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I
AM SAM
I
Am Sam is the compelling story of Sam Dawson, a mentally-challenged
father raising his daughter Lucy with the help of a unique group
of friends. As Lucy turns seven and begins to intellectually surpass
her father, their close bond is threatened when their unconventional
living arrangement comes to the attention of a social worker who
wants Lucy placed in foster care.
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I AM SAM
(2002)
This page was created on January 20, 2002
This page was last updated on
May 21, 2005
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Credits
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Directed by Jessie Nelson
Writing credits: Kristine Johnson & Jessie Nelson
Sean
Penn .... Sam Dawson
Michelle Pfeiffer .... Rita Harrison
Laura Dern .... Randy Carpenter
Dakota Fanning .... Lucy Diamond Dawson
Dianne Wiest .... Annie
Joseph Rosenberg .... Joe
Brad Silverman .... Brad
Richard Schiff .... Turner
Stanley DeSantis .... Robert
Loretta Devine .... Margaret Calgrove
Doug Hutchison .... Ifty
Rosalind Chao .... Lily
Ken Jenkins .... Judge McNeily
Wendy Phillips .... Miss Wright
Mason Lucero .... Conner Rhodes
Scott Paulin .... Duncan Rhodes
Bobby Cooper .... George
Kit McDonough .... Ms. Davis
Kimberly Scott .... Gertie
Michael B. Silver .... Dr. Jaslow
Caroline Keenan .... Rebecca
Eileen Ryan .... Estelle
Mary Steenburgen .... Dr. Blake
Marin Hinkle .... Patricia Chase
MacKenzie Bebak .... Willy
Rafer Weigel .... Bruce
Emiko Parise .... Nurse
Pamela Dunlap .... Grace
Produced by
Michael
De Luca .... executive producer
Claire
Rudnick Polstein .... executive producer
David Rubin .... executive producer
Marshall
Herskovitz .... producer
Jessie Nelson .... producer
Richard Solomon .... producer
Edward Zwick .... producer
Barbara
A. Hall .... co-producer
Lisa
Campbell .... associate producer
Original
music by John Powell
Cinematography by Elliot Davis
Film Editing by Richard Chew
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for language
FOR
RATING REASONS, GO TO FILMRATINGS.COM,
and MPAA.ORG.
PARENTS PLEASE REFER TO PARENTALGUIDE.ORG
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I
Am Sam
Music From and Inspired By the Motion Picture
Various Artists - Soundtrack - 2001
 Jessie
Nelson's poignant tale of a mentally challenged man named Sam (Sean
Penn) who recruits a lawyer to help him regain custody of his young
daughter leans heavily on the lead character's obsession with Beatles
songs, and his innocent trust in their wisdom and emotional truth.
It's an artistic gambit that shrewdly lends itself to this mostly
rewarding collection of Beatles covers by a wide range of contemporary
artists, many of whom no doubt leapt at the chance to record a treasured
song by their own musical heroes. The renditions are by and large
faithful, and inform the elemental genius of the originals by the
strength and variety of the artist's voices alone. The husband-wife
team of Aimee Mann and Michael Penn (Sean's brother) can't help
but find resonance in "Two of Us," just as Nick Cave's latter-day,
heart-on-his-sleeve crooner infatuation makes "Let It Be" all his
own. It's the reinterpretations that are riskier. While Paul Westerberg's
stripped-down, nasal reading of "Nowhere Man" perceptively underscores
Lennon's inherent Dylan fetish and Howie Day turns "Help!" from
anxious plea to desperate dirge, Grandaddy smugly alt-rocks the
energy right out of "Revolution." The Beatles hardly need anyone
to burnish their reputation, but this album goes a long way toward
underscoring their most undersung legacy as rock's most transcendent
melting pot. -Jerry McCulley -Amazon.com
1.
Two of Us - Aimee Mann & Michael Penn 2. Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan
3. Across the Universe - Rufus Wainright 4. I'm Looking Through
You - The Wallflowers 5. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - Eddie
Vedder 6. Strawberry Fields - Ben Harper 7. Mother Nature's Son
- Sheryl Crow 8. Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds 9. I'm Only Sleeping
- The Vines 10. Don't Let Me Down - Stereophonics 11. Lucy in the
Sky with Diamonds - The Black Crowes 12. Julia - Chocolate Genius
13. We Can Work It Out - Heather Nova 14. Help - Howie Day 15. Nowhere
Man - Paul Westerberg 16. Revolution - Grandaddy 17. Let It Be -
Nick Cave
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LOVE
IS ALL YOU NEED
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 STUDIO
SYNOPSIS:
I Am Sam is the compelling story of Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a mentally-challenged
father raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) with the help
of a unique group of friends. As Lucy turns seven and begins to
intellectually surpass her father, their close bond is threatened
when their unconventional living arrangement comes to the attention
of a social worker who wants Lucy placed in foster care.
Faced
with a seemingly unwinnable case, Sam vows to fight the legal system
and forms an unlikely alliance with Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer),
a high-powered, self-absorbed attorney who takes his case pro bono
as a challenge from her colleagues. Together they must now convince
the system that selfless love is the most precious gift a parent
can give.
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Review
By
DARREL MANSON BLOG
Pastor,
Artesia Christian Church, Artesia, CA
http://netministries.org/see/churches/ch01198
Darrel
has an incredible love and interest in the cinematic arts.
His reviews usually include independent and significantly important
film.
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 I
Am Sam is filled with wonderful performances. Sean Penn
plays Sam, a loving, devoted, but mentally handicapped father. Michelle
Pfeiffer is Rita, a bitchy, workaholic lawyer and essentially absent
parent who tries to allow Sam to keep his daughter Lucy. Director
and co-writer Jessie Nelson has done a wonderful job at helping us
see this world, primarily in sympathy with Sam. |
 The
story itself is somewhat mediocre. There isn't a court
around that would or should give serious consideration to letting
Sam parent this child. It's not that he is a bad or abusive parent,
but his mental capacity is that of a seven year old and Lucy is surpassing
him quickly. Indeed, in many ways, Lucy is quickly becoming a parent
to Sam. To be sure, there is great love shared between them, but can
that love by itself be enough for Lucy to grow up? She has begun to
hold herself back in school so she won't be smarter than Sam. Obviously,
something has to be done for her sake. |
 But
how do you make that something happen? As the system tries
to do what needs to be done, we begin to see the selfishness of the
people involved. Sam loves to read "Green Eggs and Ham" (after all,
he's Sam) to Lucy and keeps reading it "one more time" even when she's
tired and has school the next day. When Lucy is put into a foster
home. Sam cries in the courtroom, "I want Lucy to come home with me."
(And the lines are delivered with the emphasis on "I" and "me".) When
he thinks that Rita doesn't think he should be Lucy's parent, she
says it doesn't matter only that she wins. Sam replies, "It matters
to me!" (Again, the emphasis is on "me".) |
 For
Rita, what matters is for her to win -- not that it is right or wrong,
but that she win. She is staying in a bad marriage, because
she refuses to admit she's lost. Her son (the same age as Lucy) is
cut off from any of the great love that Lucy has been showered with.
When Sam first meets her, he witnesses her throw a tantrum in her
office. She only takes his case because he manages to talk to her
with others around and she knows it will make her look like a good
person for her to take a pro bono case. |
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 Lucy's
foster mother, Randy, yearns for Lucy to love her. She
wants to adopt Lucy to really be her daughter. Once when Lucy has
snuck out and gone to Sam's apartment, Sam brings her back when
she's asleep. Randy says to him, "Give me my daughter."
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 Even
Lucy has moments of selfishness. She is becoming embarrassed
by Sam's retardation. She has told some of her playmates that he's
not her real father; she's adopted.
All
of these selfish people pulling in their own direction is the way
the world often seems to work. And the struggle of that pulling
will only bring injury to all those involved.
 In
time, all of them discover that for a happy resolution, they must
give up their selfishness. Sam knows that it is better
for Lucy to be with people who can help her grow. Rita discovers
that life is not about winning, it is about the people that she
has the chance to love. Randy discovers that children aren't to
be owned and that home is that place where love is great.
When
all begin to live and act in behalf of others needs, they find the
way to deal with Lucy's well being and happiness.
Jesus
said, "If anyone would be my disciple, let them deny themselves
. . .." Paul wrote, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each
of you look not to your own interest, but to the interest of others."
When
we discover the ways to do that in our lives, the possibilities
of well being and happiness open themselves, just as they did in
the lives of all those involved in the lives of Sam and Lucy.
Continue
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Review,
Trailers, Photos
About the Cast
About the Filmmakers
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PHOTOS
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Review,
Trailers, Photos
About the Cast
About the Filmmakers |
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OFFICIAL
SITE
I Am Sam © 2002 New Line Cinema. All Rights
Reserved.
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