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When the
Oscar nominations were announced the name Laura Linney in
the Best Actress category raised several eyebrows.
Cynics
argued she'd only been included so that the judges could say
they'd not overlooked any independent productions this year.
That would
be too harsh. She didn't win but her nomination was fully
deserved.
Laura
Linney's character Sammy Prescott is pivotal to You Can
Count On Me.
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| I
told you I'm not going to appear with any of the Culkin
family |
Prior
to the return home of her drifter brother, hers is an orderly
life, living in a small community, bringing up her son alone
and holding down a steady job in the local bank.
Her life
starts to change when the bank employs a new manager (Matthew
Broderick). He doesn't turn a blind eye to Sammy's erratic
timekeeping.
When her
brother Terry (Ruffalo) comes home he's given the task of
ensuring her son Rudy (Rory Culkin - and yes, it is Macaulay's
younger brother) gets home from school safely.
That's
not always the case and Sammy can't believe it when young
Rudy is introduced to some late-night pool hustling by her
dodgy brother.
This is
a gentle film which only covers a few weeks in the lives of
the main protagonists.
In that
time they get up to quite a lot. Sammy has a fling with her
boss, young Rudy is introduced to his long lost (and uncaring)
father and Terry gets to seriously reflect on his "couldn't
care less" lifestyle.
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| We'll
I don't want to act with Macaulay either |
It's especially
good at showing how easily the characters can change. Terry
has always been the user, but as soon as Sammy sees the chance
to use him as a baby-sitter, it becomes a liberating experience.
You end
up realising nice girl Sammy is a hypocritical as the rest
of them.
Good performances
all around although it takes a while to get into Ruffalo's
drugged up, laid back style of dialogue.
If you
want something different from the sex/action/comedy films
doing the rounds at the moment, You Can Count On Me
is highly recommended.
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