Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Jon Tenney
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A man (Ruffalo) in a parked car offers a tiny wave, cocks his head slightly and gives his older sister (Linney), who is watching from across the road, a rueful grin. It's the simplest of gestures, but in its spare-ness serves as an eloquent apology from someone who has squandered a large part of his life—and now has messed up yet again.
The scene is just one of many that ring true in You Can Count on Me, a delicately drawn drama that explores the ties that bind two adult siblings. Ruffalo, after years of drifting, comes back home to the small town in Upstate New York where Linney, a banker and single parent, still lives. Neither wants to admit how much they need the other.
Linney and Ruffalo are both excellent, and there's adroit work by Broderick (as Linney's dictatorial boss) and Tenney (as her boring beau). Fledgling director Kenneth Lonergan (who also wrote the script and plays a pastor) has made a lovely film, one that is full of hope and humor. (R)
Bottom Line: You can count on this
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