I Am Sam (2001)

just watch it!

Brilliant and touching

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

As a political and social commentary this film is ridiculous. If it sounds like a retard, looks like a retard and talks like an educated individual, it is not a retard! So the premise on its face is farcical. However, as a dark comedy that the whole family can enjoy, it is spectacular. Sean Penn is so earnest, forthright, and full of wisdom in this film, that we were in hysterics because he really does look and sound like a low IQ, totally handicapped person. But he is deep, perceptive and spews the lines equaling about 110 or 120 IQ. To be cynical about it, though the ACLU has fought for the criminally and legally insane to roam the streets many times and won over and over, the truth is that nothing but disaster has resulted in being this PC.

I knew this film was about a man with severe learning difficulties who has a daughter, and I know the leading actor and actress, but I did not realise it got mixed to negative reviews, it was a bit surprising, but I had to see what I thought of it for myself. Basically in Los Angeles, Sam Dawson (Oscar nominated Sean Penn) is a man with autism, a developmental disability, following the abandonment by her mother, a homeless woman who "just needed a place to sleep", he becomes single father to his daughter, Lucy (Dakota Fanning). Despite his limitations, Sam is well-adjusted, with a job working at Starbucks, a supportive group of friends with developmental disabilities, and kind, agoraphobic neighbour Annie (Dianne Wiest) who takes care of Lucy when he cannot. Though Sam provides precocious Lucy with a loving and caring environment, she surpasses his mental ability, he has a mental age of 7, other children tease Lucy having a "retard" as a father, and she is too embarrassed to accept that she is more intellectually advanced than Sam. After Sam's parenting skills come into question and the authorities threaten to take Lucy away from him, Sam is advised by his friends to approach high-powered lawyer Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer). Rita has a reputation as being cold and unfeeling, due to a brusque manner, fast-paced schedule and difficult personal life, to prove to others that she is not heartless, Rita surprisingly agrees to take on Sam's case pro bono. As they work together to secure Sam's parental rights, Sam unwittingly helps Rita with her family problems, including encouraging her to leave her cheating husband and repairing her fractured relationship with her son. Sam and Rita share an emotional moment, both feeling that they have never felt good enough to solve their situations, they sob and hug each other. At the trial, Rita does everything she can to prove that Sam could be a good father to Lucy, but Sam breaks down following the counsel opposition that he is not capable of all responsibilities of being a father. After the trial, Lucy is put in foster care, residing in a home with Randy Carpenter (Laura Dern), who does everything she can to prove herself as her new "parent", while Sam is promoted and finds a new apartment in the neighbourhood. Lucy continually escapes from her room in the middle of the night to go to Sam's apartment, she tries to convince him that they should run away, but he returns her to the foster home each time. Randy realises she cannot give Lucy the same love that she has for Sam, the foster family decide ultimately not to go ahead with adopting Lucy, she will return her to Sam, Randy will tell the judge that Sam is a suitable and better parent for Lucy, they also make an arrangement that Randy will help raise her. The final scene takes place at a soccer game, Sam is refereeing and Lucy is playing, Randy and the foster family, Sam's friends and newly single Rita and her son are watching. Also starring Loretta Devine as Margaret Calgrove, Richard Schiff as Mr. Turner, Brad Allan Silverman as Brad, Mary Steenburgen as Dr. Blake, Joseph Rosenberg as Joe, Stanley DeSantis as Robert, The Green Mile's Doug Hutchison as Ifty and Ken Jenkins as Judge Philip McNeily. Penn is just about passable about the disabled man with a passion for Beatles music, but it is obvious this performance is for vanity, Pfeiffer is a little stereotypical as the lawyer who learns life lessons through helping her innocent client, and Fanning making her big screen debut is alright. You could argue this portrait of mental illness is offensive, inaccurate and even unhelpful, the script is overly sentimental, it is only mildly funny in moments, maybe for the wrong reasons, and it is perhaps a little too long, you could just shun it is Kramer vs. Kramer meets Forrest Gump, or Rain Man, but I went with it, a sort of uncomfortable but not completely awful comedy drama. Adequate!

I think there are points in everyone's life when we begin to question our parent's love for us, or how we'd have turned out had we been born into a different family. The grass being greener on the other side concept. Then there comes a point when we stop questioning and we start to accept the love for what it is. We settle for 'enough', not willing to believe that perhaps we deserve more than what we have now.This film provokes intense appreciation for all we have been blessed with: we may have faults, deficiencies, we may be victims of disorders, but we are what we make of ourselves: we are more than what we are born with, more than the families we've been born into. No family's perfect: too often we think those who have been born into a rich lifestyle are so happy...But money doesn't solve all of our problems. Money can't buy you love: at least not the real kind of love.This film portrays the powerful love a father has for his child, how he wants the best for her- even if it means separation from him. A man willing to fight and determined to achieve custody of his little girl. I'm unafraid to admit that this film made me cry, sob uncontrollably and made me forget whatever suffering I've ever gone through. Yep-the type of film that shifts your life's problems into perspective. There's nothing greater and more powerful than the love between a child and their caregivers. And there's nothing that serves as a greater blessing than having a love akin to that.I recommend this film because it encompasses a beautiful and true message and because there's real feeling in the characters. I have nothing more to say, just that there aren't enough films out there that have you feeling so broken, only to lift your spirits over.

I Am Sam is a very inspiring tale and an emotional movie that can be hard to watch at times due to the subject matter. Along with such films like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, this film tackles a very tough subject in mental illness and it creates a theme about how anyone can love, even if the person has a mental capacity of a seven-year-old. Sean Penn is at his best here as he delivers another fine performance, even if his performance is questionably full-fledged. This film is about a man named Sam who has the mental capacity of a seven-ear-old, works at Starbucks, and is obsessed with the Beatles. One day, a homeless woman gives birth to a girl with Sam as the father. The state fears that he is incompetent as a father and take his daughter away from him. Now Sam enlists the help of a hotshot lawyer named Rita to help him win the case. As said before, Sean Penn delivers a magnificent performance. People have questioned his performance, but the purpose of acting is to become a different character and that is exactly what Sean Penn did. Michelle Pfieffer delivers a strong performance as the lawyer, Rita who learns the lessons of love along the way. Dakota Fanning musters a strong, natural performance as Sam's daughter. Finally, Laura Dern does a good job as the foster mother. Overall, I Am Sam is the kind of film that teaches people to love all over again. If you have any children, remember to say how much you love them. This is a drama that could take place in reality, thus giving the movie even more of an emotional bite. A very good, powerful movie thanks to Sean Penn's effective performance. My Grade: A