You Can Count on Me | | Cast : | Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick | | Director : | Kenneth Lonergan | | Studio : | Paramount Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | January 01, 2000 | | DVD Released Date : | August 19, 2003 | | Language : | English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 06, 2005 | | Summary | Mark Ruffalo Emerges as a Great Actor | Content
 | One of the most compelling events of the release of Kenneth Lonergan's You Can Count On Me is that it gave visibility to Mark Ruffalo who plays a troubled young man who, unable to deal with the childhood trauma of having lost his parents to a car crash, lives of life of unattached agony and isolation. He's a loner and a drifter, medicating his self-pity with pot and short-lived relationships. His sister Sammy, played wonderfully by Laura Linney, reacts to the same tragedy by being, in many ways, an overresponsible overcontrolling super mom. Two opposite reactions to the same tragedy of course result in a sibling clash. This film shows with great complexity and biting comic insight, the attempt of this brother and sister to shed their defense mechanisms and most importantly reconnect with one another. The ride is never easy in this film. No easy answers are given. Just as important, this film, which deals with the pain of loss, never descends into the maudlin Hallmark movie sap that other films would. Balancing edgy humor and profound psychological insight, Lonergan has written and directed a tale that captures the layers upon layers of psychological complexity that accompany the trauma of loss. Amazingly, he does it in a fast-paced film with scenes that are by turns comic and dramatic. Matthew Broderick, for example, plays a hilarious role of Sammy's neurotic anal-retentive boss at the bank. The conflict between him and Sammy leads to a plot point that I'll let you discover in the film.
But most of all, this film shines because Mark Ruffalo plays such an endearing, sympathetic, sometimes infuriating character. You won't forget him. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 07, 2005 | | Summary | Did some one say watch it twice? | Content
| I saw it on cable, part of it. Next weekend rented it to watch it on its entirety. Two days later bought it, and have seen 4 times since... I can't imagine I never came to know about this film... May be I am a little biased but having witnessed first hand account of someone being so close to the character of Terry in the movie, I must say that director-writer Lonergen has great insight of his characters. Splendid piece of artwork.I rate it A++ (too bad they dont have the scale).
By the way, my favorite scene is the lunch one..."haute cuisine of garments..." ... awesome dialogue.
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| Rating | | | Date | February 04, 2005 | | Summary | Horrible title, great picture | Content
| Every year hundreds of films are made, from low budget to blockbuster and everywhere in between. The big budgets go to secure star power, special effects wizardry, lots of advertising, and top talent behind the scenes, in the hopes that many will get rich(er) by using the various formulae used by Hollywood to gauge audience appeal. Usually the big budget flicks rake in multiple millions every week and the less moneyed projects get lost in the shuffle.
And then occasionally, against all odds, a small film like this sneaks through. Oh sure, good connections help (Martin Scorsese as executive producer), and having a name in a supporting role (Matthew Broderick) is helpful as well, but it's truly a delight to see unknown and little-known performers, directors, writers, etc., triumph against those odds and create something of lasting beauty, a truly magic moment in movie history that makes the viewer feel warm without being sappy, laugh without jokes, and care about the characters without unfair manipulation.
"You Can Count On Me" is one of those rare few. You might compare it to "Tender Mercies" in its themes of family, faith, freedom, and frustration. From the first scene of the film, when a wife comments to her husband, "Why do they put braces on girls right at the exact moment when they're most self-conscious about their appearance?" to the final scene when Sammy rolls down the window of her car (a gesture that carries significance), there's not a predictable moment nor a wasted one. From the lead roles down to the smallest one-scene appearance, writer/director Kenneth Lonergan, whose only previous screen credit had been "story by" for "Analyze This," brings out the most incredible performances imaginable, including an 8-year-old named Rory Culkin (yep, Macaulay's youngest brother) who is clever but a real kid, not overplayed, overused, or over-cuted. In fact, I don't recall a single moment where you'll "catch the actors acting," it plays so authentically. The sophisticated viewer will even note how wonderful the editing is.
If only someone had come up with a better title. "You Can Count On Me" sounds like the name of a Lifetime movie of the week, as if it were some cloying chick flick goofball romantic comedy. Instead it's a deep, mature film with heart, dealing with some tough life issues with a real love for its characters.
It made the NY Times list of "1000 best movies ever made." It's one of the best films I've ever seen, and I've seen almost 300 of the films on that list. If you pass up a chance to see this film, you should hate yourself in the morning. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 18, 2004 | | Summary | Poignant film about an intricate brother-sister relationship | Content
| This has become one of my favorite movies because of its realistic and honest portrayal of family life. In fact, it masterfully describes all kinds of relationships, their intricacies, and the ambiguosities that are often involved. Mark Ruffalo is especially memorable, delivering an entertaining, sweet performance, and he'll probably remind you of someone you know. All around, a great cast. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 07, 2004 | | Summary | Ties between Brother and Sister, Beautifully Executed | Content
| Kenneth Lonergan's script is so poignantly observant that I couldn't help but be impressed by this relatively quiet drama, one that focuses on a mostly overlooked relationship in movies, the delicate connection between brother and sister during their adult years. The story begins abruptly with the auto accident deaths of the main characters' parents, a life-altering incident that serves as the catalyst for all the failures both children experience later in their lives. Of course, the siblings become a study in contrasts. The brother Terry is a drifting ne'er-do-well who refuses to be entangled in anything resembling responsibility since it means he needs to make an emotional investment. His sister Sammy is the polar opposite, a controlling perfectionist who stayed on in their hometown to make an orderly life for herself and her son. It's the only means she knows to insulate them from complications that would force her to question her existence. She holds down a respectable but dull job as a lending officer at a bank, keeps a well-intentioned suitor at arm's length and continues to hope for a male role model for her lonely son. When Terry comes to town for a visit, the fulcrum of emotions felt by both characters seems so real that it makes the episodic nature of the film seem all the more cohesive and touching. It's a remarkable achievement for Lonergan, who makes his feature film directorial debut with this film. He even plays a small role as the deadpan local minister who seems to be satisfied dispensing advice in a vacuum.
The acting by the leads is superb. In his first major role, Mark Ruffalo captures the ramshackle nature of Terry with an effective mix of child-like innocence and restless bravado. Ruffalo provides heart to a basically unsympathetic character without compromising the emotional inertia that drains everyone around him. But I have to hand the picture to Laura Linney, who is letter perfect as Sammy. Her porcelain looks and pinched demeanor provide a veneer for an emotionally fragile woman who is conflicted about not only her brother but her entire existence as she starts to feel it unravel. The scenes between these two actors are consistently wonderful. Best among them are the lunch scene where her excitement in seeing him quickly turns to disappointment when she realizes the true purpose of his visit; the amusing pot-smoking scene on the porch when she confesses the adulterous affair she's having with her boss; and the heartbreaking goodbye when she realizes how much she needs him in her life regardless of the pain he inflicts. Rory Culkin plays Sammy's son Rudy with quiet maturity, and the interplay between Culkin and Ruffalo is well handled as it becomes apparent that the death of Terry's parents has actually made him the same emotional age as Rudy. In a supporting role, Matthew Broderick plays Sammy's boss with the smarmy, honey-toned pretension at which he has become a master, and he is the impetus behind the hilarious scenes at the bank, which take on a Dilbert-esque flavor with pinpoint accuracy. Twangy country songs provide a comic counterpoint to the illicit scenes between him and Sammy.
I really like this film and look forward to seeing what Lonergan will do next. The DVD includes a short documentary, which includes interviews with Lonergan, Linney and Ruffalo. Strongly recommended especially for those who have danced precipitously between love and anger with their families. |
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