I Am Sam

I Am Sam (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2001 American drama film co-written and directed by Jessie Nelson, it stars Sean Penn, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff, and Laura Dern. Nelson and co-writer Kristine Johnson researched the issues facing adults with intellectual disabilities by visiting the non-profit organization L.A. GOAL (Greater Opportunities for the Advanced Living). They subsequently cast two actors with disabilities, Brad Silverman and Joe Rosenberg, in key roles. The film's title is derived from the lines "I am Sam / Sam I am" of the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, which is included in the movie. The film received polarized reviews from critics and audiences. It grossed over $97 million at the box office, against a production budget of $22 million. For his role as Sam, Penn was highly acclaimed and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. The film launched the career of child actress Dakota Fanning and her younger sister Elle Fanning, who were then seven and almost three years old respectively. The former had acted in only two small roles, while the latter never had roles until this movie. The former became the youngest actress to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Plot In 1993, Sam Dawson, a Starbucks barista with an intellectual disability, becomes the single father of Lucy Diamond Dawson, named after The Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", following their abandonment by her mother, a homeless woman with whom Sam had a sexual encounter. Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with disabilities, as well as a kind, agoraphobic neighbor, Annie, who takes care of Lucy when Sam cannot. Nearly seven years later in 2001, Sam provides a loving place for precocious Lucy, though she soon surpasses his mental capacity and ability. Other children bully her for having an intellectually disabled father, and she becomes too embarrassed to accept that she is more advanced than he is.