I Am Sam

Overview

"Sean Penn won an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a mentally challenged father in the emotional I Am Sam. New Line's work on this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is exceptional, sporting solid colors and dark black levels. This is a nearly reference quality image without any imperfections or blemishes to be found. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS Surround, and Dolby 2.0 Surround, all in English. Both the DTS and Dolby 5.1 soundtracks are very full and bombastic. Each mix utilizes a multitude of directional effects, mainly when the music score or songs kick in. Much like the video portions of this disc, the audio tracks are free of any imperfections or defects. Also included on this disc are English captions and Spanish subtitles. I Am Sam is part of New Line's ""Platinum Edition"" DVD series and as such features a nice array of supplemental features. Starting off the disc is a commentary track by director Jessie Nelson. Nelson is very frank and observant while discussing multiple aspects of the story, characters, and production. ""Becoming Sam"" is a nearly one-hour-long documentary on the making of the film featuring insightful interviews with actors Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer, plus various cast and crew members. This is a well-produced documentary that should please fans of the film. Seven deleted scenes with optional commentary by the director will give viewers an insight into why the sequences were cut from the final film. Finally, there is a theatrical press kit featuring some production notes, cast filmographies, and an anamorphic theatrical trailer for the film."

Product Details

Release Date:	06/18/2002
UPC:	0794043553721
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	New Line Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:14:00
Sales rank:	6,560

Special Features

Closed Caption;Widescreen version of the film; 5.1 Dolby Digital; DTS Surround Sound; Stereo Surround Sound; English subtitles and closed captions; Filmmaker commentary featuring director/co-screenwriter Jessie Nelson; Original documentary: "Becoming Sam"; Deleted/alternate scenes with optional director commentary; Theatrical trailer; Theatrical press kit; DVD-ROM content:; Script-to-screen; Link to original website; Hot Spot

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sean Penn	Sam Dawson
Michelle Pfeiffer	Rita Harrison Williams
Dianne Wiest	Annie Cassell
Dakota Fanning	Lucy Diamond Dawson,Vice Cop,Lucy (2 Years Old)
Richard Schiff	Mr. Turner
Loretta Devine	Margaret Calgrove
Marin Hinkle	Patricia
Brad Silverman	Brad
Joseph Rosenberg	Joe
Stanley DeSantis	Robert
Doug Hutchison	Ifty
Bobby Cooper	George
Mary Steenburgen	Dr. Blake
Doug Hutchinson	Actor
Eileen Ryan	Estelle Dawson
Rosalind Chao	Lily
Ken Jenkins	Judge Philip McNeily
Wendy Phillips	Miss Wright
Mason Lucero	Conner Rhodes
Scott Paulin	Duncan Rhodes
Will Wallace	Actor
Kit McDonough	Ms. Davis
Kimberly Scott	Gertie
Chase MacKenzie Bebak	Willy Harrison
Rafer Weigel	Bruce
Emiko Parise	Nurse
Pamela Dunlap	Grace
Brent Spiner	Shoe Saleman
David Nathan Schwartz	Principal
Kathleen Robertson	Big Boy Waitress
Karen Bankhead	Rita's Colleague
Janet Adderley	Obnoxious Mom
Katie McGloin	Cristina
Steven Maines	Collin
David Poynter	Cafeteria Worker
R. D. Call	Cop at Park
Russ Fega	Starbucks Angry Man
Molly Gordon	Callie

Technical Credits

Edward Zwick	Producer
Marshall Herskovitz	Producer
Barbara A. Hall	Producer
Claire Rudnick Polstein	Executive Producer
David Scott Rubin	Executive Producer
Douglas Axtell	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

For a film that's waterlogged in bathos, it features a brilliant performance from the ever-versatile and surprising Sean Penn, who is a shocker not just for the technical achievement of his role but for the warmth he injects into it. Maybe it's real-life fatherhood, but the actor exhibits a depth of soul previously absent from his already stellar work, putting him into a league where he could conceivably play just about anyone. On the whole, however, the project comes up short, gorging itself on sentiment, its calculatedly twee preciousness finally overwhelming one's desire to like it. There is a dissonance here between the great acting of Penn, Dianne Wiest, and young Dakota Fanning, who display Oscar-caliber talents, and the style and tone of director Jessie Nelson, whose craft employs all of the nuance and grace of a Lifetime Original Movie. That's not to say that the film lacks emotional impact, but the obviousness and desperation of the filmmakers' manipulation provoke tears that are not cathartic, but bitter and resentful. Serious questions are asked, but never really answered, and the weary civil servants who ask them in an effort to do their important jobs are treated as heavies. Michelle Pfeiffer is handed a one-note role, her problematic husband is never even glimpsed, robbing her of the sort of conflict necessary to reveal more about her character. The director's predilection for handheld camera work, presumably to impart upon the viewer a sense of the protagonist's confused disorientation, only serves to leave the film's cross-eyed audience reaching for the Dramamine when combined with the director's taste for numerous close-ups. And audiences will likely be split on the use of developmentally disabled characters to serve as a literal comic relief peanut gallery. The production team has attempted to dodge any criticism of this hackneyed ploy by utilizing real-life developmentally challenged actors in some of these supporting roles, but it doesn't mean that the way they're presented by the script is any less exploitative. The subtlety born of good taste would have gone a long way toward making I Am Sam a more worthy, meaningful, and memorable effort.