Musically Speaking
Dark Comedy Assures Dad Stays In The Picture
By Mary J. Peterson
Jun 1, 2003 - 4:57:00 PM

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LOS ANGELES—The independent film, "In Memory of My Father," marks the directorial debut for writer and producer Christopher Jaymes. Written and produced by Jaymes, a former resident of Laurel Canyon and founder of Treehouse Productions, the dark comedy was shot over a 7-day period in one mansion previously owned by Mr. Samuel Goldwyn.  The film follows the youngest of three sons as he documents his father's death, at the behest of his father who bribed him to carry out this request. The deceased, a legendary Hollywood producer (based on Robert Evans), believed that this documentary of his death would have major historical and biographical importance. 

The film chronicles a family that practices living in the moment and follows three brothers during the course of what escalates into a typical Hollywood party, oblivious to the dead man in the bedroom upstairs. The cast of characters contributes to the egomaniacal evening. It's a blended family with a twist. Mom had an affair with the boys' uncle and Dad's brother, whose remarriage results in a family where uncles are the same as stepfathers and cousins are stepsisters. Sex and drugs must always be readily available and boundaries don't exist when it comes to instant gratification. The brothers' relationships suffer as a result of this chaotic upbringing with Matt, the oldest son, wanting his dad's 24-year-old mistress and Chris, the youngest, involved in one co-dependent relationship after another.

The cast includes Judy Greer, who recently appeared onscreen with Nicholas Cage in "Adaptation," along with Jeremy Sisto, a regular on the HBO series "Six Feet Under," Matt Keeslar, who has appeared in Christopher Guest's "Waiting for Guffman," and Monet Mazur, recently seen in Ted Demme's "Blow" and who also appeared with Josh Hartnett in "40 Days and 40 Nights." Rounding out the cast are Nicholle Tom, Christine Lakin and Eric Michael Cole.