I Am Sam (2001)

Directed by

Jessie Nelson

Genre

drama film, comedy film, trial film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 07m

Rated

PG-13

Rating

7.6 of 10 from 2,527 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A father with an intellectual disability fights to keep custody of his young daughter. The story follows his legal battle and the bonds he forms with those around him.

heartfeltemotionalpoignantgentlesentimentalmovingthought-provokingwarm

What happens

I Am Sam (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2001 American drama film co-written and directed by Jessie Nelson. It stars Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest, Dakota Fanning, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine, and Laura Dern. Nelson and co-writer Kristine Johnson researched the problems facing adults with intellectual disabilities by visiting the non-profit organization L.A. GOAL (Greater Opportunities for the Advanced Living). They subsequently cast two actors with disabilities, Brad Silverman and Joe Rosenberg, in key roles. The film's title is derived from the lines "I am Sam / Sam I am" of the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, which is included in the movie. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $97 million at the box office. For his role as Sam, Penn was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. The film launched the career of Dakota Fanning and her younger sister Elle Fanning, who were then seven and almost three years old respectively. Dakota Fanning became the youngest person to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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