With that dreadful title and the equally horrible tag line 'Family First, Love Always', it never surprises me to meet people who've never seen You Can Count on Me. The only surprise is how just plain excellent it is once you get past the title and actually see it.
A remarkable, sophisticated comedy that is sweet without being saccharine, sad without being exploitive. Mark Ruffalo, like usual, is pure magic in the role as Laura Linney's charming but nere'do'well younger brother who makes a surprise visit to their childhood home in which Linney lives with her precocious son (played by a Culkin).
Kenneth Lonergan, who directed and wrote the script, has an uncanny talent for writing realistic, touching dialogue, a talent he has kept a secret elsewhere in Hollywood (his other credits include The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Gangs of New York), but here his gift is on magnificent display and his words are brought to life by perfect performances.
Aside from the lead actors, Matthew Broderick is impressive in his role as a smarmy boss. A truly special movie.
But what do you think?