I Am Sam

Last updated

I Am Sam
ImAmSamSeanMichelle.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jessie Nelson
Written byKristine Johnson
Jessie Nelson
Produced byJessie Nelson
Richard Solomon
Edward Zwick
Marshall Herskovitz
Starring
Cinematography Elliot Davis
Edited by Richard Chew
Music by John Powell
Production
company
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release date
  • December 28, 2001 (2001-12-28)(limited)
January 25, 2002 (wide) [1]
Running time
132 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million [2]
Box office$97.8 million [1]

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, Elle Fanning, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine and Laura Dern.

Contents

Nelson and co-writer Kristine Johnson researched the issues 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. [3] 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 polarized reviews from critics and audiences. It grossed over $97 million at the box office, against a production budget of $22 million. [1] [2] For his role as Sam, Penn was highly acclaimed and 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 Award.

Plot

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 their abandonment by her mother, a homeless woman with whom Sam had a sexual encounter. Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with disabilities, as well as a kind, agoraphobic neighbor, Annie, who takes care of Lucy when Sam cannot. Nearly seven years 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 advanced than he is.

In danger of losing child custody, Sam gets advice from his friends and also hires a lawyer, Rita Harrison, whose absorption in her work and neglect of her son reveals her to also struggle 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, due to pressure from the prosecutor, Sam breaks down after becoming convinced he is not capable of raising Lucy. Afterward, she resides in a foster home with Miranda "Randy" Carpenter, but tries to convince Sam to help her run away. Sam moves so he is 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, though, 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 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

Soundtrack

The Grammy Award–nominated soundtrack, in addition to a John Powell score, also is almost entirely cover versions 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, and Ben Folds to record the versions released. Penn's brother, Michael Penn, is also featured on a duet with his wife Aimee Mann.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 36% based on reviews from 146 critics, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's consensus reads: "Not only does the manipulative I Am Sam oversimplify a complex issue, it drowns it in treacle." [4] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 28 of 100 based on 33 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on scale of A to F. [6]

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." [7] Variety wrote: "Undone by its best intentions, I Am Sam is an especially insipid example of the Hollywood message movie". [8] 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." [9]

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." [10] 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." [11] David Denby of The New Yorker , found Michelle Pfeiffer to be the standout: "Pfeiffer, enormously likable in the role, almost saves the movie." [12]

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 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor and the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.

Dakota Fanning won the 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 Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New Talent, and the 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 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 Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film.

AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Academy Awards [13] Best Actor Sean Penn Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards [14] Best Actor Nominated
Best Young Performer Dakota Fanning Won
Grammy Awards [15] Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Nominated
Humanitas Prize [16] Kristine Johnson
Jessie Nelson 		Won
Japanese Academy Awards Outstanding Foreign Language Film Nominated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society [17] Youth in FilmDakota FanningWon
Producers Guild of America [18] Stanley Kramer Award Jessie Nelson
Edward Zwick
Marshall Herskovitz
Richard Solomon		Won
Phoenix Film Critics SocietyPhoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth ActressDakota FanningWon
Satellite Awards [19] Best Actor Sean PennNominated
Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New TalentDakota FanningWon
Screen Actors Guild Awards [20] Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Sean PennNominated
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Dakota FanningNominated
Young Artist Awards [21] Best Family Feature Film – DramaWon
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Actress Age Ten or UnderDakota FanningWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Pfeiffer</span> American actress (born 1958)

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. Prolific in film for over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as one of the era's defining sex symbols. She is known for pursuing a wide range of characters that span multiple genres, which have earned her various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sissy Spacek</span> American actress and singer (born 1949)

Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for four BAFTA Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. Spacek was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.

<i>Thelma & Louise</i> 1991 film by Ridley Scott

Thelma & Louise is a 1991 American buddy road crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. The film stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as Louise & Thelma, two friends who embark on a road trip that ends up in unforeseen circumstances. The supporting cast includes Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, and a then-unknown Brad Pitt in one of his first major film roles. Filming took place in California and Utah from June to August 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Penn</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1960)

Sean Justin Penn is an American actor and film director. He has won Academy Awards for his roles in the mystery drama Mystic River (2003) and the biopic Milk (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances McDormand</span> American actress and producer

Frances Louise McDormand is an American actress and producer. In a career spanning over four decades, she has gained acclaim for her roles in small-budget independent films. McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and one Tony Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". Additionally, she has received three BAFTAs and two Golden Globe Awards. McDormand's worldwide box office gross exceeds $2.2 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Watts</span> British actress (born 1968)

Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama For Love Alone (1986) and then appeared in three television series, Hey Dad..! (1990), Brides of Christ (1991), and Home and Away (1991), and the film Flirting (1991). After moving to the United States, Watts initially struggled as an actress, taking roles in small-scale films until she starred in David Lynch's psychological thriller Mulholland Drive in 2001 as an aspiring actress. The role began her rise to international prominence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Stuart Masterson</span> American actress and director (born 1966)

Mary Stuart Masterson is an American actress and director. After making her acting debut as a child in The Stepford Wives (1975), Masterson took a ten-year hiatus to focus on her education. Her early film roles include Heaven Help Us (1985), At Close Range (1986), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), and Chances Are (1989). Her performance in the film Immediate Family (1989) won her the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, and she earned additional praise for her roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Benny & Joon (1993).

<i>The Fabulous Baker Boys</i> 1989 film by Steve Kloves

The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 American romantic comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves. The film follows a piano duo consisting of brothers Jack and Frank Baker, who hire an attractive singer named Susie Diamond to revive their waning career. After a period of success, complications ensue when the younger brother develops a romantic interest in the singer.

<i>The Pledge</i> (film) 2001 film by Sean Penn

The Pledge is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological mystery drama film directed by Sean Penn and starring Jack Nicholson alongside an ensemble supporting cast of Patricia Clarkson, Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, Sam Shepard, Mickey Rourke, Tom Noonan, Lois Smith and Benicio del Toro. It was in competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Leo</span> American actress (born 1960)

Melissa Chessington Leo is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Critics' Choice Awards.

<i>Married to the Mob</i> 1988 American film directed by Jonathan Demme

Married to the Mob is a 1988 American crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alec Baldwin. Pfeiffer plays Angela de Marco, a gangster's widow from Brooklyn, opposite Modine as the undercover FBI agent assigned the task of investigating her mafia connections.

<i>The Purple Rose of Cairo</i> 1985 film by Woody Allen

The Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American fantasy-romantic film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, and Danny Aiello. Inspired by the films Sherlock Jr. (1924) and Hellzapoppin' (1941) and Pirandello's play Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921), it is the tale of a film character named Tom Baxter who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real world.

<i>Walk the Line</i> 2005 film by James Mangold

Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama directed by James Mangold. The screenplay, written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, is based on two autobiographies by the American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash: Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words (1975) and Cash: The Autobiography (1997). The film follows Cash's early life, his romance with the singer June Carter, his ascent in the country music scene, and his drug addiction. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Cash, Reese Witherspoon as Carter, Ginnifer Goodwin as Cash's first wife Vivian Liberto, and Robert Patrick as Cash's father.

<i>White Oleander</i> (film) 2002 American film

White Oleander is a 2002 American drama film directed by Peter Kosminsky. The film stars Alison Lohman in the central role of Astrid Magnussen and Michelle Pfeiffer as her manipulative mother, Ingrid, with Robin Wright, Noah Wyle, and Renée Zellweger in supporting roles. The screenplay was adapted from Janet Fitch's 1999 novel White Oleander, which was selected for Oprah's Book Club in May 1999.

<i>The Mirror Has Two Faces</i> 1996 film by Barbra Streisand

The Mirror Has Two Faces is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Barbra Streisand, who also stars. The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese is loosely based on the 1958 French film Le Miroir à deux faces written by André Cayatte and Gérard Oury. Also starring are Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan, George Segal, Mimi Rogers, Brenda Vaccaro, and Lauren Bacall. The story focuses on a shy, middle-aged professor who enters into a platonic relationship with an unlucky colleague.

<i>Across the Universe</i> (film) 2007 romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor

Across the Universe is a 2007 American jukebox musical romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor, centered on songs by the Beatles. The script is based on an original story credited to Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, and based on the song of the same name by Lennon–McCartney. It incorporates 34 compositions originally written by members of the Beatles. The film stars Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson and T.V. Carpio, and introduces Dana Fuchs and Martin Luther McCoy as actors. Cameo appearances are made by Bono, Eddie Izzard, Joe Cocker, and Salma Hayek, among others.

<i>The Age of Innocence</i> (1993 film) 1993 film directed by Martin Scorsese

The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American historical romantic drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. The screenplay, an adaptation of the 1920 novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, was written by Scorsese and Jay Cocks. The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder and Miriam Margolyes, and was released by Columbia Pictures. The film recounts the courtship and marriage of Newland Archer (Day-Lewis), a wealthy New York society attorney, to May Welland (Ryder); Archer then encounters and legally represents Countess Olenska (Pfeiffer) prior to unexpected romantic entanglements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakota Fanning</span> American actress (born 1994)

Hannah Dakota Fanning is an American actress. She rose to prominence at the age of seven for playing the daughter of an intellectually challenged man in the drama film I Am Sam (2001), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, making her the youngest nominee in SAG history. Fanning had further roles as a child actress in Uptown Girls (2003), Man on Fire (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Charlotte's Web (2006) and The Secret Life of Bees (2008), in addition to a voice role in Coraline (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Nagle</span> American film producer

Margaret Nagle is a screenwriter, producer, and activist. She has been nominated for three Emmy Awards and won three Writers Guild of America Awards.

Will Wallace is an American film director and actor. He directed Spanish Fly, Red Wing, and Cake: A Wedding Story.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "I Am Sam (2001)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "I Am Sam (2001) – Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Vedder, Crowes Cover Beatles for 'I Am Sam'". billboard.com. November 6, 2001. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  4. ↑ "I Am Sam". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  5. ↑ "I Am Sam". Metacritic . Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  6. ↑ "I AM SAM (2001) A". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Scott, A. O. (December 28, 2001). "Movie Review – 'I Am Sam' – A Retarded Man Tries to Keep His Child". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ Koehler, Robert (December 20, 2001). "I Am Sam Review". Variety.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 25, 2002). "I Am Sam". RogerEbert.com .
  10. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (December 28, 2001). "In 'I Am Sam,' Skillful Players Embrace a Heartfelt Family Tale". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  11. ↑ LaSalle, Mick (January 25, 2002). "Penn plays sad 'Sam' / He's full of integrity as retarded father". San Francisco Chronicle .
  12. ↑ Denby, David (February 4, 2002). "I Am Sam". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  13. ↑ "74th Academy Awards". oscars.org. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  14. ↑ "7th Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Nominees". bfca.org. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  15. ↑ "45th Annual GRAMMY Awards". grammy.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Humanitas Prize Nominees". Humanitas. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  17. ↑ "2001 Awards Winners". www.lvfcs.org. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  18. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 6, 2011). "PGA honors Sean Penn with Kramer Award". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  19. ↑ "2002 6th Annual SATELLITE™ Awards". pressacademy.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  20. ↑ "The 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ "23rd Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.