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      I Am Sam

      PG-13 Released Jan 25, 2002 2 hr. 12 min. Drama List
      36% 146 Reviews Tomatometer 86% 250,000+ Ratings Audience Score "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. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Aug 08 Buy Now

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      I Am Sam

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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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      Audience Reviews

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      Jose O love this movie. always gets me emotional Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/24 Full Review Mikaël O One of the best picture ever done in movie history. Once again rotten tomatoes shows how incompetent they are at ratings movies. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/19/23 Full Review Enrique P So good. Gosh, movie was spooky. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/19/23 Full Review RICARDO A Give this movie another chance and another watch, It's an underrated masterpiece, Sean Penn's Performance as Sam is Heartwarming! The Camerawork/Cinematography is a Breath of Fresh Air, It's Beautifully Crafted, it's well executed, it's a win! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/19/23 Full Review Logjoses Filme muito bom, perfeito para refletir e chorar Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/05/23 Full Review antonio s It's a shame Dakota Fanning did not get nominated for an Oscar as best actress. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Nell Minow Common Sense Media Moving film with great acting seems too contrived. Rated: 3/5 Dec 24, 2010 Full Review Empire Magazine Rated: 2/5 Dec 30, 2006 Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Sean Penn may be the most gifted actor of his generation. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 19, 2003 Full Review 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 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Penn's performance deserved the Oscar nomination. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 11, 2020 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      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
      Executive Producer
      Claire Rudnick Polstein, Michael De Luca, David Rubin
      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
      Sound Mix
      Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.85:1)
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