You Can Count on Me Quotes
A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely-seen younger brother returns to town.
Terry: Where were you?
Sammy: Nowhere. I had dinner with my boss.
Terry: Kind of a late dinner, ain't it?
Sammy: Yeah. How was Rudy?
Terry: Fine. He's asleep.
Sammy: Did the plumber come?
Terry: Yeah, the fucking plumber came!
Sammy: Terry, just give me a break!
Terry: What's the matter with you?
Sammy: Nothing, I'm just tired.
Terry: Wanna smoke some pot?
Sammy: No I don't... why, you got some?
Sammy: Nowhere. I had dinner with my boss.
Terry: Kind of a late dinner, ain't it?
Sammy: Yeah. How was Rudy?
Terry: Fine. He's asleep.
Sammy: Did the plumber come?
Terry: Yeah, the fucking plumber came!
Sammy: Terry, just give me a break!
Terry: What's the matter with you?
Sammy: Nothing, I'm just tired.
Terry: Wanna smoke some pot?
Sammy: No I don't... why, you got some?
Rudy: [as Terry is packing up] Where are you going?
Terry: I don't know. I just want to get out of this town. And if you've got any sense when you get old enough you'll get out of here too. Your Mom's gonna live in this town for the rest of her life, and you know why? Because she thinks she has to. Don't ask me why, but that's the truth. She thinks there's all these things she has to do, but you want to know one thing about your Mom? She's a bigger fuck-up than I ever was. I mean, I know I messed up. You think I enjoy getting thrown in jail because I wanted you to face that prick your Dad like a little man and see what kind of a guy he is? I know I got a little carried away, and I lost my temper just a little bit - which is not the end of the world either, by the way, just for future reference - And now she's kickin' me out of my own house because - you know, because I fucked up a little bit. Which I totally admit. I was like - totally ready to admit that.
Terry: I don't know. I just want to get out of this town. And if you've got any sense when you get old enough you'll get out of here too. Your Mom's gonna live in this town for the rest of her life, and you know why? Because she thinks she has to. Don't ask me why, but that's the truth. She thinks there's all these things she has to do, but you want to know one thing about your Mom? She's a bigger fuck-up than I ever was. I mean, I know I messed up. You think I enjoy getting thrown in jail because I wanted you to face that prick your Dad like a little man and see what kind of a guy he is? I know I got a little carried away, and I lost my temper just a little bit - which is not the end of the world either, by the way, just for future reference - And now she's kickin' me out of my own house because - you know, because I fucked up a little bit. Which I totally admit. I was like - totally ready to admit that.
Terry: You mind if I ask you a personal question?
Rudy: I don't know.
Terry: Do you like it here, I mean in Scottsville?
Rudy: Yeah.
Terry: Why?
Rudy: I don't know, my friends are here, I like the scenery... I don't know.
Terry: I know, I know, it's just so... there's nothing to do here.
Rudy: Yes, there is.
Terry: No, there isn't, man. It's narrow. It's dull. It's a dull, narrow town full of dull, narrow people who don't know anything except what things are like right around here. They have no perspective whatsoever, no scope. They might as well be living in the 19th century 'cause they have no idea what's going on, and if you try and tell 'em that they wanna fucking kill you.
Rudy: What are you talking about?
Terry: I have no idea... you're a good kid.
Rudy: I don't know.
Terry: Do you like it here, I mean in Scottsville?
Rudy: Yeah.
Terry: Why?
Rudy: I don't know, my friends are here, I like the scenery... I don't know.
Terry: I know, I know, it's just so... there's nothing to do here.
Rudy: Yes, there is.
Terry: No, there isn't, man. It's narrow. It's dull. It's a dull, narrow town full of dull, narrow people who don't know anything except what things are like right around here. They have no perspective whatsoever, no scope. They might as well be living in the 19th century 'cause they have no idea what's going on, and if you try and tell 'em that they wanna fucking kill you.
Rudy: What are you talking about?
Terry: I have no idea... you're a good kid.
Sammy: [to Terry] Are you out of your mind? You know, I admit I may not be the best mother in the world, but I'm doing the best I know how, and he doesn't need you to rub his face in shit because you think it's good for him! He's gonna find out that the world is a horrible place and that people suck soon enough and without any help from you!
Terry: [as they get in the car] Where are we going?
Sammy: To pick up Rudy.
Terry: What, do you not even want me to come visit now?
Sammy: Of course I want you to visit, you idiot! I've been looking forward to seeing you from the moment I got your letter, I told everyone in town that you were coming home, I cleaned the whole *fucking* house just so it would look nice for you! I had no idea you were just broke again! I wish you'd just send me an invoice!
Sammy: To pick up Rudy.
Terry: What, do you not even want me to come visit now?
Sammy: Of course I want you to visit, you idiot! I've been looking forward to seeing you from the moment I got your letter, I told everyone in town that you were coming home, I cleaned the whole *fucking* house just so it would look nice for you! I had no idea you were just broke again! I wish you'd just send me an invoice!
Sammy: What is happening here?
Terry: It's just the problem is the pipes are corroded the whole length of the hall, so every time I put a new piece in it starts leaking further down.
Sammy: Why don't I just call the plumber?
Terry: Why? He's not gonna do anything different than what I'm doing.
Rudy: Yeah, we're only making it worse.
Terry: No we're not, shut up!
[Terry pulls a pipe out of the floor and accidentally sprays Sammy with water]
Sammy: Thanks. Thank you.
Terry: It's just the problem is the pipes are corroded the whole length of the hall, so every time I put a new piece in it starts leaking further down.
Sammy: Why don't I just call the plumber?
Terry: Why? He's not gonna do anything different than what I'm doing.
Rudy: Yeah, we're only making it worse.
Terry: No we're not, shut up!
[Terry pulls a pipe out of the floor and accidentally sprays Sammy with water]
Sammy: Thanks. Thank you.
Ron: You know, Terry, a lot of people come to see me with all kinds of problems. Drugs, alcohol, marital problems, sexual problems, health problems
Terry: Great job you got.
Ron: Well... I like it. Because even in this little town, I feel like what I do is very connected with the real center of people's lives. I'm not saying I'm always Mr. Effective, but I don't feel like my life is off to the side of what's important. You know? I don't feel my happiness and comfort are based on closing my eyes to trouble within myself or trouble in other people. I don't feel like a negligible little scrap, floating around in some kind of empty void, with no sense of connectedness to anything around me except by virtue of whatever little philosophies I can scrape together on my own...
Terry: Well
Ron: Can I ask you, Terry: Do you think your life is important?
Terry: You mean - Like, me personally, my individual life?
Ron: Yeah.
Terry: Well... I'm not sure - What do you mean? It's important to me. I guess. And like, to my, you know, the people who care about me...
Ron: But do you think it's important?
Terry: I -
Ron: Do you think it's important in the scheme of things? Not just because it's yours, or because you're somebody's brother. Because I don't really get the impression that you do.
Terry: Well, I don't think... I don't particularly think anybody's life has any particular importance besides whatever - you know - whatever we arbitrarily give it. Which is fine. I mean we might as well... I think I'm as important as anybody else...
Terry: I don't know: A lot of what you're saying has a real appeal to me, Ron. A lot of the stuff they told us when we were kids... But I don't want to believe something or not believe it because I might feel bad. I want to believe it because I think it's true or not... I'd like to think that my life is important... Or that it's connected to something important...
Ron: Well, isn't there any way for you to believe that without calling it God, or religion, or whatever term it is you object to?
Terry: Yes. I believe that.
Terry: Great job you got.
Ron: Well... I like it. Because even in this little town, I feel like what I do is very connected with the real center of people's lives. I'm not saying I'm always Mr. Effective, but I don't feel like my life is off to the side of what's important. You know? I don't feel my happiness and comfort are based on closing my eyes to trouble within myself or trouble in other people. I don't feel like a negligible little scrap, floating around in some kind of empty void, with no sense of connectedness to anything around me except by virtue of whatever little philosophies I can scrape together on my own...
Terry: Well
Ron: Can I ask you, Terry: Do you think your life is important?
Terry: You mean - Like, me personally, my individual life?
Ron: Yeah.
Terry: Well... I'm not sure - What do you mean? It's important to me. I guess. And like, to my, you know, the people who care about me...
Ron: But do you think it's important?
Terry: I -
Ron: Do you think it's important in the scheme of things? Not just because it's yours, or because you're somebody's brother. Because I don't really get the impression that you do.
Terry: Well, I don't think... I don't particularly think anybody's life has any particular importance besides whatever - you know - whatever we arbitrarily give it. Which is fine. I mean we might as well... I think I'm as important as anybody else...
Terry: I don't know: A lot of what you're saying has a real appeal to me, Ron. A lot of the stuff they told us when we were kids... But I don't want to believe something or not believe it because I might feel bad. I want to believe it because I think it's true or not... I'd like to think that my life is important... Or that it's connected to something important...
Ron: Well, isn't there any way for you to believe that without calling it God, or religion, or whatever term it is you object to?
Terry: Yes. I believe that.
Sammy: I don't know what the church's official position is on fornication and adultery these days, and I felt really hypocritical not saying anything to you about it before, but... what *is* the official position these days?
Ron: Well... it's a sin.
Sammy: Good, I think it should be!
Ron: But we try not to focus on that aspect right off the bat.
Sammy: Why not? I think you should.
Ron: Well...
Sammy: Maybe it was better when they screamed at you from the box for having sex with your married boss, they told you what a terrible thing it was, they were really mean to you. Maybe it would be better if you just told me that I'm endangering my immortal soul and that if I don't stop, I'm gonna burn in hell. Don't you ever think that?
Ron: No, not really.
Ron: Well... it's a sin.
Sammy: Good, I think it should be!
Ron: But we try not to focus on that aspect right off the bat.
Sammy: Why not? I think you should.
Ron: Well...
Sammy: Maybe it was better when they screamed at you from the box for having sex with your married boss, they told you what a terrible thing it was, they were really mean to you. Maybe it would be better if you just told me that I'm endangering my immortal soul and that if I don't stop, I'm gonna burn in hell. Don't you ever think that?
Ron: No, not really.
