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{{Short description|2001 American drama film by Jessie Nelson}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = I Am Sam
| image          = ImAmSamSeanMichelle.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Jessie Nelson]]
| producer       = Jessie Nelson <br />Richard Solomon <br />[[Edward Zwick]] <br />[[Marshall Herskovitz]]
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
* Kristine Johnson
* Jessie Nelson
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
*[[Sean Penn]]
*[[Michelle Pfeiffer]]
*[[Dianne Wiest]]
*[[Dakota Fanning]]
*[[Richard Schiff]]
*[[Doug Hutchison]]
*[[Loretta Devine]]
*[[Laura Dern]]
}}
| music          = [[John Powell (composer)|John Powell]]
| cinematography = [[Elliot Davis (cinematographer)|Elliot Davis]]
| editing        = [[Richard Chew]]
| studio         = [[Bedford Falls Productions|The Bedford Falls Company]]
| distributor    = [[New Line Cinema]]
| released       = {{Film date|2001|12|28|limited}} January 25, 2002 (wide)<ref name= "BOM">{{cite web |url= http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=iamsam.htm |title= I Am Sam (2001) |work= [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date= November 19, 2010 }}</ref>
| runtime        = 132 minutes<ref name= "BOM">{{cite web |url= http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=iamsam.htm |title= I Am Sam (2001) |work= [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date= November 19, 2010 }}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $22 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title=I Am Sam (2001) – Financial Information |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/I-Am-Sam |website= [[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date= October 17, 2014 }}</ref>
| gross          = $97.8 million<ref name= "BOM">{{cite web |url= http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=iamsam.htm |title= I Am Sam (2001) |work= [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date= November 19, 2010 }}</ref>
}}
'''''I Am Sam''''' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2001 American [[Drama (film and television)|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.<ref>{{cite web |date=2001-11-06 |title=Vedder, Crowes Cover Beatles for 'I Am Sam' |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/77829/vedder-crowes-cover-beatles-for-i-am-sam#/news/vedder-crowes-cover-beatles-for-i-am-sam-1097149.story |access-date=2009-12-27 |website=billboard.com}}</ref> 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 Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]].

==Plot==
 <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->
In 1993, Sam Dawson, a [[Starbucks]] barista with an [[intellectual disability]], becomes the single father of Lucy Diamond Dawson, named after [[the Beatles]] song "[[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]]", following her abandonment by her mother, a homeless woman with whom Sam had sex, who had no interest in having her. Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with disabilities as well as a kind, [[Agoraphobia|agoraphobic]] neighbor, Annie, who takes care of Lucy when Sam cannot. 

Nearly a decade later, in 2001, Sam provides a loving place for precocious Lucy, though she soon surpasses his mental capacity and ability. Other children bully her for having an intellectually disabled father, and she becomes too embarrassed to accept that she is more intelligent than he is.

In danger of losing [[child custody]], Sam gets advice from his friends and also hires the lawyer Rita Harrison, whose absorption in her work, and neglect of her son, reveals she also struggles with her role as a parent. In an attempt to prove that she is not cold, Rita agrees to take on Sam's case ''[[pro bono]]''. As they work to secure Sam's rights, Sam helps Rita see her own life anew. This includes encouraging her to leave her philandering husband and repair her fractious relationship with her son. 

At the trial, Rita makes some convincing arguments while questioning a few different witnesses, including Annie. However, the prosecutor puts so much pressure on Sam that he breaks down, after becoming convinced he is not capable of raising Lucy. Afterward, Lucy resides in a [[Foster care|foster home]] with Miranda "Randy" Carpenter but tries to convince Sam to help her run away. Sam moves to be near Lucy, so she continually leaves in the middle of the night to go to his apartment, though he immediately returns her. The foster parents, in the end, decide not to adopt her as they had planned, and return her to Sam. Randy assures him that she will tell the judge he is the best parent for Lucy. In turn, Sam asks Randy if she will help him raise Lucy because he feels she needs a mother figure. 

The final scene depicts a [[Association football|soccer]] game, in which Sam referees and Lucy participates as a player. In attendance are Lucy's former foster family, Sam's friend group, and a newly single Rita with her son.

==Cast==
{{Castlist|
* [[Sean Penn]] as Samuel John "Sam" Dawson
* [[Michelle Pfeiffer]] as Rita Harrison Williams
* [[Dianne Wiest]] as Annie Cassell
* [[Dakota Fanning]] as 6-year-old Lucy Diamond Dawson
** Amanda Lehaf as 4-year-old Lucy
** [[Elle Fanning]] as 2-year-old Lucy
** Felicity Ann and Makindra Sherry Forbes as 18-month-old Lucy
** Ryan Williams as 6-month-old Lucy
** Allison and Jillian Thormahlen as newborn Lucy
* [[Richard Schiff]] as Mr. Turner
* [[Loretta Devine]] as Margaret Calgrove
* [[Doug Hutchison]] as Ifty
* [[Laura Dern]] as Miranda "Randy" Carpenter
* [[Stanley DeSantis]] as Robert
*[[Molly Gordon]] as Callie
* [[Rosalind Chao]] as Lily
* [[Marin Hinkle]] as Patricia
* Brad Allan Silverman as Brad
* Joseph Rosenberg as Joe
* [[Ken Jenkins]] as Judge Philip McNeily
* [[Wendy Phillips]] as Miss Wright
* [[Scott Paulin]] as Duncan Rhodes
* [[Kimberly Scott]] as Gertie
* [[Michael B. Silver]] as Dr. Jaslow
* [[Eileen Ryan]] as Estelle
* [[Mary Steenburgen]] as Dr. Blake
* [[Will Wallace]] as Bill Carpenter
* [[Jen Taylor]] as Woman Chauffeur
* [[Brent Spiner]] as Shoe Salesman
* [[Kathleen Robertson]] as Big Boy Waitress
}}

==Soundtrack==
{{main|I Am Sam (soundtrack)}}

The [[Grammy Award]]–nominated [[soundtrack]], consists of original music by [[John Powell (film composer)|John Powell]] and [[cover version]]s of songs by The Beatles. The album contents are made up entirely of cover versions of songs by The Beatles, although it was originally intended to consist of the group's original recordings. When producers were unable to obtain the rights to the original tracks, they commissioned artists such as [[the Black Crowes]], [[Nick Cave]], [[Stereophonics]], [[Eddie Vedder]], [[Sheryl Crow]], [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[Rufus Wainwright]], [[the Wallflowers]], [[Ben Harper]], [[The Vines (band)|the Vines]], and [[Ben Folds]] to record the versions released. Penn's brother, [[Michael Penn]], is also featured on a duet with his wife [[Aimee Mann]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://themusic.com.au/features/i-am-sam-penn-pals/OMMgKi0sLy4/10-06-02|title=I Am Sam: Penn Pals|first=Chris|last=Ryder|publisher=The Music|date=2002-06-10|accessdate=2024-06-08}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 35% based on reviews from 145 critics. The site's consensus reads: "Not only does the manipulative ''I Am Sam'' oversimplify a complex issue, it drowns it in treacle."<ref name="tomatoes">{{cite web |title=I Am Sam |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_am_sam/ |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 28 of 100 based on 33 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |url= http://www.metacritic.com/movie/i-am-sam |title= I Am Sam |website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= 2020-01-31 }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "A" on a scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= I AM SAM (2001) A |publisher= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= December 20, 2018 }}</ref>

[[A. O. Scott]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "''I Am Sam'' is not a bad movie, and its intentions are unimpeachable. But its sentimentality is so relentless and its narrative so predictable that the life is very nearly squeezed out of it."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9502E0D71031F93BA15751C1A9679C8B63|first=A. O.|last=Scott |author-link= A. O. Scott |title=Movie Review – 'I Am Sam' – A Retarded Man Tries to Keep His Child|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 28, 2001}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote: "Undone by its best intentions, ''I Am Sam'' is an especially insipid example of the Hollywood message movie".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/i-am-sam-2-1200552185/|first=Robert|last=Koehler|title=I Am Sam Review|magazine=Variety| date=December 20, 2001 }}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] wrote that "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." Ebert also criticized the [[morality tale]] character of the movie, saying that "You can't have heroes and villains when the wrong side is making the best sense."<ref name="RogerEbert">{{cite web|url= http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-am-sam-2002 |first=Roger|last=Ebert |author-link= Roger Ebert |title= I Am Sam |website=[[RogerEbert.com]]|date=January 25, 2002}}</ref>

[[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reviewed it positively as a "most inviting and accessible film that turns upon a mental condition that most people would prefer not to think about."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-28-et-sam28-story.html |title=In 'I Am Sam,' Skillful Players Embrace a Heartfelt Family Tale |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=December 28, 2001 |first=Kevin |last=Thomas |access-date=July 31, 2013}}</ref> [[Mick LaSalle]] of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' commended Sean Penn for his performance: "Penn's accuracy, his lack of condescension or sentiment, and his willingness to inhabit his character without any implicit commentary take what might have been the equivalent of an inflated TV movie and elevate it to the level of art."<ref>{{cite news |last=LaSalle |first=Mick |author-link=Mick LaSalle |date=January 25, 2002 |title=Penn plays sad 'Sam' / He's full of integrity as retarded father |url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Penn-plays-sad-Sam-He-s-full-of-integrity-as-2880088.php |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> [[David Denby]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' found Michelle Pfeiffer to be the standout: "Pfeiffer, enormously likable in the role, almost saves the movie."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/i_am_sam_nelson |title=I Am Sam |date=February 4, 2002 |first=David |last=Denby |magazine= [[The New Yorker]] |access-date=July 31, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080307053807/http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/i_am_sam_nelson |archive-date=March 7, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Accolades===
Sean Penn was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]], the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role]], the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor|Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor]] and the [[Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture|Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]].

Dakota Fanning won the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer|Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer]], the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Youth in Film, the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth Actress, the [[Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent]], and the [[Young Artist Award|Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Actress Age Ten or Under]]. She was also nominated for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role]].

The soundtrack was nominated for the [[Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media|Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]].

The film won the inaugural [[Stanley Kramer Award]] from the [[Producers Guild of America]] and was nominated for the [[Humanitas Prize]] and the [[Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film]].

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" 
! style="background:#B0C4DE;"| Award
! style="background:#B0C4DE;"| Category
! style="background:#B0C4DE;"| Nominee
! style="background:#B0C4DE;"| Result
|-
| [[74th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=74th Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2002 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=oscars.org|date=December 4, 2015 }}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Sean Penn]]
| {{nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[7th Critics' Choice Awards|Critics' Choice Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=7th Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Nominees |url=https://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2001.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130107093817/https://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2001.php |archive-date=2013-01-07 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=bfca.org}}</ref>
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer|Best Young Performer]]
| [[Dakota Fanning]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[45th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=45th Annual GRAMMY Awards |url=https://grammy.com/awards/45th-annual-grammy-awards |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=grammy.com}}</ref>
| [[Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media|Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]]
| 
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Humanitas Prize]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Humanitas Prize Nominees |url=https://www.humanitasprize.org/prize-nominees |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Humanitas |language=en-US}}</ref>
| 
| Kristine Johnson<br/>[[Jessie Nelson]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Japan Academy Film Prize]]
| colspan="2" | [[Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film|Outstanding Foreign Language Film]]
| {{nominated}}
|-
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society<ref>{{Cite web |title=2001 Awards Winners |url=http://www.lvfcs.org/sierra-award-winners.html |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=www.lvfcs.org}}</ref>
| Youth in Film
| Dakota Fanning
| {{won}}
|-
| [[13th Producers Guild of America Awards|Producers Guild of America]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=2011-01-06 |title=PGA honors Sean Penn with Kramer Award |url=https://variety.com/2011/film/awards/pga-honors-sean-penn-with-kramer-award-1118029838/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
| [[Stanley Kramer Award]]
| Jessie Nelson<br/>[[Edward Zwick]]<br/>[[Marshall Herskovitz]]<br/>Richard Solomon
| {{won}}
|-
| Phoenix Film Critics Society
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth Actress
| Dakota Fanning
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[6th Golden Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=2002 6th Annual SATELLITE™ Awards |url=http://pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2002.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107095429/http://pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2002.shtml |archive-date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=February 21, 2024 |website=pressacademy.com}}</ref>
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture|Best Actor]]
| Sean Penn
| {{nominated}}
|-
| Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New Talent
| Dakota Fanning
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[8th Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards |url=https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/8th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=www.sagawards.org}}</ref>
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role]]
| Sean Penn
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| Dakota Fanning
| {{nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[23rd Young Artist Awards|Young Artist Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=23rd Young Artist Awards |url=http://youngartistawards.org/noms23A.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423085945/http://youngartistawards.org/noms23A.htm |archive-date=2016-04-23 |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=YoungArtistAwards.org}}</ref>
| colspan="2" | Best Family Feature Film – Drama
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Actress Age Ten or Under
| Dakota Fanning
| {{won}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0277027}}
* {{mojo title|iamsam}}

{{Jessie Nelson}}
{{Producers Guild Stanley Kramer Award}}
{{Beatles filmography and videography}}

[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:2001 drama films]]
[[Category:American courtroom films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:Fiction about origami]]
[[Category:Films about disability in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about father–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:Films about intellectual disability]]
[[Category:Films about lawyers]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jessie Nelson]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Powell]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:New Line Cinema films]]