Gary and films him for a short documentary.

Years later, Harris decides to re-create the story with actors, and the result is the second segment, "The Beaver Kid 2." In this version, Sean Penn plays the role of Groovin' Gary, turning in an uncanny performance that captures the oddball charm of the real Gary. Similarly, Crispin Glover portrays the character of Larry, a friend of Gary's who becomes increasingly apprehensive about his behavior. This segment is a re-telling of the original documentary, but with fictionalized elements.

Finally, the third segment, entitled "The Orkly Kid," takes the story in a completely different direction. This time, instead of Gary and Larry, we are introduced to a quiet, introverted young man named Richard who dreams of making it big in show business. He performs a Broadway-style musical number for a talent agent, who advises him to come back with something more original. Richard then proceeds to re-create the "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" pantomime in front of the agent, which doesn't go over well. As the film progresses, we see Richard's ambition turn into desperation, and the result is a dark and unsettling conclusion that is the polar opposite of the lighthearted quirkiness of the first segment.

The Beaver Trilogy is a strange and fascinating film that defies easy categorization. On the surface, it is a documentary about a curious young man who captures the attention of a filmmaker. However, as the film progresses, it becomes a meditation on the nature of celebrity, the allure of show business, and the slippery slope of ambition. Throughout it all, the film maintains an offbeat sense of humor that is both disarming and unsettling.

Overall, The Beaver Trilogy is a weird and wonderful film that showcases the talent of several up-and-coming actors, as well as the visionary direction of Trent Harris. Its unconventional structure and enigmatic themes make it difficult to fully grasp on first viewing, but repeated watches reveal new layers of meaning and insight. For those willing to embrace its strangeness, The Beaver Trilogy is a film that rewards repeated viewings and that leaves a lasting impact on the mind.