the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Sam's daughter, Lucy, is seven and her teachers fear that . By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. In the stands, Sam's friend group as well as Rita and her child cheer on. 'I Am Sam'- Assessment Sam is the main character in 'I Am Sam'. Maybe its because I'm a father of a six year-old girl, but I was moved by the love between father and daughter, Sam and Lucy. Starbucks is prominently featured as Sam's workplace, and many other products and retailers are identified. The site's consensus reads: "Not only does the manipulative I Am Sam oversimplify a complex issue, it drowns it in treacle. Another reviewer said the topics and a couple of scenes might be too harsh for small children. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. and the Espaol (prximamente) - volver al inicio, Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More, Growing Up Queer: Thoughtful Books About LGBTQ+ Youth, Check out new Common Sense Selections for games, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews. Sam also gets some help from an entourage of friends, and all goes along pretty well until Lucy, at age 7, begins to surpass Sam intellectually. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. "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. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and In turn, Sam asks Randy if she will help him raise Lucy because he feels she needs a mother figure. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. The soundtrack was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Moving but unrealistic film has mature themes, profanity. You're almost there! Read full review. He some how raises her with help from a neighbor, played by Diane Wiest. She loved this raw movie. When Family Protective Services try to take Lucy away, Sam gets intense lawyer Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer) to help him. Copyright Fandango. ", "The funniest, sexiest midlife crisis in movie history. Not retarded. Nearly seven years later in 2001, Sam provides a loving place for precocious Lucy, though she soon surpasses his mental capacity and ability. This analytical process may be difficult for those that would like to be identified with our handicapped caregiver, but find the self-absorbed lawyer closer to the truth. The child." Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings. 2 hr 12 min. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. "A journey through understanding and fellowship. The real miracle of the movie, though, is young Fanning, who gives a performance of such sincerity, subtlety, and delicacy that she almost carries the entire movie herself. Loading. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Even with the newfound help of Randy as a mother figure to Sam, one can't help but wonder how a sequel of the movie would pan out. I think that this is a great movie. Sam's displays of resourcefulness win the day, and when he convinces Lucy's would-be foster mother Randy (Laura Dern)that he's up to the task of parenting and asks her to help with Lucy's upbringing Randy decides to side with Sam, which ultimately convinces the court. It has become apparent that Lucy surpassed her father in intelligence, and she is struggling to cope with classmates and friends making fun of Sam. In I AM SAM, Sam Dawson ( ), a mentally challenged man who wipes the tables at Starbucks, decides to fight for custody of his daughter, Lucy ( Dianne Wiest ). The film collected nearly $100 million at the box office on a modest budget, earned a SAG Award win and Oscar nom for Penn and turned Fanning, who also won a. Families can talk about what Sam should do to give Lucy everything she needs. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita (Pfeiffer) to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family. I find it unrealistic that a reviewer said too much bad words for their 11 and 15-year-old. PG-13. Sam loves his daughter more than anyone else, and she loves him, but it will take more than love for him to see her through grade school and adolescence and out into the world. He was a god damn war hero, do you know any retarded war hero's? Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. In an attempt to prove that she is not cold, Rita agrees to take on Sam's case pro bono. she explains, "He is." A female character swears occasionally: one use of "f--k," along with numerous instances of "goddammit," "hell," and other mild epithets. He named his daughter after "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," and has learned most of life's lessons from Beatles songs. Jessie Nelson and Kristine Johnson, who co-wrote the . "[5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 28 of 100 based on 33 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". The heroine is a high-velocity Beverly Hills lawyer named Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer), who takes Sam's case on a pro bono basis, to prove to the other people in her office that she's not a selfish bitch. I Am Sam. Sam also gets some help from an entourage of friends, and all goes along pretty well until Lucy, at age 7, begins to surpass Sam intellectually. The would-be adoptive mother, played by Laura Dern, further complicates the issue by not being a cruel child-beater who wants the monthly state payments, but a loving, sensitive mother who would probably be great for Lucy. Since the movie does not believe this, it has a serious disagreement with most of the audience. Critics haven't been especially kind to "I Am Sam," and they've accused the movie of taking a complicated issue and simplifying it into an easily chewable Hollywood drama (via Rotten Tomatoes). The parents' guide to what's in this movie. The movie was released in 2001, and it garnered a lot of acclaim for its portrayal of the developmentally challenged members of the society. Randy assures him that she will tell the judge he is the best parent for Lucy. The movie, I Am Sam is about a single father who has a developmental disability and who has an IQ of a seven-year-old who wants and tries to take care of his baby daughter. A mentally handicapped man fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter and in the process teaches his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family.A mentally handicapped man fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter and in the process teaches his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family.A mentally handicapped man fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter and in the process teaches his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family. The lesson "I Am Sam" wants to teach us is, "All you need is love." Regardless of whether you're taken in by Penn's Oscar bait performance, or disagree with the way the film juxtaposes his act with some of the movie's other actors with actual disabilities, chances are that you have plenty of thoughts about the movie's ending. Coming Soon. What problems are they likely to have as she gets older? 2001 American drama film by Jessie Nelson, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, Satellite Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Drama, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer, Satellite Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New Talent, Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Young Actress Age Ten or Under, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, "I Am Sam (2001) Financial Information", "Vedder, Crowes Cover Beatles for 'I Am Sam', "Movie Review 'I Am Sam' A Retarded Man Tries to Keep His Child", "In 'I Am Sam,' Skillful Players Embrace a Heartfelt Family Tale", "Penn plays sad 'Sam' / He's full of integrity as retarded father", George Harrison: Living in the Material World, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Am_Sam&oldid=1141650730, Films about fatherdaughter relationships, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth Actress, Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New Talent, Best Performance in a Feature Film Young Actress Age Ten or Under, Allison and Jillian Thormahlen as infant Lucy, Felicity Ann and Makindra Sherry Forbes as 18-month-old Lucy, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 03:24. It aired on KBS2 from August 6 to October 2, 2007, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 ( KST) time slot for 16 episodes. The message of "I am Sam" is more than your typical get-out-the-handkerchief movie. 7.6 2 h 12 min 2002 PG-13. You can buy "I Am Sam" on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, DIRECTV, Redbox as download or rent it on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DIRECTV, Spectrum On Demand online. She's a bright kid and figures out the answer herself, and when a classmate at grade school asks, "Why does your father act like a retard?" Terms and Policies As movie plots go, "I Am Sam" ends in a somewhat predictable manner. You can't have heroes and villains when the wrong side is making the best sense. Download. You can help us help kids by Retarded, maybe. Your privacy is important to us. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website. Sean Penn plays Sam, a mentally challenged man that instantly becomes a single parent, when the mother immediately abandons them when they leave the hospital. We search near and far for original movie trailer from all decades. Sean Penn gives an excellent performance as a developmentally disabled man who needs to hire a lawyer to get custody of his daughter. Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a mentally challenged man with a mind of a child, is living in Los Angeles and is single-handedly raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning), whom he fathered from a homeless woman who wanted nothing to do with Lucy and left him the day of her birth. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in . But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Discovering a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Jessie Nelson-directed movie via subscription can be a . Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they . suggesting a diversity update. Slow, yes. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. See our. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. director of photography Film Editing by Richard Chew Casting By Mary Gail Artz Barbara Cohen On her eighth birthday, child protective services take her away from Sam. Apart from the main plot that deals with Sam's struggle to be a father to Lucy, "I AmSam"also prominently focuses on Michelle Pfeiffer's hard-boiled Rita, who enters the scene as a cold, work-oriented person who's clearly estranged from her family, as well as the majority of life's good things. Cinemark Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff and Laura Dern appear in supporting roles. Dakota Fanning won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer, the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Youth in Film, the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth Actress, the Satellite Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New Talent, and the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Young Actress Age Ten or Under. Penn appears to be apeing rather than becoming mentally disabled. But Penn gives a first-rate performance, and Pfeiffer holds her own. [9] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "every device of the movie's art is designed to convince us Lucy must stay with Sam, but common sense makes it impossible to go the distance with the premise. The glowing last scene, with Sam performing in a role that's clearly beyond what he has been shown to be capable of, is just phony. After a mentally challenged father is separated from his young daughter, he enlists a brilliant attorney to help him win back custody. What's more, she's last seen happily watching Lucy's football game with her son, which shows that she's grown to be a capable parent. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. But by making anyone who thinks that maybe a child needs more than a mentally challenged parent can provide look like a monster, they turn the characters into cardboard. I Am Sam written by 2001 The Story of Us written by 1999 Stepmom screenplay 1998 Chicago Hope story by TV Series 1996 1 episode Corrina, Corrina written by 1994 To the Moon, Alice Writer Short 1990 Daniel and the Towers Writer TV Movie 1987 Producer Previous 9 Little Voice executive producer (showrunner) TV Series 2020 9 episodes Love the Coopers Its a 2001 movie but right now its 2019 about to 2020 in a couple of weeks. Synopsis. Coming Soon, Regal If only the filmmakers had trusted the material and the audience a little more, then I Am Sam wouldn't feel so manipulative and dishonest. We won't share this comment without your permission. Starring Sean Penn Michell Pfeiffer Dianne West Dakota Fanning Richard Schiff Doug Hutchison Loretta Devine Laura Dern Stanley DeSantis Brad Silverman. "[12] David Denby of The New Yorker, found Michelle Pfeiffer to be the standout: "Pfeiffer, enormously likable in the role, almost saves the movie."[13]. Coming Soon. This is where the movie fails. They subsequently cast two actors with disabilities, Brad Silverman and Joe Rosenberg, in key roles. Other characters (two of whom are actually developmentally disabled) give insightful performances that may enlighten older kids and teens about people with special needs. Against the odds, I Am Sam was a hit. What was the official certification given to I Am Sam (2001) in Mexico? [1][2] For his role as Sam, Penn was highly acclaimed and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. Afterward, she resides in a foster home with Miranda Randy Carpenter, but tries to convince Sam to help her run away. The mother disappeared right after giving birth (her farewell words: "All I wanted was a place to sleep"), and now Sam is doing his best to cope, although sometimes Lucy has to help him with her homework. "[10] Ebert also criticized the morality tale character of the movie, saying that "you can't have heroes and villains when the wrong side is making the best sense. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. She became the youngest actress to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff, and Laura Dern appear in supporting roles. The album contents are made up entirely of cover versions of songs by The Beatles, although it was originally intended to consist of the group's original recordings. Let's take a closer look at the ending of "I Am Sam.". Although Lucy's mother, a homeless woman, leaves right after Lucy is born, Sam does just fine at first, with help from an agoraphobic neighbor (Dianne Wiest).