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You Can Count on Me

  • 2000
  • R
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
32K
YOUR RATING
Laura Linney in You Can Count on Me (2000)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer2:26
2 Videos
53 Photos
Drama

A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely seen younger brother returns to town.A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely seen younger brother returns to town.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
    • Matthew Broderick
    • Amy Ryan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    32K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kenneth Lonergan
    • Writer
      • Kenneth Lonergan
    • Stars
      • Laura Linney
      • Matthew Broderick
      • Amy Ryan
    • 251User reviews
    • 50Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 30 wins & 43 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Official Trailer
    What Roles Has Mark Ruffalo Been Considered For?
    Clip 3:07
    What Roles Has Mark Ruffalo Been Considered For?
    What Roles Has Mark Ruffalo Been Considered For?
    Clip 3:07
    What Roles Has Mark Ruffalo Been Considered For?

    Photos53

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    + 47
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    Top cast23

    Edit
    Laura Linney
    Laura Linney
    • Sammy
    Matthew Broderick
    Matthew Broderick
    • Brian
    Amy Ryan
    Amy Ryan
    • Mrs. Prescott
    Michael Countryman
    Michael Countryman
    • Mr. Prescott
    Adam LeFevre
    Adam LeFevre
    • Sheriff Darryl
    Halley Feiffer
    Halley Feiffer
    • Amy
    Whitney Vance
    • Young Sammy
    Peter Kerwin
    • Young Terry
    Betsy Aidem
    Betsy Aidem
    • Minister
    Rory Culkin
    Rory Culkin
    • Rudy
    J. Smith-Cameron
    J. Smith-Cameron
    • Mabel
    Jon Tenney
    Jon Tenney
    • Bob
    Gaby Hoffmann
    Gaby Hoffmann
    • Sheila
    Mark Ruffalo
    Mark Ruffalo
    • Terry
    Lisa Altomare
    • Waitress
    Kenneth Lonergan
    Kenneth Lonergan
    • Ron
    Nina Garbiras
    Nina Garbiras
    • Nancy
    Richard Hummer
    • Plumber
    • Director
      • Kenneth Lonergan
    • Writer
      • Kenneth Lonergan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews251

    7.532.2K
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    Featured reviews

    Jexxon

    See this film.

    I almost didn't know anything about this film, but when it came out on DVD, a lot of critics recommended it, so I checked it out. And - wow! A real little gem of a movie that perfectly blends drama and comedy.

    The story may be slight (to say the least), it's basically just a couple of days in the life of a sister and her brother, and the people around them in a small town. No real beginning, and no real end, but a fantastic, original script, and some really great acting. Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney (she gives one of the best performances I've ever seen on film) are both extremely likable despite their characters' flaws, and it fun to see Matthew Broderick in a different kind of role for him.

    A film about ordinary people, living ordinary lives, all done in a near flawless way. Great script, direction, and acting - that's something you don't see every day, so make sure you see this one.
    10NormanThePig

    A Beautiful Film

    Originally written as a one-act (which manifests itself as the eventual meeting of Terry and Sammy in the restaurant) by stage veteran Kenneth Lonergan, 'You Can Count on Me' is an amazingly realistic look at the filial dynamic and relationships that come from the breaking and separation of family.

    Split from their parents at an early age, Sammy and Terry, the older and younger, respectively, are forced to rely on one another throughout their youths until Terry vanishes, travelling across the nation for a long time.

    When he finally returns, Terry finds that Sammy has built a somewhat stable life for herself in their beautifully provincial Appalachian hometown with her single-mom life and her adorable son, Rudy.

    'You Can Count on Me' boasts honest, believable dialogue and acting in like kind. Laura Linney's performance as the somewhat-restrained Sammy is easily her best, and Mark Ruffalo's as Terry is also highly evolved. The beauty of this film is that there are literally hundreds of places for the plot or action to derail and become an emotional sap-fest ripe with over-dramatic exclamations, but it stays right on track, always honest, brutal, and, ultimately, endearing.

    Lonergan has hit a kind of gold mine here. Fans of his hugely successful 'This Is Our Youth' will recognize his work here, as 'You Can Count on Me' is obviously kith and kin to it.

    Do not expect breath-taking special effects. Do not expect dramatic exlcamations or exposition. Do not expect the typical or mundane. This film is extraordinarily truthful in its telling of the boundaries we build for ourselves and the ones we love.
    redoubtable

    A Rorschach Test of a Movie

    A quick glimpse at others' comments here confirms what I suspected when I finally caught this flick on video myself -- it is something of a Rorschach test for viewers. I notice that there are people who absolutely identify with Laura Linney's character, Sammy, and others who completely see the film from the point of view of Mark Ruffalo's character, Terry. I think this is a sign of a good film. I myself was prepared to dislike Terry because he seemed such an obvious mess, but the film allows him his own point of view that you come to respect. And I am not a religious person at all -- in fact, I have major issues with organized religion -- but I was impressed with the even-handed, sympathetic treatment of religion here, and also of small-town life -- both very rare in American movies. The cast is uniformly good -- in addition to everybody mentioned in others' comments here, I'd single out Jon Tenney as Sammy's well-meaning, on-again off-again boyfriend -- but Linney was simply phenomenal. See this, if only to see how *you* react to it.
    Take 1

    A pleasure to watch!

    How could anyone call this film the worst they've seen in years? The acting wooden, the characters uninteresting???? "You can count on me" is storytelling at its finest. It should've won best screenplay because Lonergan's writing and directing is pure, honest and engaging. Ruffalo's acting was superb as was Linney's. Definitely a pleasure to watch.
    10almaier

    A breath of fresh air

    It's like a breath of fresh air to see a drama driven by characters rather than by a typical Hollywood plot. If this were any other drama, someone would get cancer, the little boy would go missing, the stars would look like supermodels, and the characters would talk with a screenwriter's emotional phrase. Here, the characters think, act and talk like real people. They could be us. That's the genius of this movie. If you want fantasy, don't see this film. If you want to be touched by great acting and a wonderful plot that shows the complexities of human relationship, see this film. This isn't Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias or One True Thing. This is real.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kenneth Lonergan plays Minister Ron in two major scenes counseling Terry at Sammy's house, and then counseling Sammy in his office. Since Lonergan had a lot of dialogue in those two scenes, he turned over the directing to Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, respectively.
    • Goofs
      The pancakes on the son's dish skip around from side to side in each shot as he and his mom are talking.
    • Quotes

      Terry: Put on your seat belt.

      Rudy: It pushes on my neck.

      Terry: What?

      Rudy: It pushes on my neck, it's uncomfortable.

      Terry: Well, when someone slams into us and you go sailing through the windshield, that's liable to be uncomfortable, too. Now, put on a seat belt.

    • Crazy credits
      Jeffrey Sharp would like to dedicate his work on this film to his mother, Virginia Sharp Albright, with love and admiration.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Beach/Snow Day/Holy Smoke (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben
      from St. Matthew Passion

      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

      Performed by Rheinische Kantorei (Choir) and Das Kleine Konzert (Orchestra)

      Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH, Hamburg

      Under License from Universal Music Special Markets

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 2000 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Puedes contar conmigo
    • Filming locations
      • Margaretville, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Hart Sharp Entertainment
      • Cappa Production
      • Crush Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,416,804
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $118,170
      • Nov 12, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,242,521
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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