I Am Sam

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I Am Sam

PG-13

Released Jan 25, 2002

2h 12m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

35%

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145 Reviews

86%

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250,000+ Ratings

"I Am Sam" is the compelling story of Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a mentally-challenged father raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) with the help of a unique group of friends. As Lucy turns seven and begins to intellectually surpass her father, their close bond is threatened when their unconventional living arrangement comes to the attention of a social worker who wants Lucy placed in foster care.

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Critics Consensus

Not only does the manipulative I Am Sam oversimplify a complex issue, it drowns it in treacle.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Moving film with great acting seems too contrived.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 24, 2010

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Dec 30, 2006

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Sean Penn may be the most gifted actor of his generation.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 19, 2003

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Michael Clark

Epoch Times

Penn never goes over the top with his speech, ticks, hand gestures, and all-around physicality. He doesn’t act like a mentally challenged man, he behaves like one: there’s a big difference between the two.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 10, 2022

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Penn's performance deserved the Oscar nomination.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 11, 2020

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Sean Penn gives the most professionally shameful, cruelly wrongheaded performance ever nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, while Jessie Nelson Kristine Johnson's script lives down to Penn's ugly ineptitude with idiotic catchphrases and product placement.

Rated: 0/4

Sep 25, 2010

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Jacob D

While Penn does an admirable job in the starring role, the film just seems too long and makes for a forgettable experience. The film is definitely moving, but it feels cheap and worthless when you ultimately forget the movie within the day after you see it. The film is not for everybody and seems to rely on being a plain tearjerker rather than crafting a memorable narrative, despite the admirable acting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

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Francisco S

wow Sean Penn... MP was eye candy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/19/25

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Tomaz B

I'm not afraid of admitting that this movie brought some tears. It's an emotional watch, the connection between Sam and his daughter Lucy is just too beautiful not to feel bad for the whole situation they find themselves in. I wish more parents would show their kids love on that level. On the other hand, I think a shared custody would've been the best solution for Lucy. She's in her early childhood, the amount of mental and emotional development in this stage of life is quite significant. She could greatly benefit from having a custodian who can make sure she's doing well in school, let her explore her interests and encourage her to socialize and make the best out of her childhood.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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tm11999 M

spicoli as a whiney brain damaged dad is enough to make you read books. you shouldn't watch movies like this. build yourself a backyard sauna instead.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/25

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Brooke W

I have never written a review for a movie before, however, this movie deserves so much credit. I love this movie so much, I see a common theme with rotten tomatoes giving wholesome movies terrible ratings. This movie proves it. Rotten tomatoes was wrong to give this movie such a low rating.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/14/24

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Teddy B

Soulless and thoughtless, 'I Am Sam' is made with too much purpose. It's trying to say something that's already been said before. Sean Penn's performance goes from slightly endearing to grating, which isn't helped by the extensive runtime that fails to justify its existence. Shoddy camerawork never works out unless under an explicit excuse, which this film doesn't seem to want to bring up. It's just a technique without meaning.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/19/24

Full Review

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Jessie Nelson

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Sam Dawson

Michelle Pfeiffer

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Synopsis

"I Am Sam" is the compelling story of Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a mentally-challenged father raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) with the help of a unique group of friends. As Lucy turns seven and begins to intellectually surpass her father, their close bond is threatened when their unconventional living arrangement comes to the attention of a social worker who wants Lucy placed in foster care.

Director: Jessie Nelson
Producer: Jessie Nelson, Richard Solomon, Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: Kristine Johnson, Jessie Nelson
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Bedford Falls Productions, Avery Pix
Rating: PG-13 (Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 25, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 18, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.3M
Runtime: 2h 12m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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