Still the Beaver (1983 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not Citizen Kane, but gave me a warm feeling

[scrabbler · 7/10 · 9 September 2005]

I grew up with LITB in the 60s, and I always thought it was a great show. I never thought it was supposed to represent some kind of typical American family. In fact, the characters themselves said this more than once; e.g. "A lotta the guys say they wish their Moms and Dads were more like you guys", or something like it.

Anyway, this movie was a very sincere and heartfelt effort, even if it wasn't very funny. All the actors tried hard, and nobody mugged, etc. In fact, they were surprisingly restrained. I was truly moved by the flashback to Ward's funeral, shot from a distance, with Beaver's voice from an early episode praising his dad. I still get choked up just thinking about it!

Worth watching

[pmike-11312 · 7/10 · 30 May 2021]

I am not a fan of "reunion" shows, in general. They always fall short and disappoint.

This one is not the greatest TV movie of all time by any means, but as an "update" or "reunion", it's decent. At least the main characters (Beaver, Wally, Eddie, et. Al) were middle-aged as opposed to the usual seniors-trying-to-recreate-30-again of most of these types of shows (Return to Mayberry being a glaring example). These characters now had kids and faced the problems their parents had faced 20 years earlier. Maybe because of that, the show worked reasonably well. I enjoyed it.

Great if you are a fan of the original series...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 24 April 2024]

... but if you have no idea what the show is about, or maybe you know what it is and have seen just an episode or two, I'm just not sure how much you are going to get out of it, as there are more than a few ironic tie ins to the original LITB show. Plus, if you are younger, you may have trouble with the concept of superimposing the 50s on the 80s if you are unfamiliar with both decades.

Beaver Cleaver's wife has just thrown him out of the house. His rich father in law therefore fires him, and he doesn't even have a car since he is driving a company car. He takes a cab back to Mayfield, to his mother's house, and tries to pick up the pieces of his life in a place that seems familiar and safe. He also tries to have a better relationship with his sons, who resent the divorce and the dislocation it has caused in their lives.

Beaver's older brother Wally is a successful attorney, and in his 30s has only recently married his high school sweetheart, Mary Ellen Rogers. But being mid to late thirties, they have a problem - possible fertility problems as they try to conceive a child.

A large number of the original cast members show up - Ken Osmond as Eddie Haskell, Frank Bank as Lumpy Rutherford, Richard Deacon as Fred Rutherford, Richard Correll as Richard Rickover, Rusty Stevens as Larry Mondello, Diane Brewster as Miss Canfield, and Tiger Fafara as Tooey.

One thing that I really enjoyed as a long time viewer were the many intercuts from the present Cleaver home to some relevant scene from the TV show. Hugh Beaumont, who played Ward Cleaver, died the year before this was made, in 1982, and many of those intercut scenes involve him. I thought these scenes were a tastefully done tribute to the actor and the role he played.

Still Relevant

[willmcse44 · 2 January 2009]

Growing up in the early sixties, I always believed that the Cleavers were just like my family. Ward was like my dad in many ways, June was like mom, and Wally was like my older brother. The mannerisms, attitudes, clothes and even the hairstyles were all too similar.

Forty years later, the similarities and relevance remains strong. Since my dad passed, mom has become the matriarch of the family, just as June has become the matriarch of the Cleavers. What's more relevant than Ward Cleaver passing away, as my dad did, leaving a legacy, affecting the hearts and minds of his wife and kids?

I believe there is something seriously twisted about an individual who can knock this 1983 pilot of "Still The Beaver". There is so much garbage on TV and in the movies that is much better off not paying any attention to. There is truly something creepy about some of the post on this thread knocking the black and white episodes or the 1983 movie memorializing Hugh Beaumont.

Perhaps these people would prefer dorks like Cedric "The Entertainer" and Martin Lawrence playing Wally and The Beaver!

NOT Great, but Decent and Watchable

[MovieBuffMarine · 6/10 · 23 May 2023]

Of all the TV show reunion movies I've seen, I thought this one was the most watchable.

Ninety percent of the original plus background cast came onboard for this "What are they doing now?" sequel.

The absence of the late Hugh Beaumont who passed away two years before this tele-film is well incorporated into the story (though Ward Cleaver died in 1977 vice his actor in 1981).

As I've written about reunion movies before, they are a hard sell as capturing the magic of the original series is not an easy task, "Still the Beaver" is no exception.

While it was nice seeing our favorite characters reprised by most of the original players, there was really something intangible missing about this reunion.

Those of us who grew up with the original show (whether through original broadcast or reruns) knew that Beaver was kind of clumsy in his actions and decisions. Unfortunately, they made adult Beaver that way. I didn't mind that he was facing challenges, but the writers should have approached it another way, not something reminiscent of the clumsy trouble he got into as a kid.

But other than that, it was good to see most of the supporting cast reprise their roles. While there was something (intangible) missing from this reunion movie, they kept the heartwarming aspect of the original series.

(Apparently, this movie impressed some people as a follow on TV series was produced for cable. It appeared to have some success as it ran for six seasons. Many reunion movies are made as a possible back door pilot for a new sequel series but fail with the possible sequel series never coming into fruition. Not the new Beaver.)

Was "Still the Beaver" the greatest reunion movie ever? No, not by a long shot. But even with its flaws it is very watchable and nice to see what our favorite characters have been doing since the last episode of "Leave it to Beaver."

Still The Beaver was a fitting reunion

[rpalompo · 8/10 · 2 January 2005]

I dug up my videotaped copy of "Still The Beaver" (I taped it in high school, I believe March in 1983). I couldn't believe I still had it and I couldn't wait to share it with my wife and 3 kids. We've been watching old episodes of "Leave It To Beaver" for the past year (thanks, TVLand!) and my kids love it. So on New Year's Eve we watched 5 episodes of Beaver, then topped it off with what my littlest one called "the one in color".

Although it was a bit silly to see a 30 plus Beaver still act like a kid (baseball cap and hunched over walk included) and all the neighborhood kids grown up but still goofy, we can't forget that this was a sitcom. I guess the fact that it was a TV movie fooled us into thinking there would be more depth. But there was! The way they handled the passing of Hugh Beaumont's character was touching. My kids were very saddened by the funeral scene (they hadn't known that Beaumont died and wasn't in this movie). The flashbacks were very nicely placed and were great moments of nostalgia (like looking at a family picture album). It was also nice to see June Cleaver as graceful and nurturing as ever. And Wally had grown to be a fitting replacement for Ward -- responsible, wise, loving, and cool. But then again, he always was. The wisdom that flowed from Wally Cleaver rivaled the wisdom of Ward in nearly every episode! They took this show into the 80's just fine. The brothers who grew up in Mayfield became adults and have their share of life's troubles. Realistic enough for a TV movie. Touching enough as a family reunion. And most of all, my kids loved it.

pretty bad stuff

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 21 February 2006]

This is a fine example of the expression "you can never go back", as this reunion episode is just painful to watch and will most likely cause you to cringe in embarrassment. While not the worst TV reunion movie ever made (that would be the one for the Beverly Hillbillies), this is just boring and bad. Years have passed (thank goodness) since I saw it, but one particularly painful segment stands out clear in my traumatized mind. That is when June Cleaver talks to Ward about her concerns about her loser son, Beaver. You see her talking to Ward and as the camera pans back you see she's at the graveyard talking to Ward's tombstone!! Yech! What an embarrassingly bad moment. YES, Hugh Beaumont was dead so you can't blame him for not being in the film (unless you are a VERY SICK person), but replacing him with a headstone AND having his wife talk to it is just creepy! And, as I alluded to it, Beaver has grown into a pathetic mess whose wife just left him! I feel suicidal just thinking about this downbeat mess!

Just What I Expected...

[Cammy-3 · 10/10 · 30 December 2001]

Sorry, I don't agree that this one was a dud. The Beaver never grew up -why should we have expected him to? He was a whiny kid who grew up to be a whiny, clueless adult. I loved the first scene when his wife turns the sprinklers on him and later, when June is sitting in the graveyard saying "Ward, I'm worried about the Beaver." Meeting Eddie Haskell's kid, who is his father all over again, of course, was also great fun.

Leave it to Beaver was never fine theater or great writing,it was just a look at the way America never really was.

Really Hated This

[james4003 · 1/10 · 31 January 2019]

If there's anything more ill-advised than making live action versions of cartoons, it's making updates, ie "where are they now" type shows, particularly in the context of this made for TV movie. What they did was take a charming, somewhat idealistic show from the 60's and updated it to the lame-80's style replete with obnoxiously precocious kids, a calling card of 80's shows and films, and depressing realism in the form of a narcissistic mom who abandons her kids for a career, and a couple unable to conceive a child-speaking of which, the Beaver's kids, particularly the older one,ought to have made Wally and his wife thankful they had fertility issues.-

To sum up, they took a show whose unrealistic and realistic aspects were a lighthearted break from reality, and chased it with a movie that inverted those aspects into an obnoxious and depressing reality-

A pleasant update

[holdingourown · 9/10 · 23 October 2021]

You can't reproduce the charm of the original 1950s/1960s series, Leave it To Beaver, but why would you want to? It was a product of its times, and Still The Beaver is just as well. With the exception of the late Ward Cleaver, the entire cast is there, and except for Whitey, are portrayed by their original actors.

Theodore Cleaver is an adult version of his child self... and it's led his wife to divorce him. Beaver wants to be a good father to his two sons, but he can't channel the stern but warm guidance that his father provided. After advice from his brother, Wally, now a lawyer married to this high school sweetheart, Mary Ellen, he decides that he wants custody.

Everyone in the cast is there, and most of them are adult reflections of their childhood selves... except a surprising comedic twist with Beaver's friend Larry, which I shall not spoil here. June Cleaver continues to provide the family the nurturing warmth required to keep them going. It's a reunion updated for the theme of the new era, covering topics as divorce, relationships, dealing with children with behavioral issues, and more. Plus, it's nice to see what has changed in the Cleaver residence, and in their lives, and what hasn't.

Still The Beaver is not expected to be able to compete with its own series, now with classic status. It's also not expected to be an award-winning piece of filmmaking with deep symbolism and subtle character traits. But as a new installment of a beloved series, seeing Beaver still struggling with confidence issues decades later, the movie should find a heartwarming sweet spot in the audience's heart. And seeing Eddie Haskell, character unchanged, is worth the time to watch!

Why isn't this shown more

[juliafwilliams · 2 January 2004]

It was a pleasure for me to see this movie when it was first released. Unfortunately, I did not get my first VCR until 1984, so I was not able to tape it.

While I believe that the movie was a wholesome update, I feel that the absence of Hugh Beaumont (who passed away a year earlier) detracts from the 'luster' of the movie somewhat.

Nevertheless, Barbara Billingsley as the matriarch June Bronson Cleaver, does a good job of holding the family together.

Beautiful film that emphasized positive family values. Definitely not something you see in movies of my generation

[tiffanie_says_stay_in_your_lane · 9/10 · 30 July 2022]

This movie was heartwarming and funny when appropriate. I used to tune in to the original show on the Antenna channel. It came on twice, at 8 and 8:30am. I would watch it while I got ready for work. Now I've changed jobs. I don't get up until 8:50, so I no longer watch it, but I enjoyed it when I did. Looking at old TV shows from the perspective of someone in their 20s, I find many of them to be formulaic and boring. However, this is one of the few vintage TV shows that doesn't annoy me. Still the Beaver is like the all grownup version of the show. Ward has passed (he actually wasn't alive when this film was made), and June is living alone. Wally is a successful lawyer. He and his wife, his high school sweetheart, are trying to have a baby. Beaver is divorced with two sons, and he moves back to his childhood home to live with his mom. Eddie owns a construction company. Beaver wants custody of his kids. Later in the film his ex-wife tells him she's going to veterinary school in another country, so he gets to have the kids full time. I thought the movie was great when I was watching, but thinking about it now, it seems kind of silly. I say that because all of the characters have the same personality as they did in the show, which is why I took off 1 star. Wally is still a jock, and Eddie is still a shyster. It's hard to believe Beaver is a father, let alone married in the first place. He has no life skills. He doesn't have a job or a car. Never mind - I think he has a car at the beginning of the movie, but after moving back home, he buys a 1965 Mustang, which didn't really make sense. It's never stated outright why his wife wanted a divorce, but it's not hard to figure out the reason. He doesn't carry himself like an adult. He's awkward and has low self-esteem, which is really no different than how he was as a kid - hence the title. She did point out they got married too young, and that increases the likelihood of divorce. It would've been nice to see more character development. Overall, this was a lovely film. It might make some people cry, especially if they were kids when this show first started coming on TV and/or one of their parents is deceased. It's sad how my generation has gotten plagued by overly negative movies and TV shows. Still the Beaver focuses on real life problems without sounding preachy. The audience walks away having learned valuable lessons that are still relevant in modern times. I feel like the topic of divorce was addressed exceptionally well, unlike Mrs. Doubtfire, which contained a lot of sexual jokes and bathroom humor. If you loved the show, then you will thoroughly enjoy this movie.

What a dud!

[jwalsh67 · 26 March 2001]

This was simply awful. Jerry Mathers is a chumpy twit as the "grown" Beaver who still wears his goofy baseball cap and windbreaker coat despite being well into his 30's. He trudges home glumly to his mommy after losing his job and wife, and the cute Beaver we all remember is brought back to life. He hasn't changed a bit--all the dopey mannerisms are still in effect, and big brother Wally still has the upper hand in intelligence, strength, and female magnetism. Director Steven Stern seems to have forgotten that in the final seasons of the old Leave it to Beaver series, Beaver had grown up quite a bit and was well past the bumbling twirp we recall from the early days. I was looking forward to seeing the adult Beaver in some adult situations with some casual references to the past. Instead, the producers try to cash-in by heaping on the corny treacle with all the characters being much older yet none wiser.

Sadly, a flat failure.

[Jordan_Haelend · 13 June 2004]

I have to agree with jwalsh67 on this. Why couldn't we have been allowed to rest in the fantasy that our favorite characters grew-up to be better than they were? There was simply no reason for the makers of this to have insisted that "Beaver" Cleaver's character not be allowed to do so.

And they didn't. Indeed, he's still whining, still clueless. And as has been noted, towards the end of the original series, Beaver was already on the road to maturity.

If I remember correctly, in the last episode Ward says to June, "We've either raised them right or we haven't." The answer to this was a resounding "You failed" from the producers.