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You Can Count On Me

You Can Count On Me

2000
Drama
1h 51m
A lot happens at once to Sammy, a single mom living in the Catskill town of her birth, where her parents died in a car crash when she was small. Her son Rudy, who's 8, begins imagining his unseen father as a hero; she picks up, sort of, with last year's boyfriend; she gets a new boss who imposes foolish rules; and, her wayward brother Terry arrives for a visit after months of no communication... (imdb)

Directed by:

Kenneth Lonergan

Screenwriter:

Kenneth Lonergan

Starring:

Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick, Josh Lucas, Mark Ruffalo, Gaby Hoffmann, Jon Tenney, Rory Culkin, J. Smith-Cameron, Kenneth Lonergan, Amy Ryan, Halley Feiffer, Adam LeFevre

Genre:

Drama

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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You Can Count On Me

2000
Drama
1h 51m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 69.47% from 1039 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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doctor7doctor7
Rated 05 Dec 2008
84
81st
Excellent script with great characters and dialog. That's the real treasure of the movie and it knows it. I'll be honest and say the cinematography is quite basic but it works for the subject matter because it keeps you focused on the characters and the story, much like in Casablanca. It's an excellent character drama that's well worth seeing.
Rated 05 Dec 2008
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 25 Jan 2017
8
78th
On paper, I can't help but think every action, every line of dialogue must've come across as incredibly banal, but when seen performed by Linney, Ruffalo and Culkin - who are by the way amazing in this - all these little moments resonate with remarkable truth and honesty. The occasional hilarity of it all only makes the film all the more endearing. A solid debut well worth the watch.
Rated 25 Jan 2017
djrossdjross
Rated 05 Dec 2012
70
78th
Well-written and well-acted low-key drama about the importance of liking people for who they are.
Rated 05 Dec 2012
kmcneilKMcNeil
Rated 08 Feb 2010
9
94th
Breathtaking. Linney, Culkin and Ruffalo in particular are all in awesome form. A strong tale about family, growing pains, love, loss and forgiveness that covers familiar ground without falling into any clichéed pitfalls. "You need some kind of anchor", Sammy says at one point. "You Can Count On Me" at once echoes and dispels this notion dealing with flawed characters, who make less than perfect, but oh so very human, decisions. And allow me to repeat myself: Ruffalo is amazing.
Rated 08 Feb 2010
thesleepwalkthesleepwalk
Rated 02 Jan 2009
85
82nd
Subtle and realistic with little focus on huge moments or events. Refreshing.
Rated 02 Jan 2009
ihatemoviesIHateMovies
Rated 16 May 2008
95
87th
It's pretty much perfect from beginning to end. Everyone, from Linney down to Culkin and even extending to Lonergan himself, gives an excellent performance, and Lonergan's screenplay is so beautiful, so touching, so real, that I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It really is one of the best films I've ever seen.
Rated 16 May 2008
hellsditchhellsditch
Rated 08 Feb 2008
91
94th
Quiet, sweet, and unassuming. It could have easily been a run-of-the-mill, sappy mess. It's not. Great characters and a refreshingly un-Hollywood portrayal of a brother/sister relationship. Ruffalo creates a really memorable character in Terry, the...see...I was going to call him a "well-intentioned drifter" (I wouldn't have blamed you for rolling your eyes) but that's not accurate, nor would it do justice to Ruffalo's portrayal of him. You simply haven't seen a character quite like this before.
Rated 08 Feb 2008
ptonyptony
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
99th
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Simple story well told. A movie that breathes, that lets you in, doesn't force itself on you.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kasperlKasperL
Rated 13 Apr 2017
80
86th
I think 'Margaret' and 'Manchester by the Sea' are even better, but I absolutely love Linney's Oscar-nominated performance. She's on fire here. The Matthew Broderick stuff I could take or leave.
Rated 13 Apr 2017
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 08 Jan 2017
85
59th
Viewed January 7, 2017. The inability to change the past may seem terrifying, but it is also something of a comfort - it's set in stone, it is always there for you, and it's easy to fall back on old ways. With the power to change the future comes a responsibility that many people aren't ever ready to handle. You Can Count On Me is a beautiful movie about that predicament.
Rated 08 Jan 2017
sellissellis
Rated 26 Jan 2016
95
97th
This is a hybrid of Mike Leigh and Edward Yang made in America. Complex characters, lived-in performances. Certain scenes seem larger than life (the lunch scene right after Terry arrives in town), but balanced with the fragments (Sammy brushing her teeth before bed) that give us time to grow as people. Like many great films, this is about a place and fixed period of time - and the people occupying it. At once traumatic and life-affirming. This is growing to become one of my favorite films
Rated 26 Jan 2016
berretso4BerretSO4
Rated 11 May 2014
92
89th
More of driven character studies than plot-driven. This is a beautiful story that captures the peace of mind of a small town that enraptures a city man's brain. he finds himself wandering through the darkness inside himself and is confronted with clarity that can only be matched by the imperfections he brings to the table. Yet the protagonist seems to be more of a way of life than a person. Events challenge the characters to view themselves outside of time and anticipate their destinies.
Rated 11 May 2014
tinysausagetinysausage
Rated 26 Oct 2010
85
95th
Stunning family drama, perfectly acted. But the real star of the film is Anne McCabe, the editor. Each scene has an elliptical brevity, as if we've stumbled into an intimate moment and picked up just enough to understand what's happening. Wonderful.
Rated 26 Oct 2010
icarusIcarus
Rated 21 Dec 2009
94
95th
Love the use of non-diegetic music to bring various moods to the fore (mystery, sadness, and even comedy). Love that the film is not over-written, a common pitfall in the American indie scene. And love the editing--there are two or three cuts here that get me every time. The movie has staying power, as its gentle and wise dealing with family tension and the absolute necessity of trust makes it stand out from other family dramas. Excellent film.
Rated 21 Dec 2009
sveneriksvenerik
Rated 22 Oct 2009
99
97th
One of the most unforgettable, moving and poignant, well-written and beautifully acted film of the past 15 years. And usually I don't fall for this kind of family drama, but Linney and Ruffalo are utterly captivating and even Broderick is memorable.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
andaghandagh
Rated 27 Jun 2009
93
83rd
I love the way the characters interact with each other. They're flawed, redeemable, and human. Really well written.
Rated 27 Jun 2009
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 04 May 2009
71
69th
Escapes the artificiality of both Indie cliches and Hollywood pandering. What remains is something refreshingly sincere. I'd say the script (save the ending) is one of the best I've encountered from the 21st Century. I don't know why I don't love it - I like its imperfections; the thought that budget constraints influenced the casting; the technical simplicity. Moreover, I LIKE these characters. Lonergan should be very proud.
Rated 04 May 2009
jstryjstry
Rated 07 Feb 2008
99
99th
The first time I saw this movie, I wanted to immediately rewind it and watch it again. I still get that feeling when I watch it. The acting is great and the story gets me every time.
Rated 07 Feb 2008
3names3Names
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
64th
Just a wonderful, straight-forward story about people we all identify with. Great performances by all...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
brrrpbrrrp
Rated 19 Feb 2024
75
76th
Absolutely wonderful script, and Linney, Broderick and Ruffalo all knock it out of the park. The quirks of the film take time to make themselves known, but at that point it struck me just how funny it is (mostly Broderick). Unfortunately, the last act gets kind of overblown, potentially even gratingly sentimental, but this is still a very worthwhile watch.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
matthagenmatthagen
Rated 18 Aug 2023
73
88th
Seen: 2. Refreshing, realistic, and intimate, the cast knocks it out of the park and elevates this simple story.
Rated 18 Aug 2023
rapmastergrapmasterg
Rated 01 Apr 2023
75
73rd
Pretty vanilla, but well-acted with a few great conversations
Rated 01 Apr 2023
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 01 Apr 2022
81
65th
The trio of Linney, Ruffalo, & Culkin absolutely nail their characters, putting in rich and layered performances. The slice-of-life story is easily accessible; small towns can destroy your sense of wonder and it's hard to shake the imprint of tragedy. I love that we don't get a total resolution of all the issues, and that we get to see these people live and breathe realistically.
Rated 01 Apr 2022
badcosmonautBadCosmonaut
Rated 30 Aug 2021
8
94th
So many lines of dialogue probably sounded poorly written (or like childish/bad characterization) on paper but sounded great, natural, and sincere in the movie due to the performances of all the leads. I kept thinking this would have been straight up bad if the acting was even just average. If I were a film school teacher, I would use this as an example of how dialogue can be so much more (or so much less) than what's written on the page.
Rated 30 Aug 2021
amazedemonamazedemon
Rated 14 Feb 2021
64
51st
You Can Count On Me is a mostly grounded tale about family dynamics, driven by the character interactions, in which none of the characters are fundamentally changed by the end of the film. Linney, Ruffalo, Broderick & Culkin all deliver commendable performances. Nevertheless the pedestrian subject matter and quasi-religious small-town setting didn't do anything for me. Interesting theme of accepting people as they are, but the overplayed sad violin adds unnecessary melodrama a little too often.
Rated 14 Feb 2021
feublofeublo
Rated 27 Jan 2021
80
57th
Such a warm style that grows with it's characters. You get a feel for the small community and how much honesty reflects with its main characters and their relationships. Bundled with emotions, I enjoyed and recommend.
Rated 27 Jan 2021
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 09 Aug 2020
85
90th
It didn't really click with me until now, but Lonergan's scripts really have this unique indescribable rhythm to them. The cinematography also really helps to capture this particular strain of Americana. Nondescript and dull in a strangely beautiful way. You want to leave, but it feels painful when you do.
Rated 09 Aug 2020
yoshinarutoYoshinaruto
Rated 27 Jul 2020
70
71st
Overstays its welcome, but the script and performances balance it out to be a pretty enjoyable film.
Rated 27 Jul 2020
lintonmyroxylintonmyroxy
Rated 31 May 2020
83
42nd
Good for what it is but I'm not sure this was a story worth telling. Ruffalo is handsome now but he used to be a real cutie
Rated 31 May 2020
doyler29doyler29
Rated 10 Nov 2019
90
87th
Kenneth Lonergan's directorial debut is a low key character piece featuring extremely strong lead performances and really sharp writing. It's refreshingly low key, relying more on the interactions of the sharply drawn characters than on plot machinations.
Rated 10 Nov 2019
snufkin88Snufkin88
Rated 27 May 2019
71
38th
You could do a lot worse than this quaint little indie drama about a single mum and her runaway brother momentarily filling the shoes of the vacant Father. Its written with a lot of heart and finds a perfect balance between light-hearted humour and the more serious subject matters at play here. Exquisite acting all round. Soundtrack can get irksome, someone got carried away with the strings.
Rated 27 May 2019
truekinotruekino
Rated 11 Apr 2019
7
0th
Sometimes hokey, but always honest. Each core character brings a subdued pathos that speaks to the prolonged wrestlings of the human heart.
Rated 11 Apr 2019
majid1989majid1989
Rated 11 Dec 2017
75
53rd
فروپاشی زن و عدم قدرت در انتخاب کردن
Rated 11 Dec 2017
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 23 May 2017
80
80th
I really like how Lonergan keeps the plot going where the characters would take it, he keeps true to their flaws and doesn't force the plot in "nicer" directions.
Rated 23 May 2017
blakeengelBlakeEngel
Rated 27 Nov 2016
8
42nd
On review, Mark Ruffalo's character sometimes feels like a male "Manic-Pixie Dream Girl". Lonergan counteracts this by showing his character making brash, dangerous decisions. This movie feels of a kind with is others: more a collection of moments than sweeping arcs of change and learning. The result is a work that really feels like life, where the pieces don't always line up and the lessons not always revealed. This perspective feels beautiful and insightful.
Rated 27 Nov 2016
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 10 Nov 2015
4
55th
"everything'll be alright.... comparatively."
Rated 10 Nov 2015
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 28 May 2015
65
63rd
(Rewatch) I can totally understand why i initially mistook this for sentimental Lifetime Network/Sundance Audience Award uplift, and superficially at least it does nearly fall into that category, but Lonergan manages to completely elevate the material beyond that. It's a small, understated achievement compared to the sprawling ambition of Margaret, but one needs only compare this to, say, the condescending hack pseudo-humanism of David O. Russell to appreciate what Lonergan gets right here.
Rated 28 May 2015
glm01glm01
Rated 23 Mar 2014
87
91st
86.500
Rated 23 Mar 2014
rufamRufam
Rated 18 Nov 2013
75
72nd
A small-scale, but sweet and effective character drama. Linney and Ruffalo are both lovely -they create convincing, relatable characters while Lonergan's script honestly portrays some often painful true-to-life situations. And although the film didn't have a devastating emotional impact on me (well, not until the heart-breaking final scene, that is), it was still worthwhile for its refreshing realism, good nature and sobriety.
Rated 18 Nov 2013
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 10 Jun 2013
80
69th
Pretty amazing acting. Writing and direction is perfectly competent, but it's mostly in the acting.
Rated 10 Jun 2013
cclzaCCLZA
Rated 07 Dec 2012
80
77th
Poignant and acute take on life. The acting is uniformly sensational.
Rated 07 Dec 2012
glmglm
Rated 25 Jun 2012
88
87th
87.750
Rated 25 Jun 2012
damildamil
Rated 24 Jan 2012
70
67th
It has a pretty cheesy-sounding title, but this is a pretty solid, realistic-feeling film. It's reasonably simplistic (plot-wise, at least) and kinda typical of the films that came out in the late 90s and early 2000s, but I enjoyed it. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo both gave fantastic and believable performances. I think it'd please most people who like Oscar-winning-like films.
Rated 24 Jan 2012
sirrobbieSirRobbie
Rated 09 Apr 2011
80
81st
One of those "Little-Big" movies. Loved it!
Rated 09 Apr 2011
simpliciosimplicio
Rated 08 Mar 2011
91
93rd
Lonergan crafts a quiet gem, beginning with a script that skirts the standard melodrama of family trauma by dealing in rubble rather than explosions. He's got the cast to make it work, picking up brilliant performances from everyone, and lacing it through with off-kilter humor that feels true to the small town experience without being insincere. Sammy and Terry are just so well drawn, prickly and needy and full of misplaced love and tension, and their history bleeds through unmentioned.
Rated 08 Mar 2011
tenhastenhas
Rated 12 Oct 2010
86
85th
linney and ruffalo's performances are remarkable and also script almost perfect
Rated 12 Oct 2010
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 25 Sep 2010
70
79th
A good script and some great performances make this one of the better mainstream movies from 2000.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
filmdotfilmdot
Rated 03 May 2010
88
69th
The script is very great and Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo are fantastic. A beautiful film.
Rated 03 May 2010
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 22 Apr 2010
85
90th
If I remember correctly this is a very good film with excellent performances from Ruffalo and Linney.
Rated 22 Apr 2010
citizenxCitizenX
Rated 24 Nov 2009
70
80th
nice characters and mark ruffalo's and rory culkin's performances are great
Rated 24 Nov 2009
sandyrSandyR
Rated 29 Sep 2009
70
20th
depressing without redemption
Rated 29 Sep 2009
venom256venom256
Rated 12 Jul 2009
65
33rd
Just a bit empty. Fairly interesting all the way through but it just never really goes anywhere for me.
Rated 12 Jul 2009
unclesausageunclesausage
Rated 02 Jun 2009
83
79th
Today's hallucination had the texture of "movie"
Rated 02 Jun 2009
drewlephantDrewlephant
Rated 23 Dec 2008
91
91st
Heartbreakingly beautiful, downplayed, therapeutic movie. American cinema at some of its finest. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo are stunning.
Rated 23 Dec 2008
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 19 Dec 2008
83
93rd
Nice
Rated 19 Dec 2008
lemonadkinslemonadkins
Rated 19 Aug 2008
88
77th
touching movie about sibling relationship
Rated 19 Aug 2008
yilbyilb
Rated 08 Mar 2008
60
58th
A surprisingly engaging micro-drama that has an everyday feel & seems to be about characters only sort of making transformations. Rather bleak & depressing.
Rated 08 Mar 2008
kamrankamran
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
96th
Pretty much solid on all counts. Stellar cast, wonderful writing, absorbing story. What more can you ask for?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
evranaevrana
Rated 14 Jul 2007
51
15th
A small town, a small story. Mostly inconsequential. Ruffalo's and the "other" Culkin's acting was the strong point of the movie. It also had a very weird soundtrack.
Rated 14 Jul 2007
stainStain
Rated 30 Mar 2007
60
47th
What's the big deal about this film?
Rated 30 Mar 2007
mlightle3mlightle3
Rated 09 Feb 2007
100
98th
A shining example of a truly independent film. Simple plot, phenomenal performances, especially by Mark Ruffalo. Great scenes that spin you around and make you question yourself. A cinematic gem from start to finish.
Rated 09 Feb 2007

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