by Pooka

Created on: May 12, 2008

I am Sam

Sitting too close to the television will not ruin your eyes. Despite contrary opinion it just might provide good exercise to that muscle just behind your eyes; your brain. Many television shows and movies contain powerful meanings and morals that do make people think, and provide a new understanding to human nature and psychology. One such movie is I Am Sam, directed by Jessie Nelson, starring Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer.

In this movie, Sam is a grown man with the mental capacity of a seven year old. He fathers a child with a homeless woman, who promptly leaves him to raise their daughter alone, saying, "This isn't my life, I only wanted a place to sleep." Sam raises the baby until her seventh birthday party when Social Services gets involved and he has to go to court to regain custody of his daughter Lucy.

The movie opens with a scene of Sam working in Starbucks. He cleans off the tables, sets all the cups and cans facing forward, and organizes all the artificial sweeteners. He talks happily with the regular customers as he goes about his job. Everyone accepts him despite his handicap, and they honestly like him. These people who took the time to know him see him for what he is, a really nice guy. Sam has a peaceful easy life that is turned upside down in the next hectic scene as a woman gives birth to his child, and leaves them both. This is just the first example of Sam being more responsible than someone of normal intelligence.

Sam goes through all the typical trouble of raising a child, experiencing all the same problems any single father would. From changing a diaper to answering the really hard questions, "Is mommy ever coming back?" "Why are you different from other dads?" Sam doesn't really answer, only apologizes. Lucy responds by saying, "Don't be sorry. I'm lucky. Nobody else's dad ever comes to the park." Despite his handicap, Sam shows that he is a good father, often more so than fathers of normal intelligence. He reads her stories, spends time with her, attends parent teacher meetings, and honestly makes his daughter the most important thing in his life. During a school presentation Lucy gives a report, stumbling just a little on some of the facts, but clearly shows she learned and knows what she is talking about. The next student up mixes up every fact, his helpful father dressed in an expensive business suit encourages the boy that he knows this information. The child explains it all when he says, "You wrote this part, remember?"

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