In this dark comedy-drama, Trip (Nathan Anderson) walks into the kitchen of his parents' house to discover his mother (Gathering Marbet) is lying on the floor, stabbed to death. His father (Jack Wallace), meanwhile, is relaxing in the living room, waiting for his buddies to show up for their weekly poker game. It doesn't take Trip very long to figure out that Dad killed Mom, presumably over her usual objections to his playing cards with the boys. Trip, however, isn't quite so blasé as his father about this incident, and as the game gets under way, he begins asking questions of his father and dropping hints to the guests in hopes that someone will catch on to what Dad has done. Jacks or Better, the debut feature from writer and director Robert Sidney Mellette, had its world premiere at the 2000 Dances With Films independent film festival.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
