I Am Sam is a 2001 American drama film directed by Jessie Nelson, starring Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Dakota Fanning. The film tells the story of Sam Dawson, a single father with a developmental disability, who fights to regain custody of his 7-year-old daughter, Lucy, after he is accused of being an inadequate parent by social services.
Sam has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old and works at a Starbucks coffee shop with his supportive friends, who help him with his everyday life tasks. When his girlfriend, who also has a developmental disability, becomes pregnant and leaves him alone with the baby, Sam raises Lucy with all his heart and the help of his friends.
As Lucy grows up, she starts to surpass her father's intellectual abilities and develops the perception that her father is not like the other fathers she knows. When Lucy's teachers notice her cognitive abilities, they report Sam's situation to child protective services, and Lucy is taken away from him.
Desperate to get his daughter back, Sam approaches high-priced lawyer Rita Harrison for help, but she initially refuses to take the case, seeing it as a burden to her high-profile clientele. However, after spending time with Sam and seeing just how much he loves his daughter, Rita has a change of heart and takes on Sam's case pro bono.
Rita's relationship with her own son, who feels neglected by her busy schedule, becomes mirrored in her work with Sam and Lucy, prompting her to realize that love and family are more important than success and money.
In the end, after a heated trial, Sam earns custody of Lucy, and they are reunited as a family once again. The film highlights the value of parenthood, unconditional love, and the limits of society's understanding about people with disabilities.
