You Can Count On Me
Released 2000
Stars Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin, Matthew Broderick
Directed by Kenneth Lonergan
You Can Count On Me is a seemingly simple family drama that turns out not to be so simple. The film opens with a short sequence in 1982 that shows two young children attending the funeral of their parents, who were killed in a car accident. Fast forward 18 years. Sammy (Laura Linney) is now a single mother, trying to cope with raising a precocious 8-year old, Rudy (Rory Culkin), and holding down her job at the local bank. Brian (Matthew Broderick), the new manager, has come aboard with Gestapo-like tactics that are driving Sammy crazy. (At one point, after declaring that each employee shall fill out a time sheet every day and being reminded that such a procedure will generate a lot of paper work, he states, "I like paper work," which pretty much sums up his personality.) Out of the blue, Sammy's brother, Terry (Mark Ruffalo), decides to visit his sister. She is overjoyed, but he has an ulterior motive for coming home - he needs money. And his arrival in the small upstate New York town where he grew up causes a few minor waves.
Summary by James Berardinelli
I love the way Lonergan shows his characters in flow, pressed this way and that by emotional tides and practical considerations. This is not a movie about people solving things. This is a movie about people living day to day with their plans, fears and desires. It's rare to get a good movie about the touchy adult relationship of a sister and brother. Rarer still for the director to be more fascinated by the process than the outcome. This is one of the best movies of the year.
Summary by Roger Ebert
I agree this is one of the best movies of 2000. The writing, directing, dialogue, and beautifully nuanced performances were all outstanding. Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan avoided the easy paths and created a movie that knows people. As interesting as all the characters were, my favorite was Terry (Mark Ruffalo). He was maddening and immature, but I learned something through his character. I've never quite understood drifters like him, because I don't understand why they don't want to settle down, have a family, get a house, and have some security. Those were my choices, and it's difficult to imagine making different ones. Watching Terry, however, I could actually feel it. His restlessness affected me, and I thought about how rewarding it might be to take different blue-collar jobs throughout the country. Work the salmon in Alaska for a while, then work construction in Florida, etc. I could feel the appeal of bopping around and enjoying a variety of outdoor jobs, being free to move on at any time, no responsibility, and the freedom to avoid the mind-numbing daily grind. Of course, living for today comes at several costs, but for once I could see its appeal.
The supporting character of the bank manager, Brian (Matthew Broderick), had me in stitches. He was the epitome of the ambitious, small-minded, soulless manager. Throughout my career, I've had many managers, and they've been pretty evenly split between good and horrible. This character cracked me up with his petty little attempts to control everyone. Like demanding his employees to use a more conservative palette for their PC colors, and making everyone turn in timecards daily because he likes paperwork. My current (horrendous) manager asked me just the other day when music became allowable at work and highly suggested I not listen to it. Yeah, well, they allowed it about five years ago, so eat me. These things are just attempts to crush your spirit and exert some modicum of power. It's ridiculous. Anyone could see Brian's policies were destroying morale in the bank and were counter-productive, but they made him feel powerful and useful. It was typical manager bullshit, and this role was great revenge on such losers.
The main character of Sammy (Laura Linney) was interesting, because she was so real. She had many good and bad qualities, and I liked the way she made all the wrong choices in her love life as she searched for the same thing that eluded her brother. She was definitely a complicated character, and Laura Linney deserved her Oscar nomination for fleshing her out. The other performance to note was Rory Culkin in the understated role of Rudy. It wasn't a cutesy or manipulative role, and Rory exuded that Culkin charm and ease. All in all, Kenneth Lonergan should be praised for an outstanding effort. --Bill Alward, December 15, 2001
P.S. I need to mention the smoking. From all of the solitary shots of someone puffing a cigarette or a joint, it sure looked like a lot of fun. It made me want to start, and I can't wait! I'm gonna run out and buy a carton today!!