You Can Count on Me (2000)

A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely-seen younger brother returns to town.

Director:

Kenneth Lonergan

Writer:

Kenneth Lonergan

Stars:

Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 37 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laura Linney	...	Samantha 'Sammy' Prescott
Mark Ruffalo	...	Terry Prescott
Matthew Broderick	...	Brian Everett
Rory Culkin	...	Rudy Prescott
Jon Tenney	...	Bob Steegerson
J. Smith-Cameron	...	Mabel
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Sheila
Amy Ryan	...	Rachel Louise Prescott
Michael Countryman	...	Thomas Gerard Prescott
Adam LeFevre	...	Sheriff Darryl
Halley Feiffer	...	Amy
Whitney Vance	...	Young Sammy Prescott
Peter Kerwin	...	Young Terry Prescott
Betsy Aidem	...	Minister
Lisa Altomare	...	Waitress

Storyline

Adult siblings Sammy Prescott and Terry Prescott have had a special bond with each other since they were kids when their parents were tragically killed in a car accident. That bond is why single mom Sammy, who still lives in the family home in Scottsville, upstate New York with her eight year old son Rudy, is excited to hear that Terry, who she has not seen or heard from in a while, is coming home for a visit. That excitement is dampened slightly upon Terry's arrival, when she learns that he, broke, is only there to borrow money. As adults, Sammy, who works as a lending officer in the local bank, is seen as the responsible sibling, while unfocused Terry is seen as the irresponsible drifter. Regardless, Sammy welcomes what ends up being Terry's longer than planned visit if only so that he can help take care of Rudy, who has no adult male figure in his life. Rudy has never known his deadbeat biological father, with who Sammy wants nothing to do. As Terry - acting as the supposed adult ...

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Plot Keywords:

single mother | pancake | pool table | cemetery | orphan | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some drug use and a scene of sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 2000 (Slovenia)

Also Known As:

Puedes contar conmigo

Filming Locations:

Margaretville, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£63,848 (UK) (30 March 2001)

Gross:

$9,180,275 (USA) (8 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hart-Sharp Entertainment, Cappa Production, Crush Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Matthew Broderick, a friend of writer/director Kenneth Lonergan's, was the first actor cast in this movie. He visited Lonergan at his apartment, read the part of Brian and asked if he could audition for it. Lonergan then told him the part was already his.

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Goofs

The film is set in Scottsville, New York, which is in the far west of the state, south of Rochester. However, a sign is seen for NY Rt28, which does not run anywhere near Scottsville. This is because the film was shot in and around Phonecia, New York, through which NY Rt28 runs.

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Quotes

Sammy: So, how was school today?
Rudy: Stupid.

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Crazy Credits

Jeffrey Sharp would like to dedicate his work on this film to his mother, Virginia Sharp Albright, with love and admiration.

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Connections

Featured in You Can Count on Me: A Look Inside (2001)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Still In Love With You"
Written by Steve Earle
Performed by Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band with Iris DeMent
Courtesy of South Nashville Music / WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
And E-Squared, LLC.

User Reviews

You Don't Need a Crisis for a Great Movie

Not all stories need a crisis for the characters to resolve or an issue to press to be compelling. Some stories are just slices of our workaday worlds, packaged and presented in such a way as to entertain us. "You Can Count on Me" is one such story, and its cinematic telling results in one of the best movies of 2000.

The story's protagonists are two siblings, Sammy (Laura Linney), a divorced, single mom living the middle-class life in her small up-state New York hometown, and Terry, her foot-loose, presumed screw-up, brother. Apparently, he rarely visits, but when he does its because he wants something, usually money. "You Can Count on Me" recounts one such visit. That's about it plot-wise. But the movie looks deeper into their lives; Terry's impact on Sammy's 8-year old son, Sammy's relationship with her old boyfriend, and her new boss, Terry and Sammy and their differing expectations of one another.

I hope this doesn't sound boring, because it's not. The movie illustrates these lives and relationships without Freudian analysis or angst. Things are what they are, and it's a treat to share them.