‎You Can Count on Me (2000) directed by Kenneth Lonergan • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

You Can Count on Me

2000 Directed by Kenneth Lonergan

Family first. Love always.

A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely-seen younger brother returns to town.

Laura Linney Mark Ruffalo Matthew Broderick Jon Tenney Rory Culkin Halley Feiffer J. Smith-Cameron Josh Lucas Gaby Hoffmann Amy Ryan Adam LeFevre Kenneth Lonergan Nina Garbiras Kim Parker Michael Countryman Whitney Vance Peter Kerwin Betsy Aidem Lisa Altomare Richard Hummer Allan Gill Brian Ramage

111 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by josh lewis ★★★★ 1

lonergan's always been especially good at finding emotional truth/clarity in the smallest of moments but there's a brief moment here where ruffalo's character terry, finally returning home after years of estrangement from his hometown, observes the local cemetery (where his parents are buried) just before the local town sign on his bus ride in that so simplistically yet vividly captures the fear of dying in a small town (also see: insignificance, laced with pity & regret) that i had to pause right there and take a break... i know the feeling too well because i've literally lived out this scene--my bus drives right by my grandparents grave anytime im forced to return to my hometown

movies am i right
Review by Brendan Michaels ★★★★★

This film looks and sounds like a stereotypical, sappy film that will try and pull your heartstrings. But only one man can make this film a heartfelt, genuine piece of cinema. That man is Kenneth Lonergan. Kenny is a filmmaker that tells the truth. He knows this life, he knows these people, he knows how to be genuine with his films. He makes films to tell the stories of people with baggage. Real people. People you would meet in real life. Ordinary people.
Review by kevinyang ★★★★ 3

Astounding lead performances and a huge wallop of an ending. This is Mark Ruffalo's best performance and I don't know if he'll ever top it.
Review by Nuno Costa ★★★★½ 2

Viewed on DVD

You Can Count On Me was released 14 years ago. Regardless of the amount of praise a film receives at the time of it's release it can still be forgotten.
Especially a small film like this one.
I'm here to introduce or reintroduce to you the Oscar Nominated You Can Count On Me.

Seek this one out wherever you find your movies to watch.
Or if you're like me, check your shelf.
You might have purchased it years ago and forgotten all about it.
Review by Artpig ★★★★

I've been wanting to watch this film ever since I saw Lonergans masterpiece Manchester by the Sea last year.

Manchester was easily one of my favorites of last year and one I think about a lot. I'm considering putting it on my 100 of all time, I have some good memories of me and my friends seeing it twice, (I know, weird movie to have pleasant memories with but most of my friends are also artistic type film buffs who appreciate good movies so, yknow.)

I think Manchester is a pretty perfectly crafted film, a very powerful and harrowing film that stayed with me.

I was excited to see this film, and I have to say it's probably the best…
Review by Calib McBolts ★★★★ 11

The quality of this movie is achieved in its subtlety. No, you will not encounter blatant philosophical questions about the uncertainty of life, the yearnings of the soul, or the demon within. What you will find is a wonderfully realistic representation of the complexities of human relationships. The performances and dialogue is so brilliant. It's all so real and honest, it feels unscripted, effortless and documentarian. Even though we all know Kenneth Lonergan and co, worked their asses off to put together such a masterful film.

You Can Count On Me is a gentle, realistic character study of two estranged siblings, played perfectly by Ruffalo and the always-brilliant Linney. Lonergan understands human conversation, and directed to allow for natural pauses…

Recent reviews

Review by Will Davis ★★★★★

Masterpiece. Mark Ruffalo gives one of my favorite performances ever. Lonergan's secret weapon is that all his movies are funny as fuck, even when they are profoundly sad
Review by _Kubrick ★★★★½

Kenneth Lonergan knows how to make seemingly small moments feel huge. He earns incredibly touching moments without being overly sentimental or feeling even a little fake. His films feel real, the characters feel real. This is a pure drama that injects enough humor in it as to not feel even the slightest bit overbearing. It's a balancing act that, in my opinion, few director/writers know how to master. I'd say Kaufman, at times Wes Anderson and Lonergan (when he directs the scripts he writes) are the masters that come to mind. I wish I can go back to my Margaret and Manchester By the Sea reviews and write: "Lonergan has done it again!". With a Lonergan film the script is…
Review by Grace ★★★★

Ok so there is waaaay to much music in this film, and often poorly integrated or just heavy handed (especially the use of Loretta Lynn), but Ruffalo and Linney are amazing as the sad, messed up, very similar siblings the film centres on. This doesn't feel like a big story or an aesthetically ambitious piece of work, but it doesn't have to be when the writing and emotional tenor are so note-perfect.
Review by Cory McMeekin ★★★★

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Review by Brandon Winchester ★★★★½

Movie #2155: You Can Count On Me

One of the best movies you’ve never seen.

Kenneth Lonergan sure does have a thing for families confronting tragedy, doesn't he? Lonergan turned my head with his most recent feature, Manchester By the Sea, which captivated me in so many exciting ways. I was left emotionally devastated, but at the same time quite reborn. His view of grief is so vivid and parallel to that of real life that I couldn't help but look for his other work. His directorial debut feature may not have the same profound, palpable effect, but nonetheless it is one of those films you should be hearing about, but aren't. I had to go to the most obscure…
Review by sebastian zufelt ★★★½

So glad Ruffalo's contract is ending with Marvel so he can get back to his great work like this one here
Review by Waffle ★★★★½

This is a film of powerhouse performances, and there seriously isn’t a single weak link here. Linney and Ruffalo stand as the two obvious cornerstones of the film. They each possess such a clear mastery of their craft here, working through the entire spectrum of emotion in just under two hours. Ruffalo has such a command over his micro-expressions, and Linney has an immaculate finesse in delivering and punctuating her lines with real, genuine emotion. Rory Culkin’s performance is not as astounding as the two leads, but his suitably muted portrayal manages to rein in any would-be preciousness.

The cinematography here is really quite special. It’s delicate, not so stylized as to take away from the actors, but rather softly…
Review by Vedhas ★★★★½

This is hands down my favorite Mark ruffalo movie. You Can Count On Me is a well crafted drama with extraordinary performances. Above everything, the script shines. I watched this movie because I really enjoyed Lonergan's 2016 Manchester By The Sea. The script is the hero there as well. Lonergan has the unique ability to make bleakest premise into brilliant and heartfelt drama and it works without going overboard. This movie is definitely a prime example of that. Both leads give great performances. I also enjoyed the beats of small town New England that are so well captured. As I mentioned, like Manchester at its core the story stems from tragedy and throughout the movie, you can see the characters…
Review by Sam ★★★½

It was ok.