I am Sam (2001)
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A father with an intellectual disability fights to maintain custody of his precocious daughter in a high-stakes legal battle.
The story
In 1993, Sam Dawson, a Starbucks barista with an intellectual disability, becomes the single father of Lucy Diamond Dawson after she is abandoned by her mother. Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with disabilities as well as a kind, agoraphobic neighbor, Annie, who helps care for Lucy. Seven years later, in 2001, Sam provides a loving home for the precocious Lucy, but she begins to outpace his mental capacity. When other children begin to bully her for her father's condition, she becomes embarrassed by the reality of their situation. Facing a potential loss of custody, Sam seeks legal help to prove he is a capable parent.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1993, Sam Dawson, a man with an intellectual disability, becomes the sole guardian of his daughter, Lucy. While Sam provides a loving home, Lucy's intelligence begins to surpass his own, leading to social difficulties for her. When legal threats arise regarding his ability to parent her, Sam hires a work-obsessed lawyer, Rita Harrison. Rita takes the case pro bono and begins to see her own life's failings, including her strained relationship with her son. During the trial, the prosecutor's pressure causes Sam to break down, and Lucy is placed in a foster home. However, the foster parents decide not to adopt her and return her to Sam. The film ends with Sam and Lucy at a soccer game, where Sam acts as a referee and Lucy plays, joined by their friends and a newly single Rita.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 132
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jessie Nelson
- Writers
- Kristine Johnson · writer; Jessie Nelson · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sean Penn · Sam; Michelle Pfeiffer; Dianne Wiest; Dakota Fanning; Richard Schiff; Loretta Devine; Laura Dern
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- parenting; disability; legal struggle
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; father-daughter relationship
- Source material / true-story basis
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Sean Penn's performance while others criticized the film's sentimentality.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 35% · review count: 144; Metacritic · score: 28 · scale: 100 · review count: 33; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A to F
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · 2002 · nomination; Broadcast Film Critics Association Award · Best Actor · 2002 · nomination; Broadcast Film Critics Association Award · Best Young Performer · 2002 · win; Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award · Youth in Film · 2002 · win; Phoenix Film Critics Society Award · Best Youth Actress · 2002 · win; Satellite Award · Outstanding New Talent · 2002 · win; Young Artist Award · Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Actress Age Ten or Under · 2002 · win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role · 2002 · nomination; Grammy Award · Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media · 2002 · nomination; Stanley Kramer Award · Producers Guild of America · 2002 · win
- Production trivia
- The film's title is derived from the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.; The film launched the career of Dakota Fanning and her sister Elle Fanning.; Dakota Fanning became the youngest person to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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