Crooked Table Podcast: ‘You Can Count on Me’ (feat. Dames Marvs of CF3: Cult Fans, Films & Finds)

Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan won his first Academy Award for the acclaimed domestic drama Manchester by the Sea. But more than a decade and a half before that film, Lonergan burst onto the scene with his directorial debut, You Can Count on Me. Both movies tackle the fallout of family tragedies and feature standout performances.

You Can Count on Me focuses on the broken bond between a sister (Laura Linney) and brother (Mark Ruffalo). And while neither guest Dames Marvs — from CF3: Cult Fans, Films & Finds — have a sister, we both connected to the very grounded sibling dynamic. Moreover, Lonergan’s naturalistic style of storytelling captures the profound truth that lies in the mundane.

Listen in as Dames and I break down Lonergan’s film and discuss at length why we can always count on Ruffalo… to deliver incredible performances.

SYNOPSIS

Sammy (Laura Linney) is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year old son (Rory Culkin). She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up in and working in a local bank. When her brother Terry (Mark Ruffalo) visits, he fits the void in the life of both her and her son. Temporarily free of the constraints of single motherhood, she begins to break free of her normal routine. In a string of traumatic events, Sammy is torn between helping her brother and her maternal instinct to protect her son from getting hurt.