written Roger Ebert
November 17, 2000
Sammy is a divorced mother with an 8-year-old son. Work as a small loan clerk in a bank to make a living. She's been dating Bob recently, what kind of person is Bob? Very boring person who doesn't excite Sammy or eat the vinegar of her new boss.
Terry is her cheap brother. The character is charming, loving and maddening, but not too much.
The title of the film is "You Can Count On Me", or, eerily, "Don't worry about me doing things." The two meet again after Terry's long and inexplicable silence, which begins the movie's Great Tender Truth.
As the movie opens, Terry (Mark Ruffalo) leaves his girlfriend alone to find Sammy in Scottsville, New Jersey. Sammy's face glowed when she saw him, because they had lived together after their parents died unexpectedly when she was a child, and she slowly became unhappy when she realized that he was not returning to the roots and wanted to borrow some money from Sammy. .
Very old story.
Her son Rudy (Rory Culkin) is very attached to his mother. He was skeptical when he first saw Terry, and soon became his mad little brother. Because Rudy suffered from his father's absence from childhood, and Terry is a kind of father-like existence, such as taking him to the pool. Sammy suffered so much from her ex-husband that she didn't even want to talk about it in front of her son.
At the bank, Brian (Matthew Broderick) is promoted to the new general manager. He is one of those maddened leaders who get promotions and raises despite their incompetence. Brian is unsympathetic and above the rules. Sammy gave up her lunch break so that she could sneak out to meet her son every afternoon. He also asked Sammy, "Is there no one who can pick up your son after school?" Brian is the one who doesn't take the so-called rules seriously. So he was willing to leave his pregnant wife at home and have an affair with Sammy.
Sammy's personal life is limited. In this small town, there are hardly any men. Bob (Jon Tenney) is a nice guy, but can go weeks without calling her, with no commitment—though Sammy doesn't think she wants to marry him. The most realistic scene in the movie is that one day Sammy called him to arrange an opening time, quite like calling the plumber.
When Terry returned, he found that Scottsville had barely changed. Because he is very casual and irresponsible, but he acts as a catalyst for changes in the town in his uniquely kind way. He forgot to pick up Rudy after school, he ignored his promise. He irresponsibly brought the 8-year-old to the pool hall. But when he lifts Rudy to the table and shoots to catch the ball, that's what the kid needs! His life needs such a person to replace his absent father.
The characters in "You Can Do It Yourself" have broken free from the stereotypes of the novel, living their lives at ease, learning from their mistakes, and stumbling into the future with hope. Writer and director Kenneth Lonergan opens up. He gave possibilities without immediately concluding the characters. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo are open-minded actors who give the audience space to diverge rather than stereotype. We like them. When they're down, we're down.
In the movie, Sammy is often torn between right and wrong. She slept with the married bank manager, and Bob. Confused, she goes to her priest (director Kenneth Lonergan). "Where does the church stand when it comes to fornication and adultery," she asked, though she knew the answer. "Well," said the priest, "it is a sin...".
But after watching this movie, do we think about these questions.
(1) Has the pastor been quietly attracted to Sammy? Although he may never act.
(2) Is Sammy sleeping with the bank manager also because of the need for a promotion in the office.
(3) Will Sammy think that Bob is not bad as a spouse.
I'll consider these because the movie ultimately doesn't give the answer. It seems like serious business, but the movie handles it with fun. This kind of fun is not like comedy, but a bit like watching the fun at the office. Some bastards made enemies, and the enemies fought back secretly. Then you stand at the drinking fountain and watch a good show and make swear words, and watch the joy of a bastard down. Moments like this are worth it.
"You chase after me, and you are willing to give in to the disadvantage", this is the story of human nature told in "I do things, you can rest assured". I love that director Kenneth Lonergan puts his character in flowing water, flowing with sensibility and reason. This is not a movie about people solving problems. It's a film about people's everyday lives, with plans, fears, and desires. This is a rare good film about the sensitive adult relationship between siblings. For the director, it is more fascinated by the process than the result.
This is undoubtedly the best movie of the year.
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