Humanities Film Forum Featured Film Review
Mentally challenged Sam Dawson is father and sole devoted parent of a newborn girl. With the help of his nanny neighbor Annie Cassell, his visiting friends, and Starbucks take home pay, Sam makes household. Lucy Diamond Dawson is nearing seven years old, when gossip about a solved school problem and Sam's mistaken vice arrest catches the attention of the California Child and Family Services, throwing Lucy into foster care and Sam into hearings, or lose her. A first judge must tell Sam the faceless legal advice that he may hire a lawyer. Sam's retarded friends visit him, to project costs, and find the best four name winning lawyer in the phone book. Rita Harrison is a stressed out, white lieing, child rearing and separated lawyer, who blunders into Sam, as her next pink post-it note. Rita's hasty stories fail the chore of blowing Sam off. Through an awkward office party visit and a surprise notice, Rita becomes Sam's wild ride in the Porsche, to his court appointed psychiatric examination. Lucy, Sam, and witnesses show in five unnerving court battles. I am Sam is not an "about retarded people" agonising movie. It's about limitations, banding together to protect the young, and bureaucracy as a nearly relentless hateful attacker. The film"s soundtrack jumped from live to emotion and blended them. Persecution terror was portrayed in one court appearance by raw editing, disturbing zooms, 140-odd chop scenes, and narrowed fields of view. I am Sam is one of the most clarifying films ever produced. PK 