7.5/10
433
13 user 23 critic

The Beaver Trilogy (2000)

| Documentary, Comedy, Drama | 20 January 2001 (USA)
The Beaver Trilogy Poster
In the 1970's, an ambitious filmmaker visits the small town of Utah to film a talent show.

Director:

Trent Harris

Writer:

Trent Harris

Stars:

Groovin' Gary, Sean Penn, Crispin Glover | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
2 wins. See more awards »

Photos

See all 11 photos »
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Cast

Cast overview:
Groovin' Gary Groovin' Gary ... Himself (segment "The Beaver Kid") (archive footage)
Sean Penn ... Groovin' Larry (segment "Beaver Kid 2") (archive footage)
Crispin Glover ... Groovin' Larry (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
Stefan Arngrim ... Merril (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
John Bluto John Bluto ... Byron (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
Ken Butler ... Terrance (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
Lila Waters Lila Waters ... Mother (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
Shane McCabe Shane McCabe ... Mr. Larson (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
Elizabeth Daily ... Carrissa (segment "The Orkly Kid") (archive footage)
See full cast »
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Storyline

It begins in 1979 with the chance meeting in a Salt Lake City parking lot where filmmaker Trent Harris is approached by an earnest small-town dreamer from Beaver, Utah. Harris jumps at the chance when the young man invites him to come to the small town of Beaver to film a talent show. At the show, the man dons black leather, blond wig and performs in drag as Olivia Newton John. Harris captures it all on tape. What unfolds is a strange, funny, and ultimately poignant portrait of a true outsider. Not willing to let the story go, Harris then created a dramatic piece, "Beaver Kid 2" based on the documentary. This interpretation, shot in 1981 on a home video camera with a budget of $100, features the young Sean Penn as the Beaver Kid re-enacting the same scenario. Still possessed, Harris then rewrote the script, cast Crispin Glover in the lead, and in 1985 created the final segment, "Orkly Kid" as an American Film Institute project. The three pieces were re-edited, compiled, and finally ... Written by Strand Releasing <strand@strandreleasing.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

video camera | drag | beaver utah | collection of short films | variety show | See All (30) »

Genres:

Documentary | Comedy | Drama | Music

Parents Guide:

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 2001 (USA) See more »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Black and White | Color
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The second short film, "Beaver Kid 2," reportedly had a budget of only $100. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Beaver Trilogy Part IV (2015) See more »

Soundtracks

Please Don't Keep Me Waiting
Performed by Groovin' Gary
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighly recommended.....
9 December 2009 | by afkeegan – See all my reviews

Yes, this gets the full ten stars. It's plain as day that this fill is genius. The universe sent Trent Harris a young, wonderfully strange man one day and Harris caught him on tape, in all that true misfit glory that you just can't fake. Too bad it ended in tragedy for the young man, if only an alternate ending could be written for that fellow's story. The other two steps in the trilogy do retell the story, with Sean Penn and Crispin Glover in the roles of the young men, respectively. The world is expanded upon and the strangeness is contextualized by the retelling, giving us a broader glimpse into growing up weird in vanilla America. Recommended for anyone and everyone!
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