I Am Sam poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine ... see more see more... , Richard Schiff , Laura Dern , Brad J. Silverman , Joseph Rosenberg , Stanley de Santis , Doug Hutchison , Mary Steenburgen , Caroline Keenan , Chase Mackenzie Bebak , Mason Lucero , Scott Paulin , Kathleen Robertson , French Stewart , Ken Jenkins

Sean Penn stars in this drama as Sam Dawson, a developmentally disabled adult who has been working at a coffee shop and raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) for seven years. Sam receives help in... read more read more... his parenting duties from a circle of trusted confidantes, including his ADD-afflicted best friend Ifty (Doug Hutchison), the paranoid Robert (Stanley DeSantis), an agoraphobic neighbor (Dianne Wiest), and his other disabled pals, Brad and Joe (played by real-life developmentally challenged actors Brad Silverman and Joseph Rosenberg). Although he provides a structured and loving environment for Lucy that includes regular visits to IHOP, video nights, and karaoke, Sam's daughter is beginning to surpass him in mental acuity. When Lucy begins intentionally stunting her own growth so as not to hurt her beloved father, social worker Margaret (Loretta Devine) takes action, removing the girl from her home and placing her in the temporary care of a foster mother, Randy (Laura Dern). As the day of his hearing looms, Sam seeks out the aid of driven, obsessive lawyer Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), who takes the case only to prove to her colleagues that she is willing to accept pro bono work. Opposed by county lawyer Turner (Richard Schiff) in court, Rita gradually comes to care for her client and his daughter, even as they force her to consider the limitations of her own abilities as a parent. The soundtrack for I Am Sam (2001) gained considerable critical attention, consisting entirely of Beatles cover songs by such contemporary artists as The Black Crowes, Eddie Vedder, the Wallflowers, and Aimee Mann, among others. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

87% liked it

277,330 ratings

Critics

34% liked it

143 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 12 min.

Directed by: Jessie Nelson

Release Date: December 28, 2001

Keywords: touching, sad

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 18, 2002

Get It:

Stats: 16,931 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

I Am Sam Sean Penn & Dakota Fanning in I Am Sam I Am Sam Sean Penn in I Am Sam I Am Sam I AM SAM [L] I Am Sam i am sam I Am Sam I Am Sam Lucy Sean Penn and Dakota Fanning Lucy Dakota Fanning in I am Sam Michelle Pfeiffer & Sean Penn in I Am Sam Dakota Fanning in I Am Sam I Am Sam Dakota Fanning in I Am Sam
Upload a Photo | View All I Am Sam Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (16,931)

  • fb7018436
    April 11, 2012
    fb7018436
    Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a p... read moreing-pong competition. That ain't retarded. He was a god damn war hero, do you know any retarded war hero's?
  • fb100002359227440
    January 28, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    I Am Sam presents great actings of the cast and bring a cute, confused and nice story. But the strong sentimentalism, don't save the film. Rotten.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    December 11, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I Am Sam is a wonderful drama film. Director Jessie Nelson directs this story about a mentally disabled adult named Sam. Sam has the mental capacity of a child and he has a daughter named Lucy. Unfortunately, Lucy is growing in intellectual capacity, and it's raising important qu... read moreestions. Sam Dawson is brilliantly played by Sean Penn and there is a great cast starring opposite him. The film is sad and is a very good film with a great story. The acting is brilliant, and this is a memorable drama film. Sean Penn is great here, and he has good on-screen chemistry with actress Dakota Fanning. The film at times is uneven, but that doesn't make I Am San any less enjoyable. The film has heart, and like I said the stand out aspect of the film is Sean Penn's performance. This is a well made film, and director Jessie Nelson has made a great film and is entertaining from start to finish. Penn makes this film work very well, and he delivers one of his best performances. I Am Sam is an enjoyable film that touching, sad, funny and heartwarming. As far as drama films are concerned, I Am Sam is great little film that is impossible not to like. The cast make this film better, and they really elevate the story and film a bit more. Despite its flaws, I Am Sam is worth watching and once you do, you're sure to enjoy it. A very good film from start to finish, and with a cast like this, it is a winner.
  • cosmo313
    June 16, 2011
    cosmo313
    This film, upon its release reeked of Oscar bait. Ten years later, that smell still lingers. I mean, how could it not? It's about a well meaning developmentally disabled man struggling to reclaim custody of his daughter, and prove that he is capable of raising her, even though sh... read moree is smarter than him.

    Here's the thing: I'm not an ogre, and I do have a soul. I recognize that this films is sweet, well meaning, and very charming. It has nothing but good intentions. However, this film tries a bit too hard, and is too reliant on cliches and formula. The references to Kramer Vs. Kramer were a nice litle touch, though.

    Yeah, this film is heartwarming, and inspiring, but it's overbearing, and it is a feel-good movie to the extent that none of it is really earned. I feel like the film went to a route that was expected and that it did so just because the filmmakers felt levity over reality would be better. Sometimes I'm okay with that, but in this case, I just couldn't get onboard.

    I do like the performances though. The casst is likeable, and they all put a lot of effort into things, but, like the film overall, they try to hard, hence why Sean Penn got a nomination, but went home empty-handed. He took it too far. His performance isn't offensive, and it is sensitive, but he could have made an effort to dial it down because a little goes a long way.

    I'm ripping on this movie, but I don't totally hate it. I liked the soundtrack, and the idea to use nothing but Beatles songs was very inspired. Using the originals would have been better, but these are some good covers, so it's okay.

    You can go out and see this if you want, but don't expect it to be a completely satisfying experience, even though there are some good moments to be found.
  • erika250
    March 19, 2011
    erika250
    This is a story a father named Sam that is mentally retarded. He is raising his kid at the best of his ability by him self and with the help of friends.
    One-day social workers decide to take Fanning away from Sam. That causes Sam to go a lawyer that only cares about money but ov... read moreer time she takes Sam case. As she fights the case her character changes for the better. The relationship between Sam and fanning is totally. This film has some really good acting and a good plot. Tom hanks do a good acting job in this film. If you really like touching dramas you should give this a try.
  • CloudStrife84
    December 11, 2010
    CloudStrife84
    Were I to be a cynical critic, I might have entitled this film as "Sean Penn goes Oscar-fishing". And sure, that may be true to some extent. But it wouldn't really be fair to it, as his acting is actually quite tremendous. Playing someone who is mentally handicapped can't be an e... read moreasy job to take on, yet he does so convincingly and with grace. It was also nice to see Michelle Pfeiffer again in a somewhat newly produced film. Last movie I saw her in was Stardust, and that was almost three years ago. The award for best performance though, goes without question to Dakota Fanning. She is really adorable as the daughter of Sean Penn's character, and gives absolute proof of why she's one of our time's greatest child actors (or more correctly was, as she's a teenager by now). Anyhow, the story does tends to lean a bit towards pretentiousness, and I cringed now and then at the thick layer of sentimentality. But it's got a lot of heart, no doubt, and had me quite moved at the end by its great human warmth. A film about parenting, love and society's prejudice against the mentally challenged. Too blemished and melodramatic to reach greatness, but certainly worth the investment of your time and emotions.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    August 16, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    i liked this movie, wasnt as emotional as i thought it would be, but still tugs at the heart strings!
    its wonderfully acted and ilove the storyline, michelle pfeiffer is goreous as ever, worth the watch!
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    January 7, 2010
    MeetMeinMontauk
    God, I hated this movie. Had to watch it for a psych class. I liked Dakota Fanning the best.
  • SirPant
    September 18, 2009
    SirPant
    A sweet film with good performances from Penn and Fanning.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    October 28, 2008
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "love is all you need"

    Sean Penn stars in this drama as Sam Dawson, a developmentally disabled adult who has been working at a coffee shop and raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) for seven years. Sam receives help in his parenting duties from a circle of trusted ... read moreconfidantes, including his ADD-afflicted best friend Ifty (Doug Hutchison), the paranoid Robert (Stanley DeSantis), an agoraphobic neighbor (Dianne Wiest), and his other disabled pals, Brad and Joe (played by real-life developmentally challenged actors Brad Silverman and Joseph Rosenberg). Although he provides a structured and loving environment for Lucy that includes regular visits to IHOP, video nights, and karaoke, Sam's daughter is beginning to surpass him in mental acuity. When Lucy begins intentionally stunting her own growth so as not to hurt her beloved father, social worker Margaret (Loretta Devine) takes action, removing the girl from her home and placing her in the temporary care of a foster mother, Randy (Laura Dern). As the day of his hearing looms, Sam seeks out the aid of driven, obsessive lawyer Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), who takes the case only to prove to her colleagues that she is willing to accept pro bono work. Opposed by county lawyer Turner (Richard Schiff) in court, Rita gradually comes to care for her client and his daughter, even as they force her to consider the limitations of her own abilities as a parent. The soundtrack for I Am Sam (2001) gained considerable critical attention, consisting entirely of Beatles cover songs by such contemporary artists as The Black Crowes, Eddie Vedder, the Wallflowers, and Aimee Mann, among others.

    Review
    This movie was very emotionally involving and rife with the talent of all actors included. Sean Penn did a remarkable job portraying Sam and a very young Dakota Fanning also gave an outstanding performance as his daughter Lucy. Michelle Pfeiffer was also wonderful as Sam's lawyer Rita. The plot was very well thought out and certainly unique. I loved it. While there were certainly moments of sadness, the times of profound joy at other points in this movie certainly counteracted them, making it a fabulous film that I would highly recommend to other viewers. 5/5

View All I Am Sam Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jeff Strickler
November 6, 2002
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Penn repeatedly hits the ball out of the park, but the rest of the team never gets past first base. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
July 20, 2002
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

It's a sensational performance, and [Penn] illumines a movie that sometimes seems in danger of descending into modish Hollywood political correctness. Full Review

David Edelstein
March 22, 2002
David Edelstein, Slate

On one level, I Am Sam is a crock, but on another, more vital one, it's very, very sweet. Full Review

Bill Muller
March 4, 2002
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

Plays out in such a conventional manner that it feels like a TV movie of the week from the '70s.

Desson Thomson
January 25, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

For a movie that probes the sensitive issue of living with reduced mental capacity, are the creators of Bambi the obvious choice?

Rita Kempley
January 25, 2002
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

A well-intentioned but ludicrous tale.

Geoff Pevere
January 25, 2002
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

The kind of movie so punishingly sweet -- and intellectually vapid -- it should come with a blood sugar alert. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
January 25, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Deserves to be remembered for Sean Penn's remarkable performance as a mentally challenged man. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 25, 2002
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Like Penn, Pfeiffer takes what is essentially an obvious, insulting character and turns it inside-out. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
January 25, 2002
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

The movie's magic is that we feel more rewarded than manipulated. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Rain Man
    Rain Man (82%)
  • Forrest Gump
    Forrest Gump (71%)
  • The Pursuit of Happyness
    The Pursuit of Happyness (75%)
  • In the Army Now
    In the Army Now (38%)

More Movies like I Am Sam

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
  • Rita: Sam, I can go at least another nine rounds, but you got to let me in.
  • Lucy: All you need is love.
Submit a Fact | View All

I Am Sam : Watch Free on TV

I Am Sam Trivia

  • What movie is about a fully grown man with an IQ the same as his young daughter fighting to keep custody of her as she gets older?  Answer »
  • Which actress do these films have in common? Frankie & Johnny Wolf I Am Sam Grease 2 Batman Returns  Answer »
  • The line "You're going a little faster than everybody else. I was wondering if you noticed that" is from which film?   Answer »
  • Identify the film from the quote: "Yeah. It's an outgoing message so I think you need to sound a little more outgoing"   Answer »
More I Am Sam Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All I Am Sam Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add I Am Sam to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

DeppLover Skin by DeppLover
26 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins