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I Am Sam
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Metascore
28 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 33 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 69 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Sean Penn
  • Summary: The compelling story of Sam Dawson (Penn), a mentally challenged father raising his daughter Lucy with the help of an extraordinary group of friends. When a social worker suggests that Lucy should be placed in foster care, Sam forms an unlikely alliance with a high-powered attorney (Pfeiffer). Together they struggle to convince the system that Sam deserves to get his daughter back and, in the process, fuse a bond that results in a unique testament to the power of unconditional love. (New Line Cinema)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 33
  3. Negative: 19 out of 33
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    75
    Penn makes us take the leap required by Kristine Johnson and Jessie Nelson's screenplay -- you end up deeply caring about Sam and Lucy.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    50
    The kind of performance Penn delivers in I Am Sam, which may look hard, is easy, compared, say, to his amazing work in Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown."
  3. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Connie Ogle
    38
    There's only one excuse for the sentimental and ham-handed I Am Sam, and it's not to tout the rights of the mentally disabled.
    All this critic's reviews

See all 33 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 45
  3. Negative: 3 out of 45
  1. stepansito
    10
    I truly loved it. what a great performance from penn as well as fanning's. A beautiful and lovely story with a great sense on values and the meaning of perseverance. Highly recommended. Metascore 28 doesn't give it credit… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. SaraiV.
    10
    This is the best movie ever!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. grandpajoe6191
    4
    I agree the movie was pretty cheesy and tacky for its taste but seriously, "I am Sam" doesn't deserve this much hate.
    • 2 of 2 users said yes

See all 45 User Reviews

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