You Can Count on Me (2000)

You Can Count on Me is a 2000 American drama film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan in his feature directorial debut, and starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin, and Matthew Broderick. The film follows a single mother living in a small Catskill Mountains town whose life is disrupted when her struggling, wayward younger brother returns.

Development for You Can Count on Me began in the 1990s, with Lonergan completing the screenplay based on characters that were the focus of a one-act play he wrote. Principal photography took place on location in the Catskill Mountains in 1999.

You Can Count on Me premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, where it tied with Girlfight for the Grand Jury Prize, and Lonergan won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. It was given a limited theatrical release released in the United States by Paramount Classics beginning November 10, 2000, with its release eventually expanding to 150 theaters nationwide. The film went on to become a sleeper hit, earning $11.2 million internationally, and was met with critical acclaim. At the 73rd Academy Awards, Linney was nominated for Best Actress and Lonergan was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.