I Am Sam
I Am Sam
I Am Sam
I Am Sam
Film Review
“I Am Sam”
Film Review
“I am Sam” is based on a true story which makes the movie more inspiring, it is a 2001
melodrama where Sam Dawson has developmental disabilities, and they believed that Sam has a
mental capacity of 7 years old and a single father to Lucy, a bright and lovable daughter to Sam.
He raised his daughter with the help of his unique friends, until she turns 7 years old and
surpasses her father, intellectually. Their close bond becomes a threat because of the
unconventional living arrangement and gets the attention of the social workers and they want
Lucy to go into foster care. He became problematic because Lucy got taken away by the social
workers and his custody case brought to court. Sam do his best to find a lawyer, named Rita, she
says he’s case was a pro bono and Sam teaches her a great deal about love because it is all their
needed. Sam broke down and failed to win his trial on his custody to Lucy and he is convinced
that he is not capable of taking care of his daughter. Lucy was placed with foster family who
adopted her but Lucy always runaway every night to go into his father’s house that move into an
apartment close to her daughter. In the end, they gave Lucy to his father because they have
realized how much Lucy loves his father. But his father says that Lucy stills needs a mother and
request to the foster mother to help him raise Lucy and she agreed.
The movie has heart-tagging performances which capture the attention of every people
who will watch it. As I have watched the movie, I became very emotional when it comes to
father-daughter relationships, because I am longing for a father, I don’t have a father to be called
since I was 10 years old, my father got tortured and it was a long story. I kept thinking about how
he will take care of her daughter throughout the movie in his situation. But as the movie goes on,
it answers my question. Sam is very lovable, strong, kind-hearted, faithful, and honest despite his
mental disability he’ll do anything for his daughter to make her happy like he always does in his
job, he is very cheerful and always says his favorite line in his job “That is a very good choice”
in every order of his costumer. And if you think of it, it has a deeper meaning, I believe in the
quote that “everyone in life is faced with good and bad choices that can either have a good
outcome on your life or it can take a turn for the worst”. He always read a book “Green Eggs and
Ham” every night before Lucy sleeps. I am very touched because he have a helpful and devoted
unique friends that supports him throughout the movie, although they are funny in a good way
but they did not leave their friend Sam. Like the quote says, “Good friends are like stars. You
don't always see them, but you know that they are always there. A friend is one of the nicest
things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.” In my experience, I do have this best
friendship ever, we are best friends since high school, but we know that time passes and we
graduate and separated from each other, we became busy but we do not forget that we are here if
you need a help or if you have a problem, we sometimes have a little chitchat in messenger and
express our emotions because we know that we understand each other sides and I must say that
they are one of the important things that I do not want lose, they are my companion when nobody
does not want to be my companion. One of the scene that I am very touched is when they are
buying Lucy a shoes that will use on her first day of schooling, and Sam’s money are not enough
to buy the shoes that Lucy’s picked, his friends contributed money to pay the remaining balance
cost of the shoes and the funny part is they buy together balloons which the scene looks cute. He
is doing his best to cope up in the situation and also his daughter that is very brave and smart that
she does not want her father to feel different and stop learning so she won’t get ahead of her dad.
The movie is rich in insight and taught us many lessons; it teaches us how to be strong in
all situations using the weaknesses that we faced. You will know what love means, and how love
conquers all. Sam is intellectually challenged and he does not see it as a hindrance to living his
life to the fullest and giving all his best to Lucy. It amazes me how Rita (Sam’s lawyer) becomes
different when before he met Sam, she is a cold-hearted, selfish person who only cares about her
reputation and money, but despite their differences, they helped each other in a way, to help
improve themselves. Sam thinks that people like Rita are not even hurting, do not have feelings,
or not even know the word “hurt” in facing problems but Rita says that even she’s is perfect, she
also feels a little ugly, alone, lost, and incomplete. Because she might have money, work, house,
but without her family’s love, she feels miserable. Overall, the movie “I Am Sam” gave us a
realization about the real meaning of love because the plot focuses on his desire to get his
daughter back to him which he’ll do anything to his daughter. Otherwise, on becoming a better
person to our loved ones full of honesty, compassion, and pure love with full of respect. We
should not judge others on their appearance or living because we are not in their situation to
judge them, we should learn to be in their perspective sometimes and look on every side of their
life before you go to judging. Theirs is no room for having an intellectual capacity on a person’s
ability to love. Sam shows that his love for his daughter that does not give up, makes an
REFERENCES
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277027/plotsummary
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-am-sam-2002
Madamba C. (2003). What I Am Sam taught me about love. Philippine Star Global.
https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2003/08/08/216493/what-i-am-sam-taught-me
about-love