agmtw logo
search
You Can Count on Me (2000)

You Can Count on Me (2000)

A supremely acted drama with Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney, exploring the complicated nature of siblinghood

The Very Best

9.4

Movie

United States of America
English
Drama, Family
2000
KENNETH LONERGAN
Adam LeFevre, Amy Ryan, Betsy Aidem
111 min

What it's about

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

The take

Written and directed by Academy-Award-winning Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea, Gangs of New York), you can certainly count on the qualities of this subtle, beautiful, and moving drama about two siblings growing apart and reuniting later in life.

An Academy-Award-nominated Laura Linney plays Sammy, a single mother in a small town who is extremely protective of her 8-year-old son. When her younger and somewhat troubled brother Terry (played by the ever-reliable Mark Ruffalo) visits her out of the blue, Sammy has to deal with a slew of contradicting emotions towards her brother, whose appearance threatens to upend her life as she knew it.

Straight, thoughtful, and beautifully crafted, You Can Count on Me is an honest and genuine exploration of unconditional love in celluloid form. Think of it as much more hopeful The Skeleton Twins.

Comments

I like both Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney but not a fan at all of this movie…

I wasn’t expecting much going into this, and while the story might seem “small”, there is much more to this movie than meets the eye. Fantastic acting, especially from Mark Ruffalo. I loved it.

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Being Julia (2004)

A middle age crisis leads to a star finding her spark in this insightful comedy

7.1

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

9.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

The President (2014)

A dictator and his grandson try to escape the revolution in this bleak, satiric drama

7.3

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.