I Am Sam (2001)
Love is all you need.
Keywords
I Am Sam rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
IMDb7.6/10· 161K votes
Rotten Tomatoes35%
Metacritic28%
TMDb7.572/10· 3K votesWith 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.6/10 on IMDb and 28/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been modest.
About I Am Sam
Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.
Cast of I Am Sam
Sean Penn
as Sam Dawson
Michelle Pfeiffer
as Rita Harrison Williams
Dianne Wiest
as Annie Cassell
Dakota Fanning
as Lucy Diamond Dawson
Richard Schiff
as Mr. Turner
Loretta Devine
as Margaret Calgrove
Marin Hinkle
as Patricia
Laura Dern
as Randy Carpenter
Brad Silverman
as Brad
- J
Joseph Rosenberg
as Joe
Stanley DeSantis
as Robert
Doug Hutchison
as Ifty
I Am Sam facts
- Budget
- $22M
- Box office
- $92.5M
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources
Audience opinions
What the audience liked
- •Father-daughter relationship creates genuine emotional core resonance
- •Drama tackles parental custody themes with affecting sincerity
- •Strong performances elevate modest storytelling to poignant character study
What the audience disliked
- •Critical response suggests sentimentality overwhelms nuanced character work
- •Custody battle resolution feels formulaic despite earnest execution
Trailer
Where to watch I Am Sam(US)
View on JustWatch →Rent / Buy
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On DemandAvailability may change. Data by JustWatch.
Looking for movies similar to I Am Sam?
We've ranked 50 similar movies using 8 weighted content dimensions.