The Beaver Trilogy
Encyclopedia
The Beaver Trilogy is a documentary film
directed by Trent Harris
, featuring "Groovin' Gary", Sean Penn
, Crispin Glover
and co-starring Courtney Gains
and Elizabeth Daily
.
The Beaver Trilogy combines three separate vignettes that were filmed at different times, in 1979, 1981, and 1985. The first, entitled The Beaver Kid, is a short documentary about the exploits of "Groovin' Gary", a performer that filmmaker Harris happened upon while filming for a Salt Lake City, Utah
news station. Harris was testing out a color videocamera that the station had just acquired in the parking lot of his workplace when he stumbled upon Gary taking photographs of their news helicopter
. Gary immediately launched into a number of celebrity impressions, including John Wayne
and Sylvester Stallone
. Although Gary is seemingly very personable and humble, he also alludes to intense needs for fame, recognition and mass approval.
Several weeks after they first met, Harris traveled to the small town of Beaver, Utah
and filmed Gary, a rabid Olivia Newton-John
obsessive, as he staged a talent show that featured Gary dressed in full drag
singing the Newton-John song "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting". Gary refers to his onstage alter-ego as "Olivia Newton-Don".
The second installment, called The Beaver Kid 2 features Sean Penn as "Groovin' Larry" Huff in a dramatic interpretation of the original documentary. It incorporated some scenes from the original documentary. The Beaver Kid 2 was shot on a budget of $100.
The trilogy is completed with The Orkly Kid
, in which Crispin Glover reprises Penn's role, this time referring to his onstage persona as "Oliva Neutron Bomb". The Orkly Kid was shot in color film, is considerably longer in length and more professional-looking than the first two acts, and also features a number of new supporting characters and plot twists.
The film was also featured in the public radio show This American Life
in the episode entitled, "Reruns." The episode first aired December 6, 2002.
Richard LaVon Griffiths, the original Groovin' Gary, died in Salt Lake City on February 2, 2009, at age 50.
, in the broadcast of "This American Life" referenced above, The Beaver Trilogy has not been released on DVD. The film was once posted on YouTube in 10 segments but is no longer available.
The filmmaker, Trent Harris, sells The Beaver Trilogy on DVD from his web store. As of 2007, the Salt Lake Film Society has a copy for rent which is available at the Tower Theatre
.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Trent Harris
Trent Harris
Trent Harris is an independent filmmaker based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He wrote and directed the offbeat 1991 comedy Rubin and Ed, in which Crispin Glover and Howard Hesseman wander the desert looking for a suitable place to bury a frozen cat. In 2001 he released The Beaver Trilogy, a...
, featuring "Groovin' Gary", Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
, Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
and co-starring Courtney Gains
Courtney Gains
-Life and career:Gains achieved success during the 1980s with a variety of roles in films such as Children of the Corn, Hardbodies, Lust in the Dust, Back to the Future, Can't Buy Me Love, Colors,Wing Commander III, The 'Burbs and Memphis Belle...
and Elizabeth Daily
Elizabeth Daily
Elizabeth Ann Guttman , better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician...
.
The Beaver Trilogy combines three separate vignettes that were filmed at different times, in 1979, 1981, and 1985. The first, entitled The Beaver Kid, is a short documentary about the exploits of "Groovin' Gary", a performer that filmmaker Harris happened upon while filming for a Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
news station. Harris was testing out a color videocamera that the station had just acquired in the parking lot of his workplace when he stumbled upon Gary taking photographs of their news helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. Gary immediately launched into a number of celebrity impressions, including John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
and Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
. Although Gary is seemingly very personable and humble, he also alludes to intense needs for fame, recognition and mass approval.
Several weeks after they first met, Harris traveled to the small town of Beaver, Utah
Beaver, Utah
Beaver is a city in Beaver County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,454 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Beaver County.Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1856, Beaver was one of a string of Mormon settlements extending the length of Utah...
and filmed Gary, a rabid Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
obsessive, as he staged a talent show that featured Gary dressed in full drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
singing the Newton-John song "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting". Gary refers to his onstage alter-ego as "Olivia Newton-Don".
The second installment, called The Beaver Kid 2 features Sean Penn as "Groovin' Larry" Huff in a dramatic interpretation of the original documentary. It incorporated some scenes from the original documentary. The Beaver Kid 2 was shot on a budget of $100.
The trilogy is completed with The Orkly Kid
The Orkly Kid
The Orkly Kid is a 1985 underground comedy short subject directed by Trent Harris. It stars Crispin Glover as "Groovin' Larry", a teenager obsessed with Olivia Newton-John. Glover organises a talent show in the small fictional town of Orkly, Idaho, in hopes of achieving stardom by impersonating...
, in which Crispin Glover reprises Penn's role, this time referring to his onstage persona as "Oliva Neutron Bomb". The Orkly Kid was shot in color film, is considerably longer in length and more professional-looking than the first two acts, and also features a number of new supporting characters and plot twists.
The film was also featured in the public radio show This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
in the episode entitled, "Reruns." The episode first aired December 6, 2002.
Richard LaVon Griffiths, the original Groovin' Gary, died in Salt Lake City on February 2, 2009, at age 50.
Availability
According to Ira GlassIra Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
, in the broadcast of "This American Life" referenced above, The Beaver Trilogy has not been released on DVD. The film was once posted on YouTube in 10 segments but is no longer available.
The filmmaker, Trent Harris, sells The Beaver Trilogy on DVD from his web store. As of 2007, the Salt Lake Film Society has a copy for rent which is available at the Tower Theatre
Tower Theatre (Salt Lake City, Utah)
The Tower Theatre located in the 9th and 9th neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah is a historic film theater operated and maintained by the Salt Lake Film Society....
.