I Am Sam | Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer | At least a whole box of tissues...

I Am Sam | Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer | Dakota's auspicious debut

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I Am Sam

	I Am Sam Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer New Line Home Video, 2003 average customer review:based on 242 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

I Am Sam makes you laugh, cry, and recoil all at the same time. Perhaps no other film of recent memory has epitomized the shameless sentimentality of Hollywood as succinctly as director and screenwriter Jessie Nelson's story of a mentally challenged man fighting to retain custody of his 7-year-old daughter. Sam (Sean Penn), who has the mental age of 7, wipes down tables at a Los Angeles Starbucks and takes good care of his daughter Lucy, who was left with him shortly after birth by a homeless woman. Sam has gotten by just fine with a little help from his friends, including his eccentric neighbor (Diane Wiest) and a lovable group of similarly challenged friends, but a series of misunderstandings leaves Sam fighting to get Lucy back from the state. Sam's lawyer, Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), is an overly ambitious woman whose life is soon transformed by proximity to Sam's brimming humanity. Sean Penn is, as usual, wholeheartedly committed to his role and turns in an admirable, if overtly affected performance. However, I Am Sam, with all its earnest charm, reaches an emblematic low when Sam, a character apparently devoid of any authentic sentiment, delivers a courtroom speech memorized from Kramer vs. Kramer as the film's finale. --Fionn Meade

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At least a whole box of tissues...

What a movie! The themes of love and loss, the underdog who wins in the end. The bullies who torment the sweet underdog are the stuff of legend.

This movie is full of archetypal images. But mostly it is about love!

All You Need Is Love!

Gonna keep this short and sweet because lots of other people have already reviewed it.

1. The acting is wonderful
2. The script is good as well, obviously fairly unrealistic
3. It is a real feel good movie
4. I fell in love with Sam when he was naming his baby from The Beatles song
5. I cried my eyes out the entire time
6. It was cool seeing Data in a bit part and the Lady of the Evening also being a cast member of Next Gen was great as well

Buy it. I guarantee you'll watch again and again! Just make sure you have lots of tissues on hand!

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Dakota's auspicious debut

Films about the developmentally disabled often border on ridiculous and demeaning. There are a few exceptions: Cuckoo's Nest & Rain Man immediately come to mind, and not to forget What's Eating Gilbert Grape (where Leonardo was nothing short of flawless). I Am Sam is such a film, with Sean Penn giving a thorough, heart-felt (and highly lauded) performance. There are issues, however, and the only time he really has to prove his 7-year old mentality is the perfectly uncomfortable temper tantrum he has at Bob's Big Boy. Michelle Pfeiffer is also excellent as a personally conflicted high-priced lawyer, who has enough problems of her own, while helping poor Sam. I won't blab away the plot, other than a disabled man is trying to retain custody of his daughter. There are so many wonderful performances in this film, including a cache of Sam's supportive cronies, also with various disabilities. Among these, Doug Hutchison (The Green Mile) finally has a role worthy of his talents, albeit it a minor role. I would like to see him more often. Wonderful supporting roles from Dianne Wiest, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine and the always reliable Laura Dern are perfect. Most stunning is the intuitive, confident and complete performance of young Dakota Fanning (nominated by SAG). Children often see things that we "grown-ups" aren't in tune with; she's a smart, loving daughter who's all too aware that dad isn't "normal", and when her intelligence surpasses his, she is afraid; such a loving performance, and so natural. Director Jessie Nelson is all too aware of the sensitivity involved. The DVD extras are plentiful and insightful. This is truly a labor of love. Even at 2¼ hours, I was never bored. This controversial subject matter will always concern viewers regarding it's sensitivity level. In Ms. Nelson's hands, one must not worry about that. Well researched and well presented, I recommend "I Am Sam" to everyone who can appreciate a good story about a subject that many people choose to avoid.

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A Challenging--If Not Controversial--Film That Is Wonderfully Charming Entertainment

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE "I am Sam" (New Line Platinum Series) DVD (2002)

In looking at the other reviews for this film I was struck by two things: the amazing polarity of reviews; and the negativity of both those reading the reviews and many of those writing reviews. Hence, I decided to rent the film first; but ordered it within minutes of watching it and was tempted to contact the reviewer that said, "I guarantee you will end up not buying it, or asking for your rental fee back." For me, "I Am Sam" is entertainment (albeit not drama that many may have hoped for) at its very best.

At the outset I would like to make it clear that I think that Dakota Fanning, who plays Lucy, deserved a best supporting actress award. Those who find her performance "too good to be true" need to watch the extras to learn more about her abilities and the experiences of her aunt that she brought to the role. I will not enter the fray of Sean Penn's performance as Sam, beyond saying that I was able to get past the fact that it was Sean Penn; while Penn has had some good roles, I am no fan. Michelle Pfeiffer is delightful, while Richard Schiff as the prosecutor--Mr. Turner--and Laura Dern as the foster mother--Randy Carpenter--provide depth to the usually "villainous" characterizations. Are some lines and scenes over the top at times? Yes; but they should be distracting only to those who are not truly watching the film. Is "I Am Sam" realistic? Yes and no. But the film is a story based upon research, not a documentary; more importantly, it is believable--especially if you have spent any amount of time with disabled persons (as I have).

"I Am Sam" is a marvelous film with, in my opinion, an illusive, subjective, almost quixotic imagery that entertains through multiple movie techniques. Moreover--at the risk of "asking" for negative votes--I think the movie scares many viewers because it brings them into a world they feel uncomfortable viewing: to the point of focusing on conceived stereotypes and "wanton" product placement. Conversely, I do feel that the subtitle--"All You Need Is Love"--injects an unfortunate theme that leads many to "agree" with Roger Ebert: "The lesson "I Am Sam" wants to teach us is, "All you need is love." This is not quite strictly true. Sam loves his daughter more than anyone else, and she loves him, but it will take more than love for him to see her through grade school and adolescence and out into the world. Since the movie does not believe this, it has a serious disagreement with most of the audience."

I would ardently argue that this is not the "lesson"--or theme--of "I Am Sam." For me, if there is a lesson (which I do not really believe there is one), it is that the line between normal and not normal is more illusive than we would like it to be. More importantly, for me, is that the film really dares to deal with real life situations (parenting in particular), but in a cinematic fashion. I am normally one that "jumps" on stereotypic, black and white, simplistic and politically correct portrayals. Ironically, I find myself defending this approach as appropriately supportive of the photographic shooting style, editing, sound track, and musical score. The movie is extremely well edited, that puts the viewer into the subjective perspectives of the characters. And while some have complained that the movie uses non-Beatles versions of their songs, for which I empathize, the cost of using the actual songs would have doubled the costs. Indeed, look at how many DVDs resort to replacing original songs used in the original showing with other versions (e.g., "Northern Exposure").

As for all the other films that other reviewers compare "I Am Sam" with, I must say that I do not feel that one can justifiably do so. I truly feel that "I Am Sam" is a unique film, presented in a fairly unique fashion. Perhaps it is the uniqueness that causes the polarization--a need to categorize "I Am Sam" into a "type." But this is not "Rain Man," or any other movie. "I Am Sam" is its own movie: it questions the viability of a "disabled" (mentally challenged or not) person to be a parent--and just what is parenting? The film is about being different, each person in their own way. Is love important? Yes, but not the solution; rather it is glue that binds people together. And so, "I Am Sam" is also about friends and their important roles in our daily lives.

If you are looking for an upbeat or different film, I highly recommend that you venture along with "I Am Sam" for 134 minutes. Some of you may cry or otherwise empathize. I did not: I found myself feeling like a fly on the wall--a part of the film itself. If you are looking for action, drama, or the ordinary I suggest you might look elsewhere.

Please Note: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks.

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The magnificent performances help dull the films preposterousness...

To say that `I am Sam' is not moving, stirring and heartbreaking would be a bold faced lie. Truth be told, this movie made me bawl, and I am not ashamed to say that. To say that this is an accurate depiction of the challenges of the mentally handicapped would also be a bold faced lie, for `I am Sam' is really a text book example of how Hollywood always tends to sink its sentimental claws into everything that is honest and pure. Instead of delivering a plausible or even remotely relatable account, `I am Sam' borders on preposterous, at times jumping right over the fence and running full speed ahead at the forest of ridiculousness.

That said, I still cry every time.

Here we have the story of Sam Dawson, a mentally handicapped middle aged man who spends his days working at Starbucks and his evenings taking care of his daughter. Yes, Sam has a child, who was bore to him by a homeless woman who left him moments after Lucy (named Lucy Diamond Dawson after the Beatles song) was born. Sam has done a fine job raising Lucy with the help of friends and neighbors, but after a slew of misunderstandings raise concern over Sam's ability to remain a suitable parent, Lucy is removed from Sam's home and he finds himself struggling to fight for custody.

As many have noted both here on this site and critically when the film was released, the plot for this film is preposterous and even borders offensive at times. It's depiction of the handicapped is rather one-note, and the entire eclipsed prose is rather unbelievable.

What does make sense is the stupendous acting.

Yes, what makes `I am Sam' worth a watch is the magnificent performances by the entire cast. Sean Penn, an actor who is rather hit-or-miss with me, soars as Sam. Yes, his performance can at times appear desperate (he does `overdo' it a tad) but it also comes off very genuine and sincere. He suffers a bit because of the heavyhanded and often saccharine scripting, especially in the courtroom scenes, but he never loses the sincerity in his eyes. Michelle Pfeiffer is also genuine and engaging as Rita, Sam's reluctant lawyer. She is able to reach levels of understanding within her character that could have easily gone overlooked.

And then there is Dakota Fanning, totally snubbed of an Oscar nomination and brimming with brilliance as young Lucy. Her heartfelt and utterly devastating portrayal of a young child in love with a father who she is being told in incapable of loving her is just dynamic to say the least. She proves here beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has what it takes to become one of the biggest stars we'll ever see.

In the end I cannot say that `I am Sam' is a bad film, because I actually really like this movie. But I can say that when taken apart and looked at on the films merit alone, it is really poorly constructed. The script is filled with holes and improbabilities that reflect poorly on the overall impact the film is supposed to have. But, the film is delivered in such a way that those inconsistencies are easily ignored. The performances are so raw and invested that one fails to see the films many faults until later, when he or she has a chance to truly reflect on the film as a whole. So, sit back and enjoy this beautiful story, just don't take it too seriously.

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