Beaver Trilogy(2000)

Beaver Trilogy is an experimental film that chronicles a true outsider through three distinct interpretations. In 1979, filmmaker Trent Harris encounters an earnest dreamer from Beaver, Utah, who invites him to document a local talent show. There, the young man performs in drag as Olivia Newton-John. Harris transforms this encounter into three separate works: a documentary capturing the original event, "Beaver Kid 2" (1981), a dramatic home-video reimagining shot on a shoestring budget starring a young Sean Penn, and "The Orkly Kid," a final AFI-funded version featuring Crispin Glover. Each segment reveals different facets of the same compelling character, creating an unusual portrait of ambition and individuality in small-town America. The trilogy stands as a singular meditation on performance, identity, and the drive to be seen.