sharky_55 Kenneth Lonergan's debut film, above all things, attempts to reconcile with the fact that a brother and sister can grow up together but lead two completely different lives, and that there is ultimately little they can do to understand the other. The opening scene depicts their parents' death at a young age, and from there you can extrapolate how the rest of their childhood went; who sprung into action to take over as the stand-in adult, and who moped and drifted off into a winding trial of odd jobs and couches. Linney was born for this role. You could scarcely imagine her as a kid; she must have left the womb in a pencil skirt and wagging a stern finger. Her excitement for Terry's visit doubles as an extension of her pride in her own competence. It's her fault if she can't provide for him, never mind the fact that he is a full grown man. In their first reconciliation in the cafe, and in their subsequent spars which recall all the fights they had in the family home, Lonergan shows a knack for writing dialogue that ducks and weaves around the point, always concealing underhanded blows and accusations amongst the awkward pauses. Sammy's way of life is an affront to Terry's decisions, an unspoken condemnation in her every move. I've seen this film a dozen times before, we all have. Usually it's pitched at the romantic comedy level, where the rough, rogue drifter returns to town and slowly but surely wins the heart of the poor widow. Oh, there'll be tricks and misunderstandings, the classic one set up here where the drifter is set a simple task (such as picking up a kid from school) and everything that could go wrong does. You expect Linney to be given an opportunity to explode her, and god knows she's been looking for one. What we get instead is a quiet moment of bonding. Rudy Junior is nailing the planks on diagonally but Terry doesn't even scold him for it, just advises him on hammering technique. Elsewhere, you watch how their relationship evolves into one of co-dependency, Rudy finally finding the father figure he never had, and Terry spending time with someone that doesn't take one look at his second-rate clothes and scraggly beard and write him off. Watch the ease in which Lonergan slips exposition in the tentative initial moments, not as story dumping, but as one of the ways in which the pair try to figure out what they mean to one another. Sammy, on the other hand, begins to have her modest yet efficient life unravel. Linney's eyes do most of the work, widening in panic whenever out of the ordinary threatens the idyll of Scottsville, New York. She dates Bob, a man so plain and unremarkable that by the end of the film we still know nothing of his character (even his name is boring). Sammy indulges in her own little sins on the side, like a smoke every now and again, and a full blown affair with his uptight boss. Her confession of the latter to the local pastor speaks volumes of the way she perceives right and wrong; she'd rather be told that she's condemned to burning in hell than admit that every now and again people need a break, and that life can get a little messy. The reveal of Rudy Junior's red neck father is the final straw - all along we've been shifting uncomfortably at the Terry-sized intrusion into her life, but he's a saint in comparison to the man that Sammy fathered a child with and then promptly broke off. Lonergan himself plays the small town priest Ron, a decisive departure from many of the more conventional Catholic authority figures the screen has graced us with. He plays the role with not a single moment of emotional betrayal, a stony faced mask that functions as a disposal point for strangers to unload their woes and worries. In a monologue that encapsulates the film, he muses on his own personal philosophy of happiness and comfort (defined through the connectedness he finds by helping others find their happiness), and then offers a pointed question to Terry: do you think your life is important? Sammy is also sitting in attendance, and by the end of the film, both have scavenged their way to an answer, although their paths are vastly different. It's blunt, but effective. Few first time directors find that sort of impartiality, and Lonergan would smooth those rough edges (visually and didactically) more than a decade later.

SnoopyStyle Sammy Prescott (Laura Linney) is the lending officer of the small local bank in Scottville, New York. Terry Prescott (Mark Ruffalo) is the irresponsible one who comes to town looking for money. They lost their parents at a young age and Sammy has always taken care of Terry. She has a son Rudy (Rory Culkin). She hates his father but she's coy about it to him. Bob Steegerson (Jon Tenney) is her boyfriend and Brian Everett (Matthew Broderick) is the new demanding bank manager. With Brian looking over her shoulders, Sammy is forced to let Terry take care of Rudy.This movie works because Linney and Ruffalo can project their sibling relationship right from the start. The script brings it out of the actors from the first moment they meet. Then the movie allows these two characters to expand and show different layers. They are infinitely fascinating and compelling to the last frame.

Raoul Duke You can count on me is a film starring Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney and was made in 2000. This is one of those movies that is what they call a hidden gem. It is the story of a brother and sister who lose their parents in a car crash at a very young age. The story begins when they are older and the character played by Mark Ruffalo comes back home. One of the things that I loved about this movie is a key component, namely the tragic loss of their parents. You always get a sense that it is there and has shaped who these two characters have become as adults, but is never overplayed. Rory Culkin (yes Maculays brother) has a great first role as Laura's eight year old son. This movie is very well written and cerebral without trying to be over anyone's head. This is one of those movies that I think most people have never heard of, but if they would take the time to check out, I think they would find memorable. if you like concise reviews of interesting films please read my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/

Nina_Ferocious Laura Linney stars opposite Mark Ruffalo in a heart-warming light drama as siblings who lost their parents to an accident when they were kids. A mother to an 8-year old boy, Sammy Prescott (Linney) lives an ordinary life as a lending officer in a local bank in Scottsville. She goes to church regularly and dates an affable guy Bob. Everything was going well until Brian (Mathew Broderick), the new bank manager who is married to a 6-month pregnant obnoxious woman, enters Sammy's life. The two started on a wrong foot but eventually worked things out "carnally".Mark Ruffalo plays Terry Prescott, the brother who lost his way out of Scottsville. Faced with a financial struggle, Terry went back to Scottsville to ask for Sammy's help. Sammy was all excited to see her brother whom she hadn't heard from in three months. When she found out that Terry was jailed, Sammy got furious but because she loves her brother so much, she asked him to stay for a while to which Terry obliged.The film's strengths are the brilliant performances of Linney and Ruffalo and its well-written script by Kenneth Lonergan.Laura Linney is a pleasure to watch as the woman who tries to put things in order. She gave a natural and real performance whose screen presence is just so powerful that she's able to maintain the connection to the audience throughout the duration of the movie. Best scene-the restaurant.Mark Ruffalo fabulously portrayed his character as a man who's lost his way but still fully connected to his sense of self. Terry is not the ideal uncle who's supposed to be exemplary to children. It was a well-executed performance and by far his best performance. Best scene-the restaurant.