You Can Count On Me

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background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="82d63770.png" border=0 width="99" height="119" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Matthew Broderick</B></div> <div> <B>Home Pages For</B></div> <div> <B>                </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                    </B><A HREF="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/"><U><B>Books</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                       </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id364.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Travel</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> You Can Count On Me</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="499" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 202 WIDTH="493"><div> <B><IMG SRC="82c7dc30.png" border=0 width="125" height="195" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003CXQ4/reelmoviecriticc">DVD...$22.49 from Amazon...</A>  </B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>You Can Count on Me</B> **** (R)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By George O. Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Real people…flawed but not dysfunctional</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Sammy Prescott: Laura Linney</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Terry Prescott: Mark Ruffalo</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Rudy: Rory Culkin</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Brian: Matthew Broderick</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Bob: Jon Tenney</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Mabel: J. Smith-Cameron</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Priest: Ken Lonergan</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director: Ken Lonergan</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A brother and sister react to the deaths of their parents in different ways; he's a drifter and she is an overly conscientious mother and banker, in the small town she has lived in her entire life. When her brother comes to visit, they both face issues of child rearing, commitment to friends and loved ones, and being accountable for their own actions. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Sammy (Laura Linney) is a loan officer at the local bank in a small eastern town. Each day she takes an abbreviated lunch, so she can pick up her eight year old son Rudy (Rory Culkin) from school and drop him off at the baby sitter.</div> <bR> <div> Her brother Terry (Mark Ruffalo) writes to say he is coming to visit, and Sammy, literally, bakes a batch of cookies. Terry is conflicted and perpetually down on his luck. He asks his pregnant girlfriend to leave their apartment while he is away. He suggests that she go home for awhile. His own visit back home to Sammy is so he can hit her up for some money to get out of his latest predicament. </div> <bR> <div> With the arrival of Brian (Matthew Broderick), as Sammy's boss and new bank manager, the orderly routine of her life spins out of control. Brian will not let her pick up her son anymore in the middle of the afternoon. He is so anal that he gets upset if people have computer screens with vivid colors.</div> <bR> <div> Bob (Jon Tenney), Sammy's boyfriend, asks her to marry him. A year ago, she would have said yes. Now she's not sure.  He loves her, he says "Because I'm tired of fooling around." While she thinks about that, she becomes involved with another man, which has complications written all over the relationship, both morally and professionally. Rudy is curious about the father he is named for, whom he has never met. Brian is a jerk at work, and to his wife, who is due to have their first child, any day.</div> <bR> <div>  Sammy seeks religious counseling, for herself and Terry, from Ron who is their minister. She seems intent on saving Terry's soul. This prompts the priest to speak with Terry about some of his issues. A discussion ensues which addresses spirituality better than most films whose focus is religion. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: At the Sundance Film Festival this year, <I>You Can Count on Me</I> shared the best drama award with <I>Girlfight. </I>Both are powerful, in their own very different ways. </div> <bR> <div> The opening sequence of the film is as strong as Tom Cruise in MI:2, and the only words   spoken are, "Why do they put braces on teen age girls at the exact time they are most self conscious about their appearance?" Some movies are noted for their great endings, this one will be remembered for a great beginning. </div> <bR> <div> While I actually prefer not having everything spelled out for me, the one thing that could   add to the story is knowing, who took care of Sammy and Terry after their parents were killed. The movie jumps from the funeral when they are pre teens, to them as adults. They live in a small town, and no reference is made to relatives or friends who might have raised them. This asks for a leap of faith that makes the film a little hard to follow in the beginning.</div> <bR> <div> One thing I particularly like about the film, is its attempt to understand why people act as they do. It's not always easy to watch these characters grapple with their lives. Perhaps they remind us of folks close to us. Sammy has a complex sex life. Terry does irresponsible things with Rudy, which may be good in the long run…sort of like doing the right things, but in the wrong way. </div> <bR> <div> <I>You Can Count on Me</I> has three great scenes to be on the alert for.  The opening scene says a lot by saying so little; Rudy asks "Shall we maybe call first?" and then acts more responsibly than any of the adults. Sammy and Terry give one another a special look when the priest tells him that he needs to follow the example set by his sister. </div> <bR> <div> Many of us have done sinful or lustful things and have lived to see another day, and perhaps are the better person for it.  Some people learn from these experiences and become wiser; others give it as much thought as a mosquito they swat off their arm. There is no memory of it…and the pattern of poor behavior only continues. Things do have a way of working out, even if it's not what you hoped for or wanted. When you say the words you can count on me to another, it's a good idea to repeat it in the mirror to yourself. We sometimes forget that we, more than anyone else, control our destiny.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> R (sex; nudity; drugs; language)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2000</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Laura Linney: <I>Absolute Power</I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Mark Ruffalo: <I>Committed</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Rory Culkin: <I>The Good Son</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Matthew Broderick: <I>Election</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Jon Tenney: <I>Get Real-TV</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> J. Smith Cameron: <I>In and Out</I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Ken Lonergan: <I>Analyze This</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="286" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <IMG border=0 alt="468x60 Topaz Swirl" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=rU2/w*Ob1*k&bids=16026.10000023&subid=0&type=4">  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>