I Am Sam (2001)

Director:

Jessie Nelson

Writers (WGA):

Kristine Johnson (written by) &
Jessie Nelson (written by)

Release Date:

25 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Lawyer | The Beatles | Custody | School

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Sam Dawson
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Rita Harrison Williams
Dakota Fanning	...	Lucy Diamond Dawson
Dianne Wiest	...	Annie Cassell
Loretta Devine	...	Margaret Calgrove
Richard Schiff	...	Mr. Turner
Laura Dern	...	Randy Carpenter
Brad Silverman	...	Brad (as Brad Allan Silverman)
Joseph Rosenberg	...	Joe
Stanley DeSantis	...	Robert
Doug Hutchison	...	Ifty
Rosalind Chao	...	Lily
Ken Jenkins	...	Judge Philip 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 Dawson
Mary Steenburgen	...	Dr. Blake
Marin Hinkle	...	Patricia
Chase MacKenzie Bebak	...	Willy Harrison
Rafer Weigel	...	Bruce
Emiko Parise	...	Nurse
Pamela Dunlap	...	Grace
Brent Spiner	...	Shoe Salesman
David Nathan Schwartz	...	Principal
Kathleen Robertson	...	Big Boy Waitress
Karen Bankhead	...	Rita's Colleague
Janet Adderley	...	Obnoxious Mom
Katie McGloin	...	Cristina
Steven Maines	...	Collin
Dennis Fanning	...	Vice Cop
David Poynter	...	Cafeteria Worker
R.D. Call	...	Cop at Park
John Paizis	...	Starbucks Father
Russ Fega	...	Starbucks Angry Man
Erinn Seaghda Rice Goletz	...	Starbucks Barista
Julie Claire	...	Starbucks Customer
Marnie Martin	...	Starbucks Woman
Tony Abatemarco	...	Court Clerk
Will Wallace	...	Bill Carpenter
Scott Weintraub	...	Scarecrow
Nicholas Mele	...	Booking Cop
Brian Bialick	...	Brian
Molly Gordon	...	Callie
Nora Kroopf	...	Sara
Allison Thormahlen	...	Lucy Infant
Jillian Thormahlen	...	Lucy Infant
Ryan Williams	...	Lucy 6 Months
Felicity Ann Forbes	...	Lucy 18 Months
Makindra Sherry Forbes	...	Lucy 18 Months
Elle Fanning	...	Lucy 2 Years
Amanda Lehaf	...	Lucy 4 Years
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roma Maffia	...	First Family Court Judge (uncredited)
Michael McElroy	...	(voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Jessie Nelson

Writing credits (WGA)
Kristine Johnson		(written by) &
Jessie Nelson		(written by)

Produced by
Lisa Campbell	....	associate producer
Michael De Luca	....	executive producer
Barbara A. Hall	....	co-producer
Marshall Herskovitz	....	producer
Jessie Nelson	....	producer
Claire Rudnick Polstein	....	executive producer
David Rubin	....	executive producer
Richard Solomon	....	producer
Edward Zwick	....	producer

Original Music by
John Powell

Cinematography by
Elliot Davis

Film Editing by
Richard Chew

Casting by
Mary Gail Artz
Barbara Cohen

Production Design by
Aaron Osborne

Art Direction by
Erin Cochran

Set Decoration by
Jennifer M. Gentile
Garrett Lewis

Costume Design by
Susie DeSanto

Makeup Department
Erin Braus-Guth	....	assistant makeup artist (as Erin M. Braus)
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair stylist: Ms. Pfeiffer (as Alan Dangerio)
Denise Fischer	....	key makeup artist
Elisabeth Fry	....	makeup department head
Annette Lorant	....	makeup artist
Bunny Parker	....	hair department head
Ronnie Specter	....	makeup artist: Ms. Pfeiffer (as Ronnie Spector)
Lynda Kyle Walker	....	hair assistant

Production Management
Barbara A. Hall	....	unit production manager
Frank Salvino	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lisa Campbell	....	first assistant director
Frederic Roth	....	second assistant director (as Fredric Roth)
Andrew Ward	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Ruben Abarca	....	drapery foreman
George Amaroso	....	swing
Mychael Bates	....	property master
Robert Bernard	....	graphic designer
Harry Conrad Chitwood	....	construction coordinator
Lilly Frank	....	on-set stand-by painter
Stephanie J. Gordon	....	set designer
Peter N. Griffith	....	props
Robert Hale	....	head paint foreman
Hyunjin Jo	....	art department assistant (as Hyunjin)
Hyunjin Jo	....	origami artist
Sean Langdon	....	set dressing gangboss
Brynn McQuade	....	art department coordinator
Richard 'Rocky' Nichols	....	assistant property master
Michael O'Donnell	....	crew head
John 'Johnny O' Ornelas	....	assistant property master
Gregori Renta	....	lead man
Steve Rice	....	greens foreman
Glenn Rivers	....	set designer
Chad Vachter	....	props
Greg Wyszynski	....	on-set dresser/swing
Michael Caccamise	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
George Davis	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)
Chela Fiorini	....	on-set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Ash	....	sound re-recording mixer
Douglas Axtell	....	production sound mixer
James Bailey	....	foley artist
Michael Camello	....	sound assistant
Paul Timothy Carden	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Flickinger	....	sound recordist
Kevin Globerman	....	ProTools engineer
Scott Jacobs	....	boom operator
Adam Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Darren T. Knaus	....	assistant sound editor
Manny Leyva	....	sound utility
Cynthia Merrill	....	foley artist
Joe Milner	....	supervising sound editor: effects
Nick Neutra	....	foley mixer
Thomas O'Neil Younkman	....	first assistant sound editor
Sarah Payan	....	sound editor
Perry Robertson	....	sound editor
Gregg Silk	....	second engineer
David Stanke	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Nancy MacLeod	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ron Bolanowski	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Marla Carter Barrett	....	title compositor (as Marla Carter)
Robert Stromberg	....	matte painting
Patrick Zentis	....	matte artist

Stunts
Mimi Gilbert	....	stunt double: Lucy
Troy Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Andy Gill	....	stunt coordinator
Jack Gill	....	stunt coordinator
Joel Kramer	....	stunt coordinator
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
David Loitz	....	precision driver
Patricia M. Peters	....	stunt double: Rita (as Tricia Peters)
Jimmy Romano	....	stunt coordinator
Erik Stabenau	....	stunt double: Sam

Camera and Electrical Department
Art Bartels	....	key grip
Ted Caloroso	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bruce Chimerofsky	....	best boy grip
James F. Cornick	....	rigging gaffer
Andrae Crawford	....	film loader
Jim Duggan	....	company grip (as James Duggan)
Jenifer Galvez	....	set lighting technician
Lamarr Gray	....	rigging best boy
Bill Greenberg	....	electrician
Michael Gulbin	....	grip
Ted Lewis	....	company grip
Chris Lombardi	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Dayton Nietert	....	gaffer
Jeremy Antonio Oliver	....	electrician
Brendon Phillips	....	rigging electrician
David D. Scott	....	video assist operator
Lorey Sebastian	....	still photographer
Sean Shinneman	....	company grip
Cricket Sloat	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Christopher A. Zwirner	....	electrician
Val Sklar	....	loader (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sandra Kuker	....	extras casting
Leanna Sheldon	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lynda Foote	....	costume supervisor
Jennifer Morrison Holyfield	....	costumer: Ms. Pfeiffer (as Jennifer Holyfield)
Jo Kissack	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Colby Enders	....	apprentice editor
Adrian Kays	....	editor: end title montage
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Mark Yoshikawa	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Julian Bratolyubov	....	music preparation
Paul Broucek	....	music executive
David Carpenter	....	featured musician: bass (as Dave Carpenter)
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Terry Delsing	....	music editor
George Doering	....	musician
Steve Erdody	....	featured musician: Solo cello
Michael Fisher	....	featured musician: percussion
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator
Gavin Greenaway	....	conductor
Tod Holcomb	....	additional music editor
Mark Kaufman	....	music clearance executive
Malcolm Luker	....	score recordist
Malcolm Luker	....	scoring mixer
James McKee Smith	....	assistant to composer
Alan Meyerson	....	music scoring mixer
Yvonne S. Moriarty	....	orchestrator (as Suzette Moriarty)
Heitor Pereira	....	featured musician: Ukes & guitars
Joel J. Richard	....	music assistant
Erin Scully	....	music executive
Lori Silfen	....	music business affairs
Curt Sobel	....	temp music editor
Terry Wilson	....	music editor
Hans Zimmer	....	original music producer

Transportation Department
Jeff Couch	....	transportation captain
Julie E. Furnas	....	transportation production assistant
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Alan Kaminsky	....	transportation co-captain
Brian Kay	....	production van driver
'Wild Bill' Laczko	....	transportation
A. Welch Lambeth	....	transportation coordinator (as Welch Lambeth)
Harold L. Woods	....	driver

Other crew
Nellie Adami	....	production coordinator
Diana Adams	....	production accountant (as Diana Olsen)
Derek Avila	....	assistant location manager
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances: post-production
Buffy Beyer	....	assistant: Mr. Rubin
Kayce Brown	....	set assistant: Ms. Pfeiffer
Scotty Brown	....	assistant location manager
Jan Cerwonka	....	studio teacher
Scott Cler	....	production assistant
Marlena De Fabrizio	....	production assistant
Russ Fega	....	location manager
Dusten Gazzola	....	production assistant
Juliandra Gillen	....	stand-in: Rita
Lina Godouse	....	stand-in: Lucy (as Lina Godhouse)
Josh Gummersall	....	assistant: Marshall Herskovitz
Giselle Gurza	....	production assistant
Jason Gutierrez	....	production assistant
Trent Hara	....	assistant production coordinator
Debbie Hayn-Cass	....	production executive
Judy Heinzen	....	assistant location manager
Marc Jacobs	....	production resources
Caren Kaplow	....	assistant: Ms. Pfeiffer
Kristi Kasubaski	....	first assistant accountant
Katrina Kincaid	....	production assistant
Linda Klein	....	medical technical advisor
Graham Larson	....	assistant: Mr. Zwick
Christopher Lee	....	location scout
Steven Maines	....	stand-in: Sam
Sato Masuzawa	....	assistant: Mr. Penn
Andrew Matthews	....	financial advisor
Sara Mayer	....	set production assistant
Michael McElroy	....	adr loop group
Brian McMillan	....	animal trainer
David Mendoza	....	production assistant
Kristi Mujica	....	first assistant accountant
Jason Novak	....	assistant: Rick Solomon
Elion Olson	....	set production assistant
Jennifer Pedevilla	....	payroll accountant
John M. Pisani	....	unit publicist
Wonder Fortune Serra	....	assistant: Mr. Nelson
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances: post-production
Steve Solomon	....	animal trainer
E. Michael Stankevich	....	production secretary
Scout Taylor-Compton	....	adr loop group
Tyrel Ventura	....	set assistant: Mr. Penn
Brenda K. Wachel	....	script supervisor
Art Wolff	....	dialogue coach: Dakota Fanning
Garson Yu	....	title designer
Robert Foulkes	....	co-location manager (uncredited)
Robert Hampton Frazier IV	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Gary Rodriguez	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Jesse Wagler	....	production assistant: yU+Co. (uncredited)

Thanks
Lynne Finkelor	....	thanks
Debbie Nelson	....	thanks
Yoko Ono	....	thanks
Michael Rhode	....	thanks
Cameron Taylor-Brown	....	thanks
Susan Wilder	....	thanks

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema (presents)
• Avery Pix (in association with) (as "sam" productions gmbh & co. kg)
• Bedford Falls Productions (as a bedford falls company)
• Red Fish Blue Fish Films (as red fish, blue fish films)

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
• New Line Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Distribution Company (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Nexo (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• TriPictures (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Roadshow Film Distributors (2002) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (2005) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• H.O.M. Vision (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (retail)
• RTL Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Playback Technologies  video playback
• Soundelux  post-production sound services
• Todd Studios  sound re-recording
• Executive Assurance  security
• Hollywood Animals  animal provided by
• Paramount Stage M  sound recorded at
• Sony Music Studios  sound recorded at
• Media Ventures  sound recorded at
• V2 Records  soundtrack album available on
• yU+Co.  main titles: Designed and executed by
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Entertainment Clearances  clearances
• AT&T  courtesy of: Rita's cellular phone voice (as at&t natural voices)
• American Humane Association, The  monitored the animal action: No animal was harmed in the making of this film (aha 00200)
• CBS Broadcasting  courtesy of: "Hogan's Heroes"
• Columbia Pictures  courtesy of: "Kramer vs. Kramer"
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Dr. Seuss Enterprises  trademarks and courtesy: "Green Eggs and Ham" L.P. 1960
• Estate of John Lennon  special thanks
• Fairmont Miramar Hotel  thanks
• Film Art  artwork
• Giorgio Armani  Michelle Pfeiffer's clothing provided by
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Michael Ochs Archive  courtesy of: Young John Lennon photo (as michael ochs archives.com)
• New Line Productions  courtesy of: "Lost in Space" © 1998
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Starbucks  thanks
• Target  thanks

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38443) | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Dakota Fanning's little sister, Elle Fanning played her at age 3.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Credits list "starbucks barrister" instead of "barista".

Quotes:

Sam:You've grown.
Lucy:Have I?
Sam:Yeah, 'cause your ears are bigger and your eyes are older.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

In a Swingin' Mood

Effective Performance By Sean Penn

I have to confess off the top that I am not and never have been a particular fan of Sean Penn. I have no specific criticism to make of him; as an actor he simply doesn't appeal to me. Because of that bias I approached this movie with low expectations. The story of a mentally handicapped man fighting for custody of his seven year old daughter sounded intriguing, but it starred Penn. But what a pleasant surprise this movie turned out to be!

Penn is actually very good in this role. He brings a realism to the character of Sam Dawson, and portrays him sensitively and with real emotion. In fact, I thought the only performance that was better than Penn's came not from Michelle Pfeiffer (who disappointed me a bit, actually) but rather from little Dakota Fanning as Sam's daughter Lucy. She seemed so natural in this role, and I would hope that we see more of her in the years to come. Pfeiffer, on the other hand, (as Sam's lawyer Rita Harrison) just didn't carry the role off that well, and even the courtroom scenes to me lacked the tension one would have expected from such an emotionally-laden issue.

The movie weakens in the last little bit, going for the sappy (and highly unrealistic) ending - unrealistic particularly in the way Lucy's foster mother (Laura Dern) ends up handling the situation.

Having said that, I still enjoyed this movie very much. It's raised my assessment of Sean Penn's acting abilities and I would recommend it to others and would watch it again.

7/10