The message of “I am Sam” is more than your typical get-out-the-handkerchief movie. How are  these approaches blended and reinterpreted by contemporary documentary filmmakers? While working with Sam, her... (The entire section contains 2 answers and 452 words.). The actor who played Sam also did an incredible job portraying Sam’s disabilities as he emphasized the frustration that autistic people encounter in a variety of situations. Throughout the film, there are instances where society seems to be bothered by Sam. The movie raises other issues, such as the nature of perfection. She shifts her beliefs and begins to see Sam as a role model who eventually helps aid her own relationship with her son. Sam lacks appropriate eye contact, constantly looks away from others and looks up at ceiling. He fathers a child with a homeless woman who used his apartment as a flophouse. Sam’s lawyer, Rita, took this “pro bono” case to impress her coworkers. Many stereotypes evolve from lack of experience with an out-group. Initially, she thought Sam was annoying and didn’t know how to treat him as she said to him, “I just don’t know what to call you, retarded, mentally retarded, mentally handicapped, mentally disabled, intellectually handicapped, intellectually disabled, developmentally disabled.” At first she didn’t have the intentions of helping Sam because she felt like too good of a lawyer for him. Some of his dislikes consist of eating broccoli and being surprised. He also had a job at Starbucks. Sam story becomes a tale about the transformation disability to enablement. Sam’s daughter, Lucy, is seven and her teachers fear that Sam’s aptitude is holding her back because she does not want to be … Inadequate communication is also prevalent with Sam and anyone new that he interacts with, I Am Sam (stylized i am sam) is a 2001 American drama/melodrama film co-written and directed by Jessie Nelson, and starring Sean Penn as a father with an intellectual disability, Dakota Fanning as his bright and inquisitive daughter, and Michelle Pfeiffer as his lawyer. Top subjects are Literature, History, and Social Sciences, Latest answer posted March 07, 2011 at 6:30:57 PM, Latest answer posted December 11, 2018 at 12:25:24 AM, Latest answer posted January 28, 2012 at 1:28:23 AM, Latest answer posted April 03, 2019 at 8:25:23 PM, Latest answer posted March 21, 2020 at 5:34:30 PM. I Am Sam Alex Arnold Abnormal Psychology Judy Vadasz 11/25/2014 The film I Am Sam is a heartbreaking film about the struggles of a man suffering from multiple psychological disorders. Also, it was apparent that people who have disabilities aren’t always dependent, either. Sam was able to raise a smart, empathetic daughter for seven years. A summary about the movie including positive and negative of teaching characteristics would be helpful. The film "Sam I Am" tells the tale of a mentally challenged man with the intellectual ability of a seven or eight-year-old child. The lawyer, Rita, assists on Sam's parental custody case. Conclusion I am Sam is a challenging movie to both abled and disabled persons. “I Am Sam” tells the story of Sam Dawson, a man who has not developed mentally past the age of seven. ‘IAmSam’- AssessmentSamis the main character in ‘IAmSam’. It is difficult to grasp the challenges that people with disabilities have no choice but to deal with, especially ones involving family. If you need this or any other sample, we can send it to you via email. Disabilities Make a Person Different I felt I was also able to connect with the movie on a deeper level, while watching movies alone tends to bring out more emotion for me. At other times, he is seen as a hero. With Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning The Role of the Court: Brief Summary 319- Unspecified mental retardation Issues raised by the movie: Sam, played by Sean Penn, is a mentally retarded attempting to raise his only daughter, Lucy (Dakota Fanning). The social workers neglected the fact that any single parent raising a child is going to overcome difficulties, while Sam’s disability was their main focus. Where there are issues of systemic injustice and racism, legalization does not address the root of these issues and instead only exacerbates these problems by promoting increased drug use and the accompanying negative social consequences in disadvantaged communities. Messages are both being sent and received, and interpreted well and fully. Consider one: determining the qualities of a person fit for parenting. I use analytics to explain big trends in … At first, Rita doesn’t believe Sam is capable of raising Lucy along with the social workers who want to take her away from Sam. In 2003 Penn won the best actor honours at the Venice Film Festival for 21 Grams (2003),… Sam gets a homeless woman pregnant and when she gives birth to the baby girl, Lucy, she leaves Sam … Sample Essay In the movie “I am Sam”, Sean Penn (Sam) played a role of autistic father who faces difficulties in bringing up his daughter, Lucy Diamond Dawson (Dakota Fanning) because of his mental disabilities. He lacks the realization that anybody getting their child taken away from them would have feelings similar to his. I chose the movie I am Sam to challenge my own opinion on how people with disabilities should be treated under certain circumstances. “I Am Sam,” a desperate piece of Oscar-bait, is the rarest of fiascoes – a film which manages to fail on all of these levels. The drama featured Jack Nicholson as a police detective who vows to find a child killer. As we watch Lucy grow up under Sam’s roof, we are able to see the love they have for each other. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/28/movies/film-review-a-r... What is a Classic Film? Sam’s best friends in the movie all happen to be disabled in some way as well. I am Sam represents a few different assumptions about disabilities in our society such as: a disability can make an individual different and bring forth barriers and a disability can be conquered with strength that is empowered through one’s support system. Because you were born perfect and I was born like this. This movie brought out a lot of emotion for me. A series of unfortunate events shoves the two of them under the microscope of the local child protection agency. I feel that by making this choice, I was able to depict different perspectives evolving from the different experiences of each character. “I am Sam” is a story about a father and daughter relationship that is threatened when daughter Lucy begins to develop gradually passing her father Sam who suffers from intellectual disabilities. The social workers who believed Sam didn’t have the ability to raise Lucy seemed to also be making the fundamental attribution error. The social workers who believed Sam didn’t have the ability to raise Lucy seemed to also be making the fundamental attribution error. Clearly, he felt motivated to win Lucy back and did everything in his power to pursue his goal. I know that most parents struggle to make wise decisions for the welfare of their child. Help, Use multiple resourses when assembling your essay, Get help form professional writers when not sure you can do it yourself, Use Plagiarism Checker to double check your essay, Do not copy and paste free to download essays. I Am Sam Psychoanalysis Essay 909 Words | 4 Pages. I am observing Sam at the MELC, for my Child Development class, in order to understand the growth of a child. our expert writers, Copying content is not allowed on this website, Ask a professional writer to help you with your text, Give us your email and we'll send you the essay you need, Please indicate where to send you the sample, Hi, my name is Jenn Essay, Ask Writer For While there are many themes that derived from I am Sam, the one that stood out to me the most was Rita’s changed outlook on life because of Sam. I Am Sam: A Psychological Film Analysis The difficulties faced today in society by those with serious intellectual disabilities are very large hurdles faced by many in today 's world. Because he has an intellectual capacity of a seven-year-old, social workers do everything they can possible to separate the two thinking he is not capable of taking care of his very thriving little girl. When Lucy reaches the age of 8, social workers see this as an issue, so they place Lucy in a temporary home while Sam goes to court to try to win Lucy back. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Every device of the movie's art is designed to convince us Lucy must stay with Sam, but common sense makes it impossible to go the distance with the premise. Get Your Custom Essay on, By clicking “Write my paper”, you agree to our, By clicking Send Me The Sample you agree on the, Defining Disability and Societies Stereotypes, Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Long- Term Disability Income Insurance, https://graduateway.com/i-am-sam-disability/, Get your custom Sam Hill Contributor. Our board is a dedicated group of 24 volunteers that works to promote philanthropy that keeps Frederick County thriving now and for future generations. "I Am Sam" is the compelling story of Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a mentally-challenged father raising his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning) with the help of a unique group of friends. I chose to watch this movie alone. Although, as she forms a connection with Sam, she realizes and learns from Sam that love is the key aspect of raising a child. His statement raised questions in my mind about how all disabled people perceive able bodied people. approach or be approached, and if not very well managed be lead to social isolation. The lawyer, Rita, assists on Sam's parental custody case. The social problem in this movie is … Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff, and Laura Dern appear in supporting roles. Although there’s no doubt about the man’s love for his child, a social worker becomes concerned about whether or not he will be able to care for … Looking back at the assumptions I surfaced about disabled people, I noted that I saw them as helpless and uncompetitive. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Since Sam is portrayed in both positive and negative ways, we are able to see a variety of assumptions people have about him throughout the movie. He faces a number of issuesthroughout the movie, but the main hardship is to gain custody of his daughter. I AM SAM Reflections by Betty Jo Tucker. Moral Issues In I Am Sam Movie. Sam portrayed himself as an asset to society and a positive, living influence for Lucy. Lucy quickly Engaging in social business is beneficial to a company because it leverages on business competencies to address social issues, involves one-time investment with sustainable results, and produces other positive effects such as employee motivation and improved organizational culture. In I Am Sam, Sean Penn portrays a mentally-challenged single parent trying to raise a daughter. There are several ethical dilemmas present in the movie I Am Sam. He then tells Rita he is in some ways smarter than her, too. This exemplifies how people, who are severely disabled, like Sam, can lead a “normal” life as well. "I Am Sam" is aimed at audiences who will relate to the heart-tugging relationship between Sam and Lucy (and young Dakota Fanning does a convincing job as the bright daughter). There are several ethical dilemmas present in the movie I Am Sam.Consider one: determining the qualities of a person fit for parenting. All you need to do is fill out a short form and submit an order. Rita explores this area as she brings out emotions in the opposing counsel as she says “Ever parent I have spoken to has had moments where the task is so unbelievably challenging…that you feel retarded…disabled in some way.” Rita emphasizes that just because someone is challenged in some way, does not mean that they are incapable of loving someone, which is the most important quality in parenting. His neighbor Annie (Dianne Wiest), a piano-player and agoraphobe, befriends Sam and takes care of Lucy when Sam can't. As I watched I am Sam, I observed several forms of prejudice take place toward Sam. Is GDP To Blame For Social Issues? People who are shy. What is the verification process to create a “my Social Security” online account and what information do I need to complete it? It seems that Sam thinks that feeling sad is part of his disability, but what he doesn’t know is that everyone experiences intense emotions. While films provide an ability to recreate the image of disabled people, I think I am Sam does a good job enabling people to build an understanding of people with these disorders. Sam finds it hard to help Lucy in her academic learning due to his verbal and communication problems. I am Sam is a movie about a mentally challenged man, named Sam, striving to raise his daughter, Lucy, alone. A social worker decides that Sam, who is considered to have "the mental age of a seven-year-old", can no longer properly care for Lucy, and takes custody of the girl on her eighth birthday. We see this after Sam loses hope of winning his case as he says to Rita, “You don’t know what it’s like when you try and you try and you don’t ever get there! Sam … These disabilities along with the pressure to remain independent question how we deal with those intellectually challenged individuals. What was the movie "Stand And Deliver" about? One example of this was apparent at the birthday party Sam put together for Lucy at the beginning of the movie. What are the four basic approaches to documentary cinema? Sam’s role is a mentally retarded male, with a mental capacity of a seven year old. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. The negative idea instilled in the minds of society of people with differing abilities drives the division of the “normal” and “different” classifications in society. In case you can’t find a sample example, our professional writers are ready to help you with writing Leadership Strategy. What is a “my Social Security” online account and how do I get one? The movie follows her as she works to prove whether or not the label of intellectual disability placed on Sam interferes with his ability to safely raise his daughter, Lucy. People like you don’t feel anything!” Many people tend to perceive disabled people lacking emotion or feeling, or that their emotion is just part of their disability. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. This story seems to accurately explore the prejudice and difficulties people with disabilities face in everyday life. Sam talks to Lucy, his lawyer, his boss, his friends, etc in the same manner. Sam Dawson is a Caucasian male who is diagnosed with autism and has the mental capacity of a seven-year-old. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. Key Takeaways. Here are three kinds of people who withdraw from social life, as documented by the study: 1. In an exchange between Sam and Rita, Sam declares that Rita was born perfect. Log in here. Analyzing this prejudice, I noted the possible reasoning the characters had behind performing their prejudice. He loses custody and is deemed "unfit". Sam seemed to get along better with them, than anyone else in the movie. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. Diagnosed with Autism, Sam’s intellectual capacity cannot exceed the age of 7. What should I do if I am having problems setting up a “my Social Security” online account or have access and/or password problems? In your opinion, what is the definition of a classic film? In the movie Sam displayed some signs of low self-esteem because he felt that since he could not read well he was not intelligent, and would isolate himself at times. I feel as if a majority of the prejudice I saw was because people felt “morally better” than Sam. Here she was expressing pride, which is one aspect of this rational. There are numerous incidents faulting him as unfit, such as his childlike public outbursts, his inattention to Lucy's need for adequate rest, or even understanding her embarrassment when he interacts with students and parents when visiting at her school. We’re There for You When You Marry. Frequently, Sam‟s use of morphology would be incorrect as well. The movie, “I am Sam,” is a journey to convince a reluctant society to trust someone who is mentally challenged with the responsibility of parenthood. Sam and … Sam also displayed one of my assumptions that “disabled people are more comfortable around each other compared to being with abled people”. With Sam in question, though, one might also consider Rita's contradicting parental role. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. A few months ago Sam was at a Lucy’s friend’s dad looked down on Sam, because he was disabled, and he accused Sam of hitting his son. As I watched I am Sam, I was able to apply many ideas and subjects we have talked about in class to several of the characters and situations. Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. People like you don’t know what it’s like to get hurted, because you don’t have feelings. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. your own paper. At the end of "I Am Sam," 7-year-old Lucy scores a goal in a soccer game, and Sam is the referee. The film shines a positive light on these characters as they all worked together to try to help Sam win Lucy back. The fundamental attribution error occurs when we overestimate the influence of personality traits and underestimate the influence of situational factors. On the other hand, Sam seemed to parallel my assumption that disabled people can be fragile in ways that are not related to their disability. Even though they eventually realized Sam was a good father, they initially assumed that Sam wasn’t fit to be a parent simply because of his disability. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Without exposure, how is one expected to be able to learn and interact with people with disabilities? I thought the film provided a good representation of how one can learn from opening up and listening to someone different than them. The fundamental attribution error occurs when we overestimate the influence of personality traits and underestimate the influence of situational factors. Verify your earnings record by creating a my Social Security account and checking your Social Security Statement. Here, Sam is displaying the confident side of himself. Rita is a hardworking lawyer, and her availability and attentiveness to her son's needs are not a top priority. Because of this, I was able to feel connected with Sam, resulting in feelings of empathy along with a new perspective of the confusion people with mental illnesses have to deal with. The reason I feel this movie brought out so many emotions, is because it is from Sam’s perspective. Sam has been raising a young girl, named Lucy, after his favorite Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" since the young woman was an infant. Women’s issues, such as equality of rights, privileges, and pay-packages similar to those of men, are some of the gender-specific social issues which are faced by American women. You can get your custom paper from I am Sam Disability. As Sam and Rita are preparing for the trial, Sam states that he feels he is smarter than Lucy in some ways. Sometimes the best things about a movie are the questions it raises and the way those questions stay with you after seeing it. Other articles where I Am Sam is discussed: Sean Penn: …Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and I Am Sam (2001). Sam is a man with a mental age of 7 who is well adjusted and has a great support system consisting of four similarly developmentally disabled men. What are some elements that make a film a classic? Since Sam is very social, he also likes to share his thoughts and feelings. Another impressive directorial effort came with The Pledge. "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy", Don't use plagiarized sources. 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