#WATCH I AM SAM 2001 MOVIE#
She is clearly relying upon audiences being swept away on a tide of emotion so overwhelming that concerns about the intelligence and logic of the movie become irrelevant. From the supposedly heart-wrenching drama of the separation of father and daughter to the courtroom scenes, this is pure soap opera - not a promising way for Jessie Nelson to return to directing after a seven-year absence (her previous credit, which was her feature debut, was Corrina, Corrina). Despite the high-profile nature of the cast, I had the feeling that I was watching one of those made-for-TV weepers that show up with alarming regularity on cable TV's Lifetime Network. With a better plot, I Am Sam might work, but it glosses over reality on so many occasions that it's hard to take seriously. And, in the process of preparing for Sam's case, Rita begins to bridge the gulf that has developed between her and her son.
#WATCH I AM SAM 2001 PRO#
But Sam is persistent, and, in an attempt to prove to her colleagues that she has a heart, she agrees to represent him pro bono. Needing a lawyer to represent him in the custody hearing, Sam approaches high-profile attorney Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), who initially brushes him off. But, when the Department of Child Services hears about the situation, they take Lucy away from her father, believing that Sam cannot effectively care for her. At age seven, Lucy is smarter than Sam, and, as a result, fiercely protective of him. It would be difficult enough for Sam, whose mental capacity is equal to that of a seven year-old, to survive on his own, but he has a daughter, Lucy (Dakota Fanning), who was the product of a one-night stand.
Sam Dawson (Sean Penn) is a mentally-retarded forty year-old man with autistic tendencies who earns a living by working as a janitor at a local Starbucks. Of course, there's also the problem of overt manipulation - subtlety is not one of this film's hallmarks - but that's to be expected from any motion picture that so obviously wants to be regarded as a tear-jerker.
I Am Sam (inspired by a line from "Green Eggs and Ham"), despite boasting interesting character relationships, stumbles and falls because of a storyline that consistently overlooks real-life situations when it isn't pandering to the needs of those who want every screenplay to be constructed from cliches. Never trust a serious drama that uses a line from a Dr.
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