When faced with an insurmountable challenge, it’s easy to feel alone. In writer-director Thor Moreno’s feature film, When Jack Came Back, a down-on-his-luck actor must put his life on pause to care for his ailing mother.
Jack Davis (Mike Markoff) is a B-list actor who’s barely holding onto that status. He is out of the spotlight, and his Q-rating is plummeting — along with his attitude in general. Jack needs some luck before his agent, and girlfriend, drops him. Just as Jack’s fortune begins to turn, he gets a call that his father, Barry (Lance Henriksen), passed away, and Jack needs to return to the family farm and attend to his mother, Nancy (Lindsay Wagner).
The family reunion is a chilly one. Jack has not seen his parents since becoming famous in Hollywood. Nancy never forgave him for leaving. Either way, once he’s taken care of family business, Jack has a role waiting for him that he desperately needs to take. Of course, there are complications as Jack discovers that Nancy has Alzheimer’s Disease. Barry had been taking care of her with the help of their part-time caregiver, Debbie (Emily Ann Kincaid) and the stress probably led to his heart attack. So now Jack must decide between his career and his family.
“…there are complications as Jack discovers that Nancy has Alzheimer’s Disease.”
When Jack Came Back is a touching tale of a family coping with the degenerative disease of Alzheimer’s. The narrative is a bit too on the nose regarding Jack’s dilemma with his Hollywood career and responsibilities as a son. However, Moreno’s story is much more about bringing awareness to adult children’s struggle with caring for their parents.
Lindsay Wagner gives a fantastic performance as Nancy. She’s still got chops and elevates the performances of her co-stars, particularly lead Mike Markoff as Jack. Nancy needs constant supervision. She forgets to turn off the water for her bath and the stove in the kitchen. The final breaking point comes when Nancy almost burns down the barn.
Jack is now faced with trying to jumpstart his career while caring for or trying to find care for his mother. The task is a full-time job, and Markoff becomes the face of those facing a challenge that no one ever asked for. The battle for Jack becomes impossible dealing with family, work, and even the government.
A Lindsey Wagner performance should be enough to see When Jack Came Back. Moreno’s story is for anyone with family members dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease. The message is simple: you’re not alone.
For more information, visit the When Jack Came Back Facebook page.
"…a touching tale..."
