I Am Sam is the gripping story of Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a mentally challenged father who raises his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) with the help of an extraordinary group of friends. When Lucy turns seven and begins to intellectually surpass her father, their close bond is threatened when their situation comes under scrutiny by a social worker who wants Lucy to be placed in foster care. Faced with a seemingly unwinnable case, Sam vows to fight the legal system. and forms an unlikely alliance with Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), a powerful, self-absorbed lawyer who initially takes her pro bona case as a challenge from her colleagues. On the surface the two couldn't be further apart, but in reality they are subtly similar. Sam's compulsive nature mirrors Rita's more socially acceptable obsessive-compulsive nature. Her maniacal need for perfection and success distances her from her son and is slowly destroying her self-esteem. Together they fight to convince the system that Sam deserves to have his daughter back, and in the process, they forge a bond that results in a unique testament to the power of unconditional love. New Line Cinema presents I Am Sam, directed by Jessie Nelson from a screenplay by Nelson and Kristine Johnson. Nelson also produces alongside Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz and Richard Solomon of the Bedford Falls Company. The executive producers are Claire Rudnick Polstein, Michael De Luca and David Scott Rubin. The film stars Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest, Dakota Fanning, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine and Laura Dern. Rounding out the cast as Sam's loyal group of friends are Doug Hutchison, Stanley DeSantis, Brad Allan Silverman and Joseph Rosenberg. The film features a sound... middle of paper... some instances where the child was hurt and now always advises what he hopes is best for the child. Of course, once a decision has been made, it is never questioned. He doesn't want to take a closer look at Sam, but he believes he's doing the right thing. "As the moment of truth approaches, Sam and Rita form an unlikely bond. "What you have to see is that while Rita seems like she should be the sanest person in the movie, she's actually the craziest and on the verge of fall apart," explains Pfeiffer. "Sam has this sense of honesty and truth that drives her crazy. The other people are intimidated and afraid of her, but Sam feels none of this. She's closed her heart off, but, completely by surprise, he finds a way in." "The thing for me is that Sam's disability in no way diminishes his individuality or his humanity," says Penn..