I am Sam

I am Sam

Starring:

Sean Penn as Sam Dawson

Michelle Pfeiffer as Rita Harrison Williams

Dakota Fanning as Lucy Diamond Dawson

 

I.           SUMMARY

The story of a developmentally disabled and autistic man, Sam Dawson, 1 father of a child with a homeless woman. The baby's mother runs away instantly after the baby's birth, leaving Sam, holding the baby. Sam has the mentality of a seven year old, but the common sense, compassion and determination of a mature adult.

Despite his disabilities, Sam manages to raise his baby daughter Lucy, with the help of his friend Annie a reclusive pianist on his waiter salary from Starbucks. Sam's friends, four disabled adult men welcome and love Lucy and the little group mumbles along taking care of Lucy in their own funny, endearing way. Sam and Lucy have a lovely relationship.

However at Lucy's seventh birthday party, friends from school are invited and several mock Sam and Lucy. Seeing Lucy hurt and angry, Sam justifiably criticizes the offending child. The child's parents' already uncomfortable with Sam, target him as unfit father. Lucy is removed from Sam's home and placed in court protection while the custody issue is resolved.

Sam attempts to hire an attorney, Rita Harrison who completely blows him off as a nut case. Rita is known as a cold pitiless lawyer only after her own interests. She's high-powered, intense, angry and obsessive. Rita's husband has almost abandoned the marriage and she is left to care for her son Willie who is very angry at her. In an effort to improve her image, Rita lies saying that she does take free cases. Sam arrives to again plead for her help, and Rita is caught in her lie and forced to take on Sam's case.

As they work together to secure Sam's parental rights, Sam unwittingly helps Rita with her family problems, including encouraging her to leave her philandering husband and repairing her fractious relationship with her son.

Of course, against all odds, Sam draws Rita to his cause to get Lucy back, but he gets a hammering from nasty attorney Turner, whose argument that, just maybe, Sam isn't exactly the ideal dad to raise a child alone is treated by the script with contempt.

Finally, it appears that Lucy has found a new, nurturing home with Randy, but this potentially interesting turn becomes just another piece of manipulation, as Randy can't help but observe that Sam -- despite some highly erratic and questionable behavior -- is the most loving and devoted parent Lucy could have.

II.        REACTION

I am Sam has several linked themes. Love is all you need. Not a certain IQ. Not a college degree. To be a father, you need to have love. When asked what it meant to be a father, what Lucy looked-for from a father, no one was really able to put it clearly into words. As Sam and Rita showed, many difficulties to parenting could be overcome. Even help from Randy to be the mother figure for Lucy. All parents of every aptitude level need those. But the one thing that only Sam could give Lucy was the love of a father.

A very touching story that will open the eyes and mind of every individual that in spite of the disability it will not hinder the task of being a good parent. In some instances that Sam can’t be a father figure to her daughter it is also a big deal that Sam should fight for. According to the agency, it is difficult for Sam to guide Lucy when she will be teenager because of capacity of a seven year old child. As the story end it’s the faith, love, passion of Sam that will help him to raise Lucy in a right way.

Finding who you are, learning to love who you are. Learning to let others love you  and learning to give love. It shows optimistic personal identity. Rita learned from Sam that she was loved. She was acceptable and adorable as she was. Rita’s life was harsh and frantic. She was obsessive, on the edge and freakishly organized. Food stuffing as Rita did with the marshmallows is perseverative behavior. She wasn't so much eating them as storing them away. Rita also took little things and hid them in her pocket; valueless things like the jellybeans and coffee creamers. These are unusual behaviors. Sam was a salvation for Rita; he pulled her back from the brink of a mental breakdown.

It is about working hard to give someone something that will be good for them and make them happy even if at first they refuse.  When Sam didn't visit Lucy and missed his scheduled visits at Randy's house, which was revealing that Sam really was a worthwhile, capable parent because a real parent would feel that pain.

 I really like the little parade back and forth past the 7-11. And when Randy was won over by Sam's love in the end, he wasn't bitter at all. He welcomed her into their little family. To me that's what showed his depth of character.