You Can Count on Me

R

Released Nov 10, 2000

1 hr. 49 min.

Drama

List

95%

105 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year old son. She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up in and working in a local bank. When her brother Terry visits he fits the void in the life of both her and her son. Temporarily free of the constraints of single motherhood she begins to break free of her normal routine. In a string of traumatic events Sammy is torn between helping her brother and her maternal instinct to protect her son from getting hurt.

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Critics Consensus

You Can Count On Me may look like it belongs on the small screen, but the movie surprises with its simple yet affecting story. Beautifully acted and crafted, the movie will simply draw you in.

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Mark D

One of the best movies of all time. Mark Ruffalo, Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin. Kenneth Lonergan writes and directs (and plays a cameo as the priest). Wonderful soundtrack and beautifully shot.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/17/23

Full Review

Ravenswood R

Solid, simple story. Minimal number of important characters, which gives them space to be fully formed, with the exception of the boy, whose emotional presence never changes and who observes everything, no matter what, with total preternatural acceptance and equanimity - which is not entirely believable. Enjoyable to watch. I did not find it somber it all, and I'm confused as to why that seems to be the general take. In fact, it is humorous and engaging. Ruffalo is the standout performer. Absorbing and entertaining all the way through.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/06/23

Full Review

Taylor L

When a Culkin brother shows up on screen, you can tell immediately that it's a Culkin brother. I'm not sure if Kenneth Lonnergan has ever had a sincerely happy day in his entire life, someone must be following him around and knocking the ice cream out of his hand every time he gets a cone. You Can Count on Me has got all the daily dreariness of a suburban sadness melodrama but all the family drama of a character-driven film with a sad childhood backstory, plus it gives us a pair of main characters who each express their frustrations with the supposedly idyllic land of SmallTown, USA in their own unique ways. Suffice to say, it's not a fun time for the most part. But the frequent disillusionment serves a purpose, it's all part of an ever-crashing wave of reality that is hitting our main characters, siblings Sammy and Terry (Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo), a wave that may cause them to stumble at times. But even if neither of them nor their relationship are perfect, they've got a deep bond that makes sure that they can hold each other up against the wave, even if it's just the idea of the other that's right there next to them. Perhaps it leans a bit too hard into tragedy or malaise, but the principles of sibling love are on solid footing and both Linney and Ruffalo sell their flawed, deep relationship. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Now this is storytelling and cinematic art at its best! The heartbreak and the hope...it throws you immediately into their world and never lets you go. Heavyweight top-shelf performances and directing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Thomas M

The best filmmaking debut ever from Kenneth Lonergan!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/22

Full Review

isla s

This is an easy watch, if a bit of a slow watch. It was interesting to see Mark Ruffalo in an early role. It reminded me of a film shown during the day on TV. There's not a great deal that goes on and its pretty predictable but I did find myself smirking at times. I think it mainly highlights that some adults don't act entirely like adults, that we're all flawed and most anyone can let us down in different ways, which is a little depressing. Its about the immaturity of adults but not in a raucous way. It wasn't entirely a negative film, there were some nice scenes but it certainly wasn't a memorable either. Its an ok film.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Kenneth Lonergan

Director

Laura Linney

Sammy Prescott

Mark Ruffalo

Terry Prescott

Rory Culkin

Rudy

Matthew Broderick

Brian

Jon Tenney

Bob

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You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Your Future at the Bank

1:33

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Goodbye, Uncle Terry

1:12

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Rudy Meets His Father

1:56

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - I F***ed My Boss

2:09

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - I Think You Should Leave

1:49

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Can I Ask You A Personal Question?

2:06

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Meeting Uncle Terry

2:12

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Serving Some Time

2:04

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Gavin Smith

Film Comment Magazine

Unusually sharp editing is the first hint that in fact it's a superior, acutely observed comedy-drama about family ties and the struggle to find a sense of purpose, even managing to work in some genuinely metaphysical intimations.

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Beautiful, compassionate, articulate.

Rated: A

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Few films have explored the complicated bonds of love and resentment between brother and sister with such delightful honesty.

Mar 31, 2008

Full Review

Eve Tushnet

Patheos

...what I especially loved was that this film lets its two main characters do genuinely awful, hurtful things, which don't even disrupt the siblings' mirrored self-righteousness...

Oct 23, 2020

Full Review

Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

The kind of film that often gets lost in the Hollywood shuffle, You Can Count On Me is marked by great writing... and utterly believable relationships between characters.

Jan 29, 2020

Full Review

Andrea Beach

Common Sense Media

Sweet family drama has profanity and mature themes.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 11, 2016

Full Review

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Synopsis

Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year old son. She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up in and working in a local bank. When her brother Terry visits he fits the void in the life of both her and her son. Temporarily free of the constraints of single motherhood she begins to break free of her normal routine. In a string of traumatic events Sammy is torn between helping her brother and her maternal instinct to protect her son from getting hurt.

Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Executive Producer: Steve Carlis, Donald C. Carter, Martin Scorsese, Morton Swinsky
Screenwriter: Kenneth Lonergan
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Hart Sharp Productions, Shooting Gallery, Crush Entertainment, Cappa Productions
Rating: R (Scene of Sexuality|Language|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.2M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby EX
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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