I Am Sam *** (2001, Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning) – Classic Movie Review 1752

Co-writer/director Jessie Nelson’s highly emotional 2001 drama showcases Sean Penn’s Oscar-nominated performance as the developmentally challenged, brain-of-seven single parent Sam, who just wants to keep custody of the seven-year-old daughter her loves, little Lucy (Dakota Fanning). It is the making of this sentimental, highly artificial and very improbable mental-health-custody drama.

On her eighth birthday, the child care services take Lucy away from Sam, and he talks troubled hotshot lawyer and mom Michelle Pfeiffer into taking up his battle for custody to get her back. Improbably, though initially cold-hearted, she takes the pro bono case to save face with her friends.

There’s an excellent star character actor support cast. Dianne Wiest is very good as Penn’s helpful neighbour, and so are Laura Dern as the caring foster mother and Richard Schiff as the tricky opposing court official.

The alienating hand-help camera shots are a distraction, but they do give the movie a certain vibrancy. The old Beatles songs (and details from the pop stars’ lives) are used effectively throughout – Sam is a fervent fan of the band. Penn wanted the soundtrack to be all Beatles music, but was unable to get the rights and asked various artists to cover the songs.

Fanning’s character is named Lucy Diamond from The Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Pfeiffer’s character is Rita Harrison from Lovely Rita and George Harrison’s surname.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1752

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