I probably don't need to explain to anyone what a "tell" is in poker, but I'm going to anyway because it's in keeping with the didactic nature of "Lucky You." A tell is when a poker player makes a gesture that lets others know what kind of cards he's holding. In other words, if two players are going head-to-head at the poker table, and every time one player thinks he's holding the best hand he then urinates all over himself, that would be a tell.

The title of "Lucky You" is much like a player wetting himself as it so precisely indicates what kind of cards this film is holding. I knew that Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) would realize the real luck in his life stemmed not from poker, but from his new relationship with Billie (Drew Barrymore) and his Oprahesque discovery of inner peace. If there's chemistry between Bana and Barrymore, I didn't see it, though it was a handy coincidence that Billie, a poker novice, showed up so that Huck could explain the rules of Texas Hold'em to her. I just love moments in movies that resemble instructional videos.

"Playing tight" describes a player who doesn't take many risks. This describes Huck's approach to life, but not his aggressive approach to poker. "Lucky You" begins to feel like a fifth-grade play after the umpteenth time that Billie and Huck have an argument in which poker terminology is utilized to illuminate Huck's various personality flaws. The ending of their character arc is particularly unfortunate as they both manage to revisit and regurgitate every poker cliché that's been used over the past two hours in what amounts to a violent, unpleasant belch of dialogue that's nothing more than a pointless rehash to make sure that anyone in the bathroom during the denouement will get caught up. Hell, why not just put a scrolling text bar underneath the screen so nobody gets lost?

The plot revolves around Huck trying to play in the World Series of Poker. Mostly, we get to watch his gambling compulsion do battle with his compulsion for Billie. Also in play is Huck's relationship with his father, L.C. (Robert Duvall), who's a much more successful poker player. L.C. walked out on Huck and his mother long ago, so there's a lot of emotion wrapped up in their every confrontation. L.C. wants to work past it while Huck wants to hold on to his anger.

Eventually, predictably, Huck lets go. I, on the other hand, will be dealing with my anger toward this film for the foreseeable future.