Father of Invention

Robert Axle, a New Orleans–based infomercial guru, loses it all when one of his inventions maims thousands of customers. After eight years in a maximum-security prison, Axle is ready to redeem his name and rebuild his billion-dollar empire. But first he must convince his estranged daughter to let him live with her and her quirky, over-protective roommates.

• Kevin Spacey as Robert Axle
• Virginia Madsen as Lorraine
• John Stamos as Steven "Steve" Leslie Thurmond
• Johnny Knoxville as Troy Coangelo
• Camilla Belle as Claire Elizabeth (formerly Axle but dropped the last name after her father went to prison.)
• Heather Graham as Phoebe
• Michael Rosenbaum as Eddie
• Anna Anissimova as Donna
• Craig Robinson as Jerry
• Rhoda Griffis as Penny Camp
• Jack McGee as Parole Officer
• Danny Comden as Matt James
• Marc Macaulay as Grocery Store Clerk
• Audra Marie as Businessman's Date
• Mary Elizabeth Cobb as Sheila
• Julia Lashae as Lily’s Mother

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 0% rating based on reviews from 16 critics, with an average rating of 3.82/10.^[3] On Metacritic the film has a score of 36% based on reviews from eight critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".^[4]

Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Comedies don't get much more unfunny than Father of Invention, a lame and somewhat preachy comic take on a father trying to get back into his daughter's good graces."^[5]