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You Can Count on Me
Acclaimed playwright Kenneth Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me is one of the most highly praised independent films of recent years, earning many of the major screenplay awards.
This is the lovingly drawn story of a sister and brother’s complicated, fragile, but somehow enduring bond. Sammy and Terry Prescott were orphaned as children. Sammy, now the single mother of a young son, has stayed in their hometown and is an officer at the local bank. Terry has become something of a drifter, surfacing only when he needs money. Sammy’s own life has its she puts off an old boyfriend’s proposal and begins an affair with her new boss. Together in their family home, Terry’s charming irresponsibility collides with Sammy’s confusion over her own actions. What remains unspoken is what they’ve known since they were left with only each other sixteen years before.
This is the lovingly drawn story of a sister and brother’s complicated, fragile, but somehow enduring bond. Sammy and Terry Prescott were orphaned as children. Sammy, now the single mother of a young son, has stayed in their hometown and is an officer at the local bank. Terry has become something of a drifter, surfacing only when he needs money. Sammy’s own life has its she puts off an old boyfriend’s proposal and begins an affair with her new boss. Together in their family home, Terry’s charming irresponsibility collides with Sammy’s confusion over her own actions. What remains unspoken is what they’ve known since they were left with only each other sixteen years before.
- GenresDrama
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 23, 2019
Remember when we were kids, remember what we always used to say to each other...? Remember when we were kids?
Of course I do...
July 26, 2020
i feel sorry for them (77:00)
October 6, 2023
Excellent script!
April 28, 2025
“Your Mom’s gonna live in this town for the rest of her life, and you know why? Because she thinks she has to.”
May 30, 2015
I appreciated the slice of life in a dysfunctional broken home that screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan depicted in his critically acclaimed screenplay. His words flow beautifully and his dialogue is natural. You can understand how You Can Count On Me received an Oscar nomination. It deservedly touts that title. I disliked the conclusion -- too abrupt, in my humble opinion -- and yet I enjoyed the experience of reading the script all the same. If you're willing to just go along for the ride and accept it as is, I think most will equally enjoy this screenplay. I would recommend it.
August 17, 2015
Have to see the film again.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews