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I Am Sam

2001 film directed by Jessie Nelson

Film · TMDB

7.6

Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.

Released: 2001-12-28132 minDir: Jessie NelsonDrama

Cast

Sean Penn as Sam Dawson
Michelle Pfeiffer as Rita Harrison Williams
Dianne Wiest as Annie Cassell
Dakota Fanning as Lucy Diamond Dawson
Richard Schiff as Mr. Turner
Loretta Devine as Margaret Calgrove

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Ratings · OMDb

IMDb

7.6/10

160,859 votes

Rotten Tomatoes

35%

Metacritic

28/100

Rated: PG-13
Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar. 8 wins & 12 nominations total

via OMDb · IMDb

Key facts

Directed by: Jessie Nelson
Written by: Kristine Johnson Jessie Nelson
Produced by: Jessie Nelson , Richard Solomon , Edward Zwick , Marshall Herskovitz
Starring: Sean Penn Michelle Pfeiffer Dianne Wiest Dakota Fanning Richard Schiff Doug Hutchison Loretta Devine Laura Dern
Cinematography: Elliot Davis
Edited by: Richard Chew
Music by: John Powell
Production company: The Bedford Falls Company
Distributed by: New Line Cinema
Release date: December 28, 2001 ( 2001-12-28 ) (limited) January 25, 2002 (wide)
Running time: 132 minutes
Country: United States

Key dates

Published: 9 May 2002

via Wikidata · CC0

Wikidata facts

Instance of: film
Genre: comedy film
Country of origin: United States
Original language: English language
Main subject: autism
Director: Jessie Nelson
Cast member: Kimberly Scott
Composer: John Powell
Producer: Richard Solomon
Production company: Bedford Falls Productions

Article

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.