Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

I Am Sam
2001
**½
Director: Jessie Nelson
Cast: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Richard Schiff, Laura Dern

A moving but shamelessly manipulative weepy about a mentally retarded man who is fighting for the right to raise his 7-year-old daughter. The story is clearly appeling to our hearts and not our minds, and it cannot bear any scrutiny. Sam is mad about the Beatles and we're reminded of the song "All You Need Is Love", but perhaps "Nowhere Man" would've been a more appropriate song choice.