Location: LA
"Life After Brenda"
Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Written by Jeff Nathanson
Original Music by David Arnold
Main Cast
Kyle Chandler as Samuel Guillaume
Kate Walsh as Brenda Guillaume
Jason Patric as Terry Johnson
Justin Chatwin as Tyler (The Gardener)
Tagline: "They say crime doesn’t pay but murder definitely has its profits"
Synopsis: My name is Samuel Guillaume, I’m 37 and I live in Denver with my wife Brenda and our dog Puffy -she named him-. I consider myself a regular man, I work as a pharmaceutical sales rep for a Top 20 company and last year, I won the local sales championship and earned a hefty bonus -I used it to buy Brenda a new SUV-.
The downside of my successful career was having to take long business trips out of town at least twice every month but I never complained, I was happy and I knew Brenda understood me and supported me -or so I thought-. I was feeling so wonderful when I got promoted to regional manager that I couldn’t wait to go back home and tell her; I returned a day before scheduled to share the good news -I knew Brenda was going to be thrilled!-. I must admit I didn’t feel so great when I caught her and my best friend Terry humping on our newly installed water bed -Brenda said it would spice things up-. I didn’t let them see me -that would have been awkward-… Instead, I left quietly and returned to my hotel out of town. Six hundred dollars in room damages later, I took a decision: Brenda and Terry had to pay… and I had to be rewarded.
Exactly one month later, I came home from another trip and found Brenda -or what was left of her- dead; the police came, and the reporters came too. I had my alibi –sales rep out of town- and before I could even spell a-d-u-l-t-e-r-y, the officers had come up with their theory and were already trying to solve the case…
I was on Larry King; he called me “brave,” Barbara Walters gave me a hug. Finally, the FBI found Terry’s body in a motel near the state border; they said guilt drove him to suicide after killing Brenda. I felt relieved -because my plan worked-. Now my beautiful wife would rest in peace and although I couldn’t help but miss her –bitch!-, the insurance money wasn’t a disgusting companion at all.
Ironically, right after I have signed a six-figure deal with a New York publisher for my memoir, this annoying gardener comes along claiming he saw what really happened –and he wants my money-. I’m really sorry -for him-; Brenda said the kid used to mow our grass like no other…
What the Press would say:
Have you heard about The Son of Sam’s Law? It’s a commonly-used legal term that keeps criminals from making profit out of their crimes (usually by selling their stories to the press). If you haven’t and you are a potential criminal, then the acclaimed directors of “American Splendor” are surely giving you away lots of tips on how to execute the perfect crime and get rich along the way. Kyle Chandler, “dark, quirky and sexy;” as the obsessive-compulsive Samuel Guillaume borrows a bit of his past performances in films like “King Kong” and TV's "Friday Night Lights" to create one of the most amusing characters of the year. Chandler’s perfect comedic timing and well-studied body language make Guillaume the kind of man who can easily be loved and respected by the people around him, except for his wife. Chandler convincingly portrays his devotion to Brenda and his subsequent thirst for revenge. “Grey’s Anatomy” alumni Kate Walsh is delightful to watch as the bitchy and over demanding Brenda; a cheating wife we can’t help but root for. Walsh makes Brenda a flawed woman trapped in a marriage with “too much love” just like Chandler makes Samuel a man trapped in a marriage with “too little.” Justin Chatwin (who lately is getting all the roles Shia was too busy to play) is a comedy revelation as the cynical gardener blackmailing our main character (especially when he realizes Guillaume will do whatever it takes to hide his secret). Chatwin, along with the sarcastic smug played by Jason Patric at the beginning of the film, are real jerks compared to Chandler’s Guillaume and yet, the incisive writing and clever direction make really hard for the viewer to decide who is (or was) our real villain. Humorous and intelligent, “Life After Brenda” is definitely the “little comedy that could” and one of the best films of 2007.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture (Comedy / Musical)
Best Director (Springer Berman & Pulcini)
Best Writing (Original)
Best Actor – Kyle Chandler
Best Supporting Actress – Kate Walsh
Best Supporting Actor – Justin Chatwin
Best Supporting Actor – Jason Patric
Technical and Creativity Awards
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