I Am Sam (2002)

I Am Sam makes you laugh, cry, and recoil all at the same time. Perhaps no other film of recent memory has epitomized the shameless sentimentality of Hollywood as succinctly as director and screenwriter Jessie Nelson's story of a mentally challenged man fighting to retain custody of his 7-year-old daughter. Sam (Sean Penn), who has the mental age of 7, wipes down tables at a Los Angeles Starbucks and takes good care of his daughter Lucy, who was left with him shortly after birth by a homeless woman. Sam has gotten by just fine with a little help from his friends, including his eccentric neighbor (Diane Wiest) and a lovable group of similarly challenged friends, but a series of misunderstandings leaves Sam fighting to get Lucy back from the state. Sam's lawyer, Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), is an overly ambitious woman whose life is soon transformed by proximity to Sam's brimming humanity. Sean Penn is, as usual, wholeheartedly committed to his role and turns in an admirable, if overtly affected performance. However, I Am Sam, with all its earnest charm, reaches an emblematic low when Sam, a character apparently devoid of any authentic sentiment, delivers a courtroom speech memorized from Kramer vs. Kramer as the film's finale. --Fionn Meade Amazon.com

Sean Penn is amazing

I've never seen this movie before, but my mum was practically giving it away (she's running out of space) so I grabbed it, and just happened to be in the mood for it. Instead of letting it sit and gather dust until I happen to be in the mood for it. Like most of my "to watch" pile is.

I Am Sam is one of those gems of movies that just has to be seen. From the sweetness of Sam, to the sarcasticness of Michelle Pfeiffer, to Dakota Fanning's debut film role. Each character has a role to fill, and the film could have so failed miserably, but each star makes their role special. Sean was unbelievable as Sam, although there are influences from Rain Man. He captures every emotion perfectly, of a bewildered father, from putting on a nappy (with badges), to reading to his daughter, to trying to work out life without her. And trying to deal with making coffees for demanding customers.

He has a kind of support network around him. His developmentally disabled friends, and Dianne Wiest as his neighbour, they help him raise Lucy each in their own unique way.

When Sam gets accidentally arrested, he needs a lawyer, preferably a lawyer that will work for $8 an hour, which is what he earns. Enter Rita, a woman who's husband works late every night, a son is stuck in the middle of warring parents, and a demanding job. She initally struggles with Sam, but by the end of the movie, her eyes have been opened, after having an almost breakdown of sorts and she gets shot of her no good husband.

I'm not sure about the soundtrack to the film, mainly featuring other artists singing Beatles tracks. I'm not old enough to remember the Beatles in their hey day, and I didn't grow up with my parents listening to their music, so that whole theme to the movie was a bit lost to me. Quite a few Beatles references are there and I guess it would mean much more to a Beatles fan. I just wasn't keen on it.

I do think there should have been more in the background of Dianne Wiest's character, as there's only a small revelation late in the movie, but I'm not sure if that would have detracted from the movie. I would have liked to have found out more about her anyway.

It's an extremely hard film to watch at times, but I would definitely recommend it, for Sean Penn's role alone. He was amazing, and you can see a lot of research went into the movie. I would highly recommend this movie, you can't not see this movie. November 21, 2008

At least a whole box of tissues...

What a movie! The themes of love and loss, the underdog who wins in the end. The bullies who torment the sweet underdog are the stuff of legend.

This movie is full of archetypal images. But mostly it is about love!

All You Need Is Love!

Gonna keep this short and sweet because lots of other people have already reviewed it.

1. The acting is wonderful
2. The script is good as well, obviously fairly unrealistic
3. It is a real feel good movie
4. I fell in love with Sam when he was naming his baby from The Beatles song
5. I cried my eyes out the entire time
6. It was cool seeing Data in a bit part and the Lady of the Evening also being a cast member of Next Gen was great as well

Buy it. I guarantee you'll watch again and again! Just make sure you have lots of tissues on hand! October 20, 2008

Dakota's auspicious debut

Films about the developmentally disabled often border on ridiculous and demeaning. There are a few exceptions: Cuckoo's Nest & Rain Man immediately come to mind, and not to forget What's Eating Gilbert Grape (where Leonardo was nothing short of flawless). I Am Sam is such a film, with Sean Penn giving a thorough, heart-felt (and highly lauded) performance. There are issues, however, and the only time he really has to prove his 7-year old mentality is the perfectly uncomfortable temper tantrum he has at Bob's Big Boy. Michelle Pfeiffer is also excellent as a personally conflicted high-priced lawyer, who has enough problems of her own, while helping poor Sam. I won't blab away the plot, other than a disabled man is trying to retain custody of his daughter. There are so many wonderful performances in this film, including a cache of Sam's supportive cronies, also with various disabilities. Among these, Doug Hutchison (The Green Mile) finally has a role worthy of his talents, albeit it a minor role. I would like to see him more often. Wonderful supporting roles from Dianne Wiest, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine and the always reliable Laura Dern are perfect. Most stunning is the intuitive, confident and complete performance of young Dakota Fanning (nominated by SAG). Children often see things that we "grown-ups" aren't in tune with; she's a smart, loving daughter who's all too aware that dad isn't "normal", and when her intelligence surpasses his, she is afraid; such a loving performance, and so natural. Director Jessie Nelson is all too aware of the sensitivity involved. The DVD extras are plentiful and insightful. This is truly a labor of love. Even at 2¼ hours, I was never bored. This controversial subject matter will always concern viewers regarding it's sensitivity level. In Ms. Nelson's hands, one must not worry about that. Well researched and well presented, I recommend "I Am Sam" to everyone who can appreciate a good story about a subject that many people choose to avoid. October 20, 2008

The magnificent performances help dull the films preposterousness...

To say that `I am Sam' is not moving, stirring and heartbreaking would be a bold faced lie. Truth be told, this movie made me bawl, and I am not ashamed to say that. To say that this is an accurate depiction of the challenges of the mentally handicapped would also be a bold faced lie, for `I am Sam' is really a text book example of how Hollywood always tends to sink its sentimental claws into everything that is honest and pure. Instead of delivering a plausible or even remotely relatable account, `I am Sam' borders on preposterous, at times jumping right over the fence and running full speed ahead at the forest of ridiculousness.

That said, I still cry every time.

Here we have the story of Sam Dawson, a mentally handicapped middle aged man who spends his days working at Starbucks and his evenings taking care of his daughter. Yes, Sam has a child, who was bore to him by a homeless woman who left him moments after Lucy (named Lucy Diamond Dawson after the Beatles song) was born. Sam has done a fine job raising Lucy with the help of friends and neighbors, but after a slew of misunderstandings raise concern over Sam's ability to remain a suitable parent, Lucy is removed from Sam's home and he finds himself struggling to fight for custody.

As many have noted both here on this site and critically when the film was released, the plot for this film is preposterous and even borders offensive at times. It's depiction of the handicapped is rather one-note, and the entire eclipsed prose is rather unbelievable.

What does make sense is the stupendous acting.

Yes, what makes `I am Sam' worth a watch is the magnificent performances by the entire cast. Sean Penn, an actor who is rather hit-or-miss with me, soars as Sam. Yes, his performance can at times appear desperate (he does `overdo' it a tad) but it also comes off very genuine and sincere. He suffers a bit because of the heavyhanded and often saccharine scripting, especially in the courtroom scenes, but he never loses the sincerity in his eyes. Michelle Pfeiffer is also genuine and engaging as Rita, Sam's reluctant lawyer. She is able to reach levels of understanding within her character that could have easily gone overlooked.

And then there is Dakota Fanning, totally snubbed of an Oscar nomination and brimming with brilliance as young Lucy. Her heartfelt and utterly devastating portrayal of a young child in love with a father who she is being told in incapable of loving her is just dynamic to say the least. She proves here beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has what it takes to become one of the biggest stars we'll ever see.

In the end I cannot say that `I am Sam' is a bad film, because I actually really like this movie. But I can say that when taken apart and looked at on the films merit alone, it is really poorly constructed. The script is filled with holes and improbabilities that reflect poorly on the overall impact the film is supposed to have. But, the film is delivered in such a way that those inconsistencies are easily ignored. The performances are so raw and invested that one fails to see the films many faults until later, when he or she has a chance to truly reflect on the film as a whole. So, sit back and enjoy this beautiful story, just don't take it too seriously. October 17, 2008

Sweet and sour

This is the most shamelessly cloying movie I have yet seen. A man with the mental capacity of a 7-year-old can't possibly raise a child, period, end of subject. This would be an amazing enough story if only to show how such a man could take care of himself, living more or less independently. But not only is Sam able to take care of himself, working at a minimum wage job and living in a nice apartment, he is also able to raise a child and somehow afford all the expenses. Apparently there is a lot I could learn from Sam!

The child is the best and the worst part of the story. She is so cute, so sweet, so intelligent, so wise, so affectionate, and so loyal that any parents watching her will melt in the fantasy that their own normal kids could be half as good. In one courtroom scene a witness testifies that the girl is so smart not in spite of her father's shortcomings but because of his love and constancy. I suppose something can be said for always eating dinner at House of Pancakes and reading Green Eggs and Ham a hundred times each night.

The courtroom scenes were funny. Any witness expressing a concern for Sam's ability to be a competent, responsible parent was discredited for some secret and devastating failing in her personal life. In other words, if normal parents make mistakes, get confused, and mess up then who's to say that Sam, with the capacity of a 7-year-old, would do any worse? In fact he may do better.

Then there is the awkward scene when Sam's beautiful lawyer Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer) puts a suit and tie on him and for a brief instant seems to feel enough attraction to consider a pro bono tryst. After all, her husband is cheating on her, so why not?

What I enjoyed most about the movie were the Beatles' songs performed by various cover artists. But it's a fantasy to think that to raise a child in Los Angeles "all you need is love." If a 7-year-old attempts to be a single dad it would be more like helter-skelter. September 15, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...