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IMDb > I Am Sam (2001)
I Am Sam
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I Am Sam (2001) -- A mentally retarded 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.
I Am Sam (2001) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   33,153 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Kristine Johnson (written by) &
Jessie Nelson (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for I Am Sam on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 January 2002 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
love is all you need
Plot:
A mentally retarded 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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 9 nominations more
User Reviews:
The Greatest Film I've Ever Seen more (396 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for language.
Runtime:
132 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Dakota Fanning has a disabled aunt in real life. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the first courtroom scene, the judge asks to see Sam back in court on January 5th, supposedly a month after that day. However, the board of cases for the day says the date is August 20th. more
Quotes:
Rita: Can you grasp the concept of manipulating the truth... not lying, just a little tweak here and there?
Sam: [thinks for a few seconds] No.
more
Movie Connections:
References Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) more
Soundtrack:
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away more

FAQ

I am confused by the ending. Who wins custody of Lucy?
more
36 out of 47 people found the following review useful.
The Greatest Film I've Ever Seen, 25 February 2007
10/10
Author: SteakSalad_101 from New Jersey, USA

I Am Sam is one of, if not the best, motion picture of all time.

I Am Sam is about a retarded man named Sam (Sean Penn) who has a mental capacity of a 7-year old. He works as a server at Starbucks, is obsessed with The Beatles, and loves IHOP. After he accidentally has a daughter (Dakota Fanning) with a homeless woman who he names after the song Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. The woman leaves him, and Sam is left to care for Lucy by himself. However, when Lucy intentionally begins to hold back in school to prevent becoming smarter from her father, child protective services takes her away and Sam must fight to obtain custody. He befriends a lawyer, Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer) with a bad marriage and a son who she thinks hates her. Together, Sam and Rita fight for Lucy's custody in a heartwrenching roller coaster of tears, laughs, and the overwhelming power of human spirit.

This is all beside some of the most stunning performances I've ever seen in a film. Sean Penn is top of his game and gives an amazingly realistic performance as a disabled man without a single flaw. To this day it makes me furious he didn't win the Oscar. Dakota Fanning's premiere role is by far her greatest ever, and at only six years old opened the eyes of actresses who've been in the business for years and basically screamed into their faces "This is how acting is done." And Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a phenomenal, incredibly realistic performance that will absolutely take your breath away.

As the film progresses, you will find yourself laughing one minute, crying the next (you WILL cry no matter how mature or old you are, so make sure you have tissues), the next moment tapping your foot along to the familiar Beatles tunes found throughout the movie (even though they're covers) and the next moment simply staring at the screen not believing your eyes and ears at how emotionally powerful a film can be.

And after watching, you won't want to ever give the DVD back to Blockbuster. If you don't at least give this movie a chance, you will truly be missing out on one of the shiniest gems of modern cinema ever.

Was the above review useful to you?
more (396 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for I Am Sam (2001)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Did Sam and Rita sleep together?? charlieinred
This is a Marvelous movie 28286574881
I didn't get the end. bluebottlebe
Is Turner Evil or just doing his job? henrik-sjoman
Premiere Date - I am Sam fluidfred
stop with this full retard thing theSHOWman7
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