Review of the Movie: I am Sam

The movie “I am Sam” is about a mentally retarded father Shaun Penn who fights a law suite to get the custody of his daughter. I was literally moved to tears after watching the movie.

Shaun Penn plays the role of the mentally retarded father named Sam. Sam’s wife walks out of his life right after the daughter is born. Sam raises his daughter like a treasure and does his best to be a father. The welfare association for children takes the child away from her father on her birthday. Sam then approaches the most successful lawyer in America. The lawyer costs too much and she tells Sam that she will inform him about another friend who deals with such cases. Sam follows her where ever the lawyer goes.
In a party the lady lawyer accidentally says she is doing a “pro-bono” meaning a free service for which everyone in the party laughs at her. She then takes up the case of Sam and fights in the court justifying that Sam is the best father for his daughter and Sam should be give the custody of his daughter. The case has a temporary set back in which the child welfare organization wins and the child is sent to a foster child. The foster parents however are lyrically moved by the love of Sam to his daughter and vice versa. The daughter runs away every night to her father’s house. Seeing this bond between Sam and his daughter the foster parents decide to give the custody of the child to Sam.

The film has a superb cast, excellent performances by Shaun Penn(was nominated for Oscars), child artist who plays the role of Sam’s daughter(cant remember the name) and Michelle pfifer.