You Can Count on Me

Plot

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

Release Year: 2000

Rating: 7.7/10 (15,716 voted)

Critic's Score: 85/100

Director:
Kenneth Lonergan

Stars: Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick, Mark Ruffalo

Storyline
Adult siblings Sammy Prescott and Terry Prescott have had a special bond with each other since they were kids when their parents were tragically killed in a car accident. That bond is why single mom Sammy, who still lives in the family home in Scottsville, upstate New York with her eight year old son Rudy, is excited to hear that Terry, who she has not seen or heard from in a while, is coming home for a visit. That excitement is dampened slightly upon Terry's arrival, when she learns that he, broke, is only there to borrow money. As adults, Sammy, who works as a lending officer in the local bank, is seen as the responsible sibling, while unfocused Terry is seen as the irresponsible drifter. Regardless, Sammy welcomes what ends up being Terry's longer than planned visit if only so that he can help take care of Rudy, who has no adult male figure in his life. Rudy has never known his deadbeat biological father…

Cast:

Laura Linney
–

Samantha 'Sammy' Prescott

Mark Ruffalo
–

Terry Prescott

Matthew Broderick
–

Brian Everett

Rory Culkin
–

Rudy Prescott

Jon Tenney
–

Bob Steegerson

J. Smith-Cameron
–

Mabel

Gaby Hoffmann
–

Sheila

Amy Ryan
–

Rachel Louise Prescott

Michael Countryman
–

Thomas Gerard Prescott

Adam LeFevre
–

Sheriff Darryl

Halley Feiffer
–

Amy

Whitney Vance
–

Young Sammy Prescott

Peter Kerwin
–

Young Terry Prescott

Betsy Aidem
–

Minister

Lisa Altomare
–

Waitress

Release Date: 16 November 2000

Filming Locations: Margaretville, New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $1,200,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $118,170
(USA)
(12 November 2000)
(8 Screens)

Gross: $9,180,275
(USA)
(10 June 2001)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

The scene with Rudy walking home from school in the pouring rain was created by the local fire department spraying a hose from their highest ladder.

Goofs:

Errors in geography:
The film is set in Scottsville, New York, which is in the far west of the state, south of Rochester. However, a sign is seen for NY Rt28, which does not run anywhere near Scottsville. This is because the film was shot in and around Phonecia, New York, through which NY Rt28 runs.

Quotes:

Terry:
Yeah, this is the haute cuisine of garments.

User Review

A breath of fresh air

Rating: 10/10

It's like a breath of fresh air to see a drama driven by characters rather
than by a typical Hollywood plot. If this were any other drama, someone
would get cancer, the little boy would go missing, the stars would look
like
supermodels, and the characters would talk with a screenwriter's emotional
phrase. Here, the characters think, act and talk like real people. They
could be us. That's the genius of this movie. If you want fantasy, don't
see
this film. If you want to be touched by great acting and a wonderful plot
that shows the complexities of human relationship, see this film. This
isn't
Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias or One True Thing. This is
real.