Sammy has cared for and worried over Terry since they were orphaned, and she obviously loves him deeply. And the narcissistic and self-absorbed Terry, in his way, loves and admires her. Then, stunningly, she tumbles into a mad affair with him. Lonergan understands the rhythms and relationships, what binds these communities together and what drives them apart. Sammy clings to routine, order and religious faith.
Terry rejects spiritual order and embraces chaos.
It's an actor's piece, and you can tell that these actors love the opportunity to play roles like these. As Sammy, Linney catches the character's huge heart, faith and conflicted yearning for the wild side. As Terry, Ruffalo gives a slightly mannered but often affecting performance in the James Dean, small-town hipster tradition. Just as Sammy would have been ideal for the young Meryl Streep, Terry is a part that would have been ideal for the Jack Nicholson of the early'70s. Can Count on Me is a fine, smart, touching look at small town life, but it's not a perfect film.