I Am Sam
I Am Sam (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2001 American drama film co-written and directed by Jessie Nelson, and starring Sean Penn as a father with an intellectual disability, Dakota Fanning as his bright and inquisitive daughter, and Michelle Pfeiffer as his lawyer. Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff, and Laura Dern appear in supporting roles.
Plot
In 1993, Samuel 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.
More details
| author | Kristine Johnson |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | Los Angeles |
| director | Jessie Nelson |
| editor | Richard Chew |
| events | autism |
| genre | drama |
| keywords | advanced agoraphobic beatles bully child custody disabled foster family foster home foster parents group of friends intellectual disability lose love lucy in the sky with diamonds mother figure pro bono referee run away seven years sexual encounter single father soccer starbucks the beatles song |
| musicBy | John Powell |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Actor |
| producer | Edward Zwick Marshall Herskovitz |
| productionCompany | Bedford Falls Productions |
| publisher | New Line Cinema |
| recordedAt | Los Angeles |