I Am Sam
I Am Sam is a 2001 film about a man suffering from mental retardation and his struggle to gain custody of his mentally normal daughter with the help of his friends, neighbor and cold-hearted lawyer.
- Written and directed by Kristine Johnson and Jessie Nelson.
- All you need is love.
Rita Harrison Williams
[edit]- Sam, I can go another nine rounds but you've got to let me in.
- Somehow, I'll never be enough.
- Objection! Motion to strike that from the record. It's clear that one's intellectual capacity has no bearing on their ability to love.
Lucy Diamond Dawson
[edit]- All you need is love.
Dialogue
[edit]- Social Worker: Lucy, your father is 1 hour and 45 minutes late. You only have a few minutes left.
- Lucy: You can leave if you want to.
- Rita: Now, Ms. Cossell, in all the time that you've known them, have you ever questioned Sam's ability as a father?
- Annie: Never.
- Rita: Never?
- Annie: Never. Look at Lucy. She's strong. She displays true empathy for people, all kinds of people. I know that you all think she's as smart as she is despite him, but it's because of him.
- Rita: So what you're saying is you don't worry about Lucy's future?
- Annie: No, I do.
- Rita: Ah...
- Annie: I worry all the time. I worry if they take Lucy away from her father they will take away an enormous piece of her, and I worry that she will spend the rest of her life trying to fill that hole.
- Sam: I need to get Lucy back. We need, we need - to be professional!
- Rita: Do you know what that means?
- Sam: When dealing with Starbucks' customers, 'be friendly but not familiar'. I can be your friend.
- Lucy: Daddy, did God make you to be like this or was it an accident?
- Sam: Okay, what do you mean?
- Lucy: I mean you're different.
- Sam: But what do you mean?
- Lucy: You're not like other daddies.
- Sam: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry.
- Lucy: It's okay daddy. It's okay. Don't be sorry. I'm lucky. Nobody else's daddy ever comes to the park.
- Sam: Yeah! yeah! yeah! We are lucky. Aren't we lucky?
- Lucy: I won't read the word!
- Sam: I'm your father and I'm telling you to read the word 'cause I can tell you to because I'm your father.
- Lucy: I'm stupid.
- Sam: You are not stupid!
- Lucy: Yes, I am.
- Sam: No, you are not stupid 'cause you can read that word.
- Lucy: I don't wanna read it if you can't.
- Sam: No, because it makes me happy! It makes me happy hearing you read. Yeah, it makes me happy when you're reading.
- Lucy: [Lucy reads again]
- Lucy: (while being observed) I want no other daddy but you. (turns to glass; shouts) Did you hear that? I said I didn't want any other daddy but him. Why don't you write that down?
Cast
[edit]- Sean Penn — Sam Dawson
- Michelle Pfeiffer — Rita Harrison Williams
- Dakota Fanning — Lucy Diamond Dawson
- Dianne West — Annie Cassell
- Loretta Devine — Margaret Calgrove
- Richard Schiff — Mr. Turner
External links
[edit]
- I Am Sam quotes at the Internet Movie Database