Plays out in such a conventional manner that it feels like a TV movie of the week from the '70s.
Comment
03/04/02
I Am Sam (2002)
34
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:140
Fresh:47
Rotten:93
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Not only does the manipulative I Am Sam oversimplify a complex issue, it drowns it in treacle.
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Actor Sean Penn displays another facet of his versatility as the title character of this inspirational tearjerker--a mentally handicapped father fighting for custody of his young daughter (Dakota... [More]
Starring: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laura Dern, Loretta Devine
Director: Jessie Nelson
Reviews for I Am Sam
The mawkish script and intrusive direction practically cripples the effective efforts put forth by Penn's sensitive acting. I Am Sam, quite frankly, is simplistic and needlessly sugar-coated.
03/04/02
Click to read the article
03/02/02
Top CriticThe story is burdened by a thousand clichés ...
02/26/02
So much of the movie exists for the sole purpose of driving its plot and culling some sort of emotion from the audience, that ultimately, you can feel just how empty it is.
02/26/02
In a case of attention-deficit- disorder-style filmmaking, Nelson consistently undermines every moment of honest drama by drawing undue attention to the camera.
02/20/02
It’s all payoff and no setup; the longest Kodak commercial ever filmed.
02/09/02
Penn is brilliant and the refreshingly unprecocious Dakota Fanning shows oodles of promise.
02/05/02
Penn's towering performance as Sam bolsters the film's highs.
02/04/02
We're in the land of "minority or disabled people as magical healers," and that is never a healthy place to be for too long.
02/01/02
The problem with dismissing I AM SAM as a treacly Hollywood construct is that the acting is superb, tour-de-force stuff.
01/31/02
Sometimes beautiful and sometimes bogus, often moving but almost always manipulative, undoubtedly sincere yet jaw-droppingly shameless.
01/31/02
Rather than go the long way around to your emotions -- you know, with sympathetic characters and good writing -- it uses movie shortcuts like retarded people and cute kids.
01/30/02
Dakota Fanning [as little Lucy]is worth the price of admission.
01/29/02
Click to read the article
01/27/02
Click to read the article
01/26/02
Top CriticIt's a well-written and exceptionally well-acted tearjerker.
01/26/02
Thoughtful and emotionally rewarding, I Am Sam works more successfully than it has any right to.
01/25/02
For a movie that probes the sensitive issue of living with reduced mental capacity, are the creators of Bambi the obvious choice?
01/25/02
A well-intentioned but ludicrous tale.
01/25/02
Latest News for I Am Sam
October 25, 2007:
Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning Teaming Up for My Sister's Keeper
They aren't even in high school yet, but the Fanning sisters are already grizzled Hollywood veterans -- and now they're teaming up onscreen for the first time. More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds