I Am Sam
I Am Sam (stylized i am sam) is a 2001 American comedy-drama film 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
Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a man with an intellectual disability, is the single father of Lucy (Dakota Fanning) who is an 8-year-old second grader following their abandonment by her mother, a homeless woman whom Sam had a sexual encounter with. Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with disabilities, as well as a kind, agoraphobic neighbor, Annie (Dianne Wiest), who takes care of Lucy when Sam cannot. Though Sam provides a loving place for precocious Lucy, she soon surpasses his mental ability.
More details
| author | Kristine Johnson |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | Los Angeles |
| director | Jessie Nelson |
| editor | Richard Chew |
| events | autism |
| genre | comedy-drama |
| keywords | advanced agoraphobia agoraphobic disabled embarrass foster family foster home foster parents group of friends handicap intellectual disability lose love mother figure pro bono run away second grade sexual encounter single father |
| 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 |