I Am Sam (2001)

‘ i am sam’ is the first movie that has made me cry but it still has a dash of comedy involved! Sam Dawson - a man with a developmental disability - works at Starbucks and has a huge obsession with the Beatles. He has a daughter with a homeless woman; she abandons them as soon as they leave the hospital. He names her Lucy Diamond (after the hit Beatles song) and raises her. Despite his disability, Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with developmental disabilities, as well as a kind,neighbor Annie - who takes care of Lucy when Sam cannot. However as Lucy reaches age 7, Sam's limitations start to become a problem at school; she's intentionally holding back to avoid looking smarter than him. Even though Sam provides a loving and caring environment for Lucy,other children tease her for having a disabled father, and she becomes too embarrassed to accept that she is more advanced than Sam. Although Sean Penn (Sam Dawson) may seem disabled in this film, in real life he is not and I think he has done an amazing job of acting it! Dakota Fanning who plays (Lucy Diamond) has done a fantastic job of acting this film as well as the other cast. Will Lucy’s relationship with her father remain? And will Sam still live a happy life? To reveal the answers to this extraordinary film you’ll have to watch it from start to end! I would recommend this to anyone over the age of 11 looking for a sad but yet factual storyline with a hint of comedy. And I have to give this film 5 stars. And what a great job the director, Jessie Nelson has done to succeed in this film!