I Am Sam

2001
PG-13
2h 12m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

157K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:20

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

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

157K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,861

432

Director
- Jessie Nelson
Writers
- Kristine Johnson
- Jessie Nelson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 8 wins & 12 nominations total

Videos2

Photos75

+ 69

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Storyline

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Did you know

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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 reviews513

Review

Featured review

10/10

stunning performances

A Truly wonderful film that left you thinking and feeling for hours after walking out of the cinema.

Michelle Pfeiffer is exact in her portrayal of the smart, rich, no-nonsense lawyer who realises how empty her luxurious and successful life is. As always she delivers an outstanding performance and reminds us of just how excellent and beautiful an actress she is.

Sean Penn is so believable that you forget that he doesn't actually have anything wrong with him...he captures every emotion perfectly and instills all of that emotion in the audience. Penn is highly under rated in the world that is movies, as he shows with this Oscar potential performance.

The young actress who plays his daughter is amazingly mature in her acting, whilst always managing to capture the innocence of her youthfullness. On top of all that she is gorgeous. The combination of three excellent main actors combined with the supporting actors and the genuine theme and style of the film makes I am Sam an excellent and must see film. Truly Inspiring.