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I Am Sam

  • 2001
  • PG-13
  • 2h 12m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
158K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,823
120
I Am Sam (2001)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:20
2 Videos
75 Photos
Legal DramaDrama

An intellectually disabled 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.An intellectually disabled 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.An intellectually disabled 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.

  • Director
    • Jessie Nelson
  • Writers
    • Kristine Johnson
    • Jessie Nelson
  • Stars
    • Sean Penn
    • Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Dakota Fanning
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    158K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,823
    120
    • Director
      • Jessie Nelson
    • Writers
      • Kristine Johnson
      • Jessie Nelson
    • Stars
      • Sean Penn
      • Michelle Pfeiffer
      • Dakota Fanning
    • 518User reviews
    • 103Critic reviews
    • 28Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 8 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos2

    I Am Sam
    Trailer 2:20
    I Am Sam
    I Am Sam
    Trailer 2:24
    I Am Sam
    I Am Sam
    Trailer 2:24
    I Am Sam

    Photos75

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    + 69
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    Top cast68

    Edit
    Sean Penn
    Sean Penn
    • Sam Dawson
    Michelle Pfeiffer
    Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Rita
    Dakota Fanning
    Dakota Fanning
    • Lucy
    Dianne Wiest
    Dianne Wiest
    • Annie
    Loretta Devine
    Loretta Devine
    • Margaret Calgrove
    Richard Schiff
    Richard Schiff
    • Turner
    Laura Dern
    Laura Dern
    • Randy Carpenter
    Brad Silverman
    • Brad
    • (as Brad Allan Silverman)
    Joseph Rosenberg
    • Joe
    Stanley DeSantis
    Stanley DeSantis
    • Robert
    Doug Hutchison
    Doug Hutchison
    • Ifty
    Rosalind Chao
    Rosalind Chao
    • Lily
    Ken Jenkins
    Ken Jenkins
    • Judge McNeily
    Wendy Phillips
    Wendy Phillips
    • Miss Wright
    Mason Lucero
    Mason Lucero
    • Conner Rhodes
    Scott Paulin
    Scott Paulin
    • Duncan Rhodes
    Bobby Cooper
    Bobby Cooper
    • George
    Kit McDonough
    Kit McDonough
    • Ms. Davis
    • Director
      • Jessie Nelson
    • Writers
      • Kristine Johnson
      • Jessie Nelson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Dakota Fanning's little sister, Elle Fanning, played her character at age 3.
    • Goofs
      When Sam and Lucy are being observed and they are talking, just before Lucy talks to the people observing her she turns her head towards the "camera". The next shot, she turns her head again before talking.
    • Quotes

      Sam: Yeah, but I tried, I tried hard.

      Rita: Try harder!

      Sam: Yeah, but you don't know, you don't know!

      Rita: I don't know WHAT?

      Sam: Yeah, you don't know what is like when you try, and you try, and you try, and you try, and you don't ever get there! Because you were born perfect and I was born like this, and you're perfect!

      Rita: Oh, is that right?

      Sam: People like you don't know...

      Rita: People like me?

      Sam: People like you don't know what is like to get hurted. Because you don't have feelings. People like you don't feel anything!

    • Connections
      Edited into Becoming Sam (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
      Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
      Performed by The Black Crowes
      The Black Crowes appear courtesy of V2 Records

    User reviews518

    Featured review

    One of my favourite movie

    This film goes to show you that often critics lose their humanity and writhe in puddles of their own egotistical nonsense. This is a great film with a brilliant performance by Sean Penn (who broke the rules and went full retard). I wouldn't put it up there with Rain Man, but this is still a great film. Michelle Pfeiffer wishes every film she was in was like this, and Dakota Fanning is cute enough to get away with playing the same role she played in every film she did as a child: the little girl who's too smart for her own good.
    • 0U
    • Feb 23, 2020
    • Permalink

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    FAQ20

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 25, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Warner Bros.
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Yo soy Sam
    • Filming locations
      • Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • New Line Cinema
      • Avery Pix
      • The Bedford Falls Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $40,311,852
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $41,779
      • Dec 30, 2001
    • Gross worldwide
      • $97,818,302
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 12 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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