You Can Count on Me (DVD, 2001, Sensormatic)

I teach screenwriting at several colleges, and we often talk about the age-old debate of which is more important: Character or Plot. Aristotle said plot. He didn't see "You Count on Me."

This is a wonderful character study of two wounded souls: Sammy and Terry Prescott (Laura Linney & Mark Ruffalo) who as young children lost their parents in a tragic accident. Both spun out of control in different ways. Sammy had a child, Rudy (Rory Culkin). Rudy's dad, a real jerk as we later see in a heartbreaking scene in the film, is not involved at all with Rudy, even denying he's his dad. Sammy works as a loan officer at a bank and starts an affair with the new (and idiotic) branch manager (Matthew Broderick). Sammy is also being courted by 'nice guy' Bob (Jon Tenney). Terry is a ne'er do well who is always broke and always dreaming. He is totally ungrounded. He comes back to his home town to visit his sister and nephew, but really he's just looking for some money.

This is the set-up. What follows is a deep, heartfelt, sometimes agonizing look at how people with deep hurts, deep disappointments in the hands that life has dealt them, can hold on to each other for support and love, knowing full well that real life doesn't guarantee happy endings. Do not miss this film!

For the cost of a rental I was able to own it. I love this movie. It's like my complicated love/hate relationship with the sleepy town I grew up in, dependable and predictable but asleep, wishing it was somehow more progressive. I would go insane from boredom if I had to work in that bank Laura Linney works in.

Anyway do a search on the specific movie you want and chances are someone will be offering it, perhaps many offerings.

This is one of those quiet little films that really catches you by surprise. Not your typical Hollywood hype film. Extremely well done by both lead actors. Gives you an honest look at both the dysfunction and good intentions of people. Reminds me of films of the past where the storyline is the true driver of the film.

"They" say never to judge a book (or a DVD) by its cover. And it's a good thing I heeded this advice.
Mark Ruffalo hugging Laura Linney? The title? It seemed to shout "Generic chick flick!" but intuition took over and I went for the movie. The result? I saw one of the best five movies of my entire life.
James Lipton once said (unwittingly) to Ali G that "the camera hates 'acting.'" In "You Can Count on Me" there is no acting; just brilliantly developed characters with whom you immediately come to empathize and then to love.
There is an indescribable intimacy to the story-- perhaps enhanced by its somewhat slow pace, beautiful violin-rich soundtrack, and the stark but scenic beauty of the town to which a troubled Mark Ruffalo returns to visit his sister and nephew (played by Rory Culkin). The resulting feeling? It's kind of like stepping in to the best and most engrossing short story you have ever read.
The characters in "You Can Count on Me" have been freed from the formulas of fiction and set loose to live lives where they screw up, learn from their mistakes and bumble hopefully into the future. What you see is a drama (with plenty of comedic relied) that embraces the ambiguities and contradictions of family ties and human nature in all its irrational glory. This movie left me speechless and I have forced all of my friends to watch it. Buy this film if you would like an evening of an emotionally satisfying experience that harkens the feelings of "American Beauty" without all the unnecessary high budget glitz. Could not recommend this more highly!

i really liked this movie , it was very touching , as life can be , it reminded me a lot of the movie the notebook , the actors were great in this movie also. if you havent watched this movie you need too, its just great .