7.7/10
23,013
232 user 123 critic

You Can Count on Me (2000)

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

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1,925 ( 57)
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 41 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Sheila
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Rachel Louise Prescott
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Amy
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Peter Kerwin ...
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Minister
Lisa Altomare ...
Waitress
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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, with whom Sammy wants nothing to do. As Terry - acting as the supposed adult ... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some drug use and a scene of sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

25 October 2001 (Israel)  »

Also Known As:

Puedes contar conmigo  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$118,170 (USA) (10 November 2000)

Gross:

$9,180,275 (USA) (8 June 2001)
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Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Kenneth Lonergan plays minister Ron in two major scenes counseling Terry at Sammy's house, and then counseling Sammy in his office. Since Lonergan had a lot of dialogue in those two scenes, he turned over the directing to Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, respectively. See more »

Goofs

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. See more »

Quotes

Terry: [as they get in the car] Where are we going?
Sammy: To pick up Rudy.
Terry: What, do you not even want me to come visit now?
Sammy: Of course I want you to visit, you idiot! I've been looking forward to seeing you from the moment I got your letter, I told everyone in town that you were coming home, I cleaned the whole *fucking* house just so it would look nice for you! I had no idea you were just broke again! I wish you'd just send me an invoice!
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Crazy Credits

Jeffrey Sharp would like to dedicate his work on this film to his mother, Virginia Sharp Albright, with love and admiration. See more »

Connections

Featured in The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

Faraway You
Written and Performed by Marah
Courtesy of Muskie Moon Music (ASCAP)
And E-Squared, LLC. / Artemis Records
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User Reviews

I really don't know where to begin.
8 August 2002 | by (Los Angeles) – See all my reviews



I don't. This is just one of Those Movies, y'know? Shot for shot it's great. The cinematography definitely knows what it's doing and it's VERY mindful of itself in such a way that we can ignore it if we're not paying attention to it. As such, the camera steps out of the way and we're free to absorb the story, as simple as it may be. Man... I honestly loved this movie. The acting was top-notch, the principles were great and everyone else was cast so perfectly that every second of the film just falls into place. Just go see it. Please. Mark Ruffalo gives a fantastic performance as an Unfamous, Untalented Bob Dylan. The script is not heavy-handed. It's charming without being aware of itself. It's just a really really good film in the style of good films (re: The Sweet Hereafter) that's going the way of the dodo under the weight of these iconoclastic Hollywood heavy hitters (re: Shaymalan et al). Such a good film. So good.


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