You Can Count on Me

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You Can Count on Me

R

2000

1h 49m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

106 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year-old son. She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up in and working in a local bank. When her brother Terry visits he fits the void in the life of both her and her son. Temporarily free of the constraints of single motherhood she begins to break free of her normal routine. In a string of traumatic events Sammy is torn between helping her brother and her maternal instinct to protect her son from getting hurt.

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Critics Consensus

You Can Count On Me may look like it belongs on the small screen, but the movie surprises with its simple yet affecting story. Beautifully acted and crafted, the movie will simply draw you in.

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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

07/19/2025

Age hasn’t dulled the heartache of Kenneth Lonergan’s finely tuned portrayal of grief.

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Gavin Smith

Film Comment Magazine

04/10/2018

Unusually sharp editing is the first hint that in fact it's a superior, acutely observed comedy-drama about family ties and the struggle to find a sense of purpose, even managing to work in some genuinely metaphysical intimations.

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

09/07/2011

A

Beautiful, compassionate, articulate.

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Rudie Obias

Battleship Pretension

07/22/2025

You Can Count on Me is great and one of the most important movies in American independent cinema of the last 25 years.

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Joshua Ryan

FandomWire

07/15/2025

9/10

Lonergan showcases a knack for exploring family dynamics with intricate detail, bringing complex emotions to the surface in a way that maintains effortless entertainment.

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

10/23/2020

...what I especially loved was that this film lets its two main characters do genuinely awful, hurtful things, which don't even disrupt the siblings' mirrored self-righteousness...

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Jim H

@RT04229066 Mar 25

Aside from Laura Linney's strikingly solid performance...this film's characters say exactly what they're feeling, very much on the nose. The movie tries to tell you how to feel instead of showing it. Some people resonate with that. I found it hollow.

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Tyler P.

@TylerPhoenixMD Jan 28

Perfect small screen movie night movie. Great story, the acting is on point. Id say it’s a comedy and a drama, there’s a lot of humor to be found in this story of grief.

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darren m

@DarrenM Jan 27

Just terrific. And I'm hard to please. Watch it alone somewhere quiet and cozy. The direction is wonderful. The screenplay is funny, yet dramatic and realistic. The film's many awards and nominations are deserved. While there are a couple of slightly unrealistic situations, the acting and dialogue never falter. This is the far superior little brother to Manchester By the Sea. Kinda a must see, if you ask me.

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D E

@warroad Jan 5

Not too good. Too many annoying characters to list................

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Mason M

@RT73597940 Nov 9

I've seen plenty of these kinds of depictions of rural small town America, and this is easily one of the best of those. You Can Count on Me was gorgeous, incredibly entertaining, hilarious, emotional, riveting, and just incredible. This was my first rodeo with Kenneth Lonergan, and I really loved what I saw. His writing was really great in his characters and his beautifully real yet entertaining dialogue (and he does a wonderful job in his cameo). The three lead performances were also all just incredible. Laura Linney always does great in everything she's in. And Matthew Brodrick was absolutely hysterical in this film, his characters was perfect for his personality and mannerisms. And the story was a really enjoyable watch. It's a beautiful exploration of relationships and general American boredom, pulled off in a story that always kept me encapsulated following characters Lonergan really gets me to care about. I have nothing but praise for You Can Count on Me, it's just a gorgeous film.

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Sergio A

@Sergio83 02/06/2025

You might think the film is simple, but that’s precisely where its beauty lies.

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Kenneth Lonergan

Director

Laura Linney

Sammy Prescott

Mark Ruffalo

Terry Prescott

Rory Culkin

Rudy

Matthew Broderick

Brian

Jon Tenney

Bob

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Your Future at the Bank

1:33

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Goodbye, Uncle Terry

1:12

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Rudy Meets His Father

1:56

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - I F***ed My Boss

2:09

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - I Think You Should Leave

1:49

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Can I Ask You A Personal Question?

2:06

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Meeting Uncle Terry

2:12

You Can Count on Me: Official Clip - Serving Some Time

2:04

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Synopsis

Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year-old son. She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up in and working in a local bank. When her brother Terry visits he fits the void in the life of both her and her son. Temporarily free of the constraints of single motherhood she begins to break free of her normal routine. In a string of traumatic events Sammy is torn between helping her brother and her maternal instinct to protect her son from getting hurt.

Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Producer: Barbara De Fina, John Hart, Larry Meistrich, Jeff Sharp
Screenwriter: Kenneth Lonergan
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Hart Sharp Productions, Shooting Gallery, Crush Entertainment, Cappa Productions
Rating: R (Scene of Sexuality|Language|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.2M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby EX
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)