Simply put, "You Can Count on Me" represents, on many levels, the direction feature films should be heading toward. Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, the film throws its audience into a finite time in the lives of two main characters, magnifiying their situations and producinga poignant story about the bonds of family.

"You Can Count on Me" does not overindulge itself on the melodramatic mire that consumes so many films that try too hard. Instead, it turns in some witticisms, some heavy moments and an extraordinarily well handled ending to provide the strength behind its message: When life gets tough, it is important to remember who you can count on.

The drama in the movie unfolds when Sammy Prescott (Laura Linney) receives a letter from her brother Terry (Mark Ruffalo). Terry informs Sammy that he is coming to visit her in Upstate New York. Sammy has never moved out of the house where she and her brother grew up (they were willed the house when, as children, their parents died in a car accident).

Terry, on the other hand, is a vagrant; he roams to Alaska, Florida or Massachusetts on whim, relying on an unharnessed sense of calling to guide his travels. Terry's main purpose in visiting Sammy is for money, which she can provide from her paychecks as a loan officer at a small bank in town (which, incidentally, has just been taken over by an anal retentive manager named Brian, played by Matthew Broderick).

Terry ends up feeling guilty for taking the money and running back to Massachusetts, but Sammy needs someone to watch over her eight-year old son, Rudy (Rory Culkin). Therefore, Terry stays in Sammy's house to watch over Rudy. The movie explores the possibilities of new friendships emerging between Terry and Rudy, and a reinvestment in Terry's current relationship with Sammy.

The main strength of "You Can Count On Me" is clearly its two main actors: Linney and Ruffalo. George Lucas once bragged, "I don't cast stars. I make them." As the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly more difficult to wager who is turning in the better performance.

Linney has received an Academy Award nomination, but Ruffalo's performance has even more merit. Since they are both virtual unknowns, and because of their familiarity not only with their lines but also with each other, they could easily convince an audience that they are real life siblings.

Credit goes to Lonergan's writing as well because he developed the brother-sister dynamic so vividly, composing dialogues with injections of humor, frustration and sometimes humor embedded in frustration (consider, for instance, Linney's enraged demeanor in reaction to Terry's stubbornness, which leads her to exhort, "You suck!").

Linney's Sammy is one of the best-written characters of the year. It was fascinating to hear her mode of operation for life: Upon asked why she is entangled in so many dead-end situations with men, she admits, "It's because I feel sorry for them."

Lonergan plays this angle well. The frustrations build when Linney can no longer multitask a fling with an old boyfriend, her relationship with Ruffalo and a sexual liaison with Brian. She seeks advice from Father Ron (played by Lonergan himself) who offers a fresh look at the classic priest stereotype. He does not have all the answers; in fact, he has none of them.

"Can't you tell me I'm going to burn in hell for what I am doing?" a charged Linney screams. However, Father Ron represents the modernity of priests: part psychologist, part emotional healer. Throughout "You Can Count On Me," the metamorphosis of Linney's character is exciting to behold.

Towards the end of the film, Terry decides he cannot be constricted, and his drifter habits compel him to leave Sammy and Rudy behind. Lonergan has craftily set up an impeding doom: will this be the last contact between Terry and Sammy since she was not able to convince him to stay in town? What follows is a well-handled exchange that flaunts the talents of Linney, Ruffalo and Lonergan. The main thrust of the conversation is its none-too-subtle message: Terry assures Sammy that she can count on him. The conversation builds to the point where the movie's title would be invoked, but the film does not slip into the overly melodramatic. The audience can fill in the rest, whispering to themselves, "you can count on me," without Lonergan having Terry do the honors himself.

"You Can Count on Me" was one of the best original screenplays of 2000. The film didn't flash any stylistic motifs or rely on big name stars for its marketing power; it simply did not have to. The futures of screenwriter Lonergan and actors Linney and Ruffalo should be jumpstarted by such a complete and wonderful output.

--four out of five shamrocks

• `The Mexican's' star power doesn't fulfill its potential
  
• Two lesser known actors shine in the character-driven `You Can Count On Me'
  
• British `Croupier' is a sure bet