Rating: 
Summary: lovely
Review: Denzel was great in Training Day, but
Sean Penn should have gotten the oscar.
He was amazing in this movie!
Dakota Fanning was also great!
This movie will make you laugh,
and cry, all the way through.
This is an absolute, MUST SEE!
Rating:
Summary: This is an amazing movie
Review: Every character is dynamic :) Sean Penn does an absolutely astounding job portraying a man with the intelligence of a 7 year old. He is flawless and caring with his character. The movie posesses a spirit of emotional humor. I laughed and was happy and then cried and then laughed again and then cried happy tears. My voice sobs everytime I watch the movie and the foster mom tells Sam that she will be on his side. FABULOUS do not pass up the chance to watch this beautifully done movie.
Rating:
Summary: Compassionate, Enlightening - Excellent Performances Galore
Review: It was the middle of the day and for some reason, I
was compelled to sit down and watch "I am Sam."
I have come to really respect the work of Sean Penn,
so as a fellow actor I wanted to study his technique.
An hour later my twelve-year-old daughter, Katherine,
and I were both so deeply connected to the story
and to the people's lives unfolding in the story that
we were both holding each other and crying.
I didn't know the subtitle of this film until I opened the
CD case - "Love is all you need." This movie is
a testimony to the power of love.
Some reviewers found this movie
"schmaltzy" - I didn't find it
that way at all. I found the performances to be
very honest and real. There is one scene where
Rita finally "gets" Sam - and the wall separating
them literally and figuratively come down.
I have a brother with Down's Syndrome. His capabilities
are nowhere near Sam's. "He is smarter in a different
way" as Sam would tell us.
I completely forgot I was watching Sean Penn in this
movie. I forgot I was watching a movie. Instead
I was there, beside the characters and inside the
characters.
Incredible performances by the supporting cast:
Laura Dern, Dianne Wiest and Sam's support system
friends were amazing - as were the Children's
Services workers who were also so passionate
about protecting the lives of the children they serve
(I don't know the actors' names, but one is on West
Wing and the other I have seen in many movies
and television shows.)
Rating: 
Summary: I am Sam
Review: It's either you love this movie or you hate this for it's uncompromising schmaltz. Well I guess I'm with the former I'm willing to ignore the obvious flaws (most notably the screenplay who didn't do justice to the performances of the actors) because of the amount of heart the film has.
The performances were very good particularly Penn and Fanning. Penn never missed a beat, It could've looked overblown and a freak show but he made it really compelling and sensitive. Fanning is probably one of the few young actors who exhibited such great depth as an actress that even actors twice or thrice her age could only imagine. Made you wonder where the hell she's getting all this emotions. Pfeiffer though good is I guess the most obvious casualty of the weakness of the script. Her character started from being a total bitch to a sympathetic compassionate character without any subtlety. It wasn't developed enough. In one key scene where she had a breakdown, she seemed more like a complaining brat instead of really having a breakdown and a little tear could've helped the scene a little bit. The script really hindered Pfeiffer to just nail this part because there's no doubt she's one of the best actresses around.
It's a good film to watch in a cold night, the ending might be a little overblown and mushy but I guess ultimately a satisfying closure. You'll have a smile on your face after you watched it.
Grade: B
Rating:
Summary: "Slow" dad fights court order to give up his child
Review: Sean Penn as a devoted father (Sam) who despite mental challenges, fights for the right to raise his child is convincing in a complete departure from his usual "bad guy" characters. Michelle Pfeiffer plays his reluctant "pro bono" elite lawyer, who eventually puts 110% into this case.
The love between Sam and his 7 year old daughter is evident in many sweet scenes (got Kleenex?), best described by a reclusive neighbor (wonderfully played by Dianne Wiest), who overcomes her hermit-like condition long enough to testify in Sam's behalf. Even the social workers who insisted on doing everything to "help the child" appear to be fighting emotions over this unusual case.The "support system", which includes several equally challenged "buddies", a very supportive employer, and many other people in the community gives evidence of our changing society, fostering inclusion and tolerance. Eventually even the prospective adoptive parents of Sam's daughter can't go on fighting against this exemplary father. The girl playing Sam's daughter appears to be "gifted", at age 7 reading middle school material. Perhaps the "difference" between father & daughter's intelligence did not have to be in such an obvious extreme. The implication of a romantic involvement between Sam and his lawyer could have been avoided as well. The former is stretching it, but the latter is going too far. One can suspend her/his disbelief only so much! Since there are no "perfect" movies, I still consider this one pretty darn close! Highly recommended!****
Rating:
Summary: DIABETICALLY SWEET SCHMALTZ, BUT VERY WELL DONE
Review: "I am Sam" is replete with a jerky handheld finish, self-conscious art direction, the angst of the specially challenged, lots of opportunities to laugh and cry, terrific acting, and a marvelous Beatles-Plus soundtrack. The love that the entire cast and crew put into the project radiates from the scene and generates enough goodwill to forgive the occasionally languid pacing. Sean Penn's nomination was absolutely well-deserved, and Dakota Fleming does a great job of Sam's daughter. Some magnificent supporting turns by Laura Dern, Diane Wiest, Stanley DeSantis, and two actually mentally handicapped actors, help carry the somewhat airy/sappy script through some of its less credible moments. If you're a heartless scrimp by nature and want action in your movies, you may want to skip it, but everyone else should have a decent feel-good time with this stirring drama.
Rating:
Summary: Are You Nuts?
Review: The folks that gave this priceless movie anything less than a four star rating, are without a doubt, the retarded ones.
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