There comes a point in the movie when the dynamic flips and Terry (Mark Ruffalo) transfers his role as the irresponsible brother to sister Sammy (Laura Linney). It may not seem so, as Sammy has a reasonable position at the local bank while Terry pops up as a freeloader with a criminal record, and becomes a poor role model for Sammy's son Rudy (Rory Culkin). Where the film went off the rails for me was when Sammy wound up in a desperate, passionate embrace with her boss Brian (Matthew Broderick). Where the heck did that come from? There was no build up or progression to their relationship, just bam, suddenly there it was with the both of them sneaking off to hotel rooms to satisfy their carnal desires. Not that boyfriend/former fiancé Bob (Jon Tenney) was any better; gee, what an emotionless, indecisive dud he was. I can agree with some of the positive reviews for this movie that see it as a slice of life story but one would think at least some of the characters would find closure following all the turmoil they experienced. Sammy's really no better off in her personal relationships, even if she's broken it off with Brian. Terry's off and pursuing his life again while Rudy's left traumatized, I would expect, by learning and finally realizing that his real father (Josh Lucas) is a dirt-bag. And Brian himself? Back to his fractured marriage with a baby on the way. I thought there was one significant take away scene in the film when Terry went to the cemetery to observe their parents' graves. He places a hand on his mother's tombstone, but not his father's. Instead, he dismissively uses it as a backstop when he sits down to contemplate his life. There might have been some deeper meaning to that sequence if only the picture had pursued it. Oh yeah, I also liked the way Sammy refused her termination at the bank. Don't you wish that was an option in real life?

You Can Count on Me (2000): Dir: Kenneth Lonergan / Cast: Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin, Josh Lucas: Effective yet overrated independent film. It regards the bond between grown siblings who are left to no other devices other than to rely on each other. Laura Linney plays a single mother who has worked at the bank for several years until her new manager badgers her about picking up her son after school. She learns that her brother is coming home. He was in Alaska and spent time in jail in Florida. Her son inquirers about his absentee father whom neither sibling cares for. Film handles her affair with her manager with misplaced humour. Story begins well but becomes predictable with drab locations and uneven directing by Kenneth Lonergan. Linney is excellent as a woman who isn't as well together as she projects to be. Mark Ruffalo is terrific as her troubled brother who is gradually becoming responsible. Matthew Broderick plays the cynical bank manager in a predictable yet satisfying role. Rory Culkin plays Linney's son whose curiosity about his real father bares scars. Josh Lucas makes a cameo as Culkin's real father whom Ruffalo issues the encounter to before bringing a confrontation. While the film's look and feel could have been much better there is a strong theme regarding sibling bonding and the strength therein. Score: 6 / 10

The film was fair with skilled acting and a fairly entertaining story (except for Linney's acting which is mediocre). However, I felt the film sent bad messages. I won't be a spoiler, but suffices to say that Linney's character's actions are tantamount to blackmail and sexual extortion. The film demonstrates that it is OK to have sex with a coworker, then use the threat of a lawsuit to advance and sluff off your responsibilities on the job. In the film Linney plays a loan officer , a basically unskilled job of questionable value to society, especially when viewed through the eyes of those victimized by the financial crises. On the other hand, her brother's character is a carpenter, a skilled hardworking position of which our society has a shortage. Yet he is portrayed as sad , pathetic, and an addicted looser. He is also apparently undeserving, as Linney's character takes much of what is rightfully his for herself, and he seems to inexplicably agree. Linney's character wants to leave work early to pick up her son, yet they never show the worker left behind who picks up the slack, or are we suppose to assume the bank closes early for her too?The film seems to imply it is OK to use kids as a human shield against criticism if they are used as the reason for shirking one's responsibilities and taking from others; a message of which I do not personally agree. I would advise the writers, next time you need a home repair or remodel, call a loan officer.

A dense, sometimes awkward, often funny drama concerning two grown siblings trying to iron out the kinks of adulthood. Kenneth Lonergan's film is excellently plotted, with plenty of extra narrative strands and a super script. It also has what I now recognise as his directorial hallmark, economy. Some scenes last just seconds, wordlessly moving the story on. There are also brilliant jump cuts that can be funny or surprising. These techniques add up to a substantial film about how the brother and sister manage a particular juncture in the run-up to middle age. Mark Ruffalo's drop-out Terry is pragmatically unreliable; yet his social irresponsibility points us towards the personal integrity that Laura Linney's Sam finds somewhat muddled. Both are excellent. Rory Culkin is solid as the discreet Rudy Jr and Matthew Broderick plays a beautifully-judged role as Sam's flimsy-pedant boss. Lonergan almost blows his hand by deploying one of the more emotionally extreme numbers from Bach's Matthew Passion under the opening credits but the temperament of the rest of the film remains in this sequence's environs. Impressive. 7/10