You Can Count on Me

You Can Count on Me (2000) starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan. Siblings Sammy (Linney) and Terry (Ruffalo) are orphaned at a young age, and this of course affects the whole course of both their lives. Sammy becomes ultra-responsible, trying to keep everything normal, while Terry becomes a classic fuck-up. When he comes to visit her in the small town where she lives, they get quickly entangled in each other's lives, and Uncle Terry forms a bond with Sammy's son (Culkin). Meanwhile, Sammy embarks on an ill-advised affair with her married boss (Broderick), and her long-suffering boyfriend asks her to marry him. The script is very well written and the movie is expertly directed. It's a small, dramatic story that is very well told and acted. Good film. (Both subtitles for the hearing-impaired and closed captions are available.) Grade: A-