Actor Sean Penn displays another facet of his versatility as the title character of this inspirational tearjerker--a mentally handicapped father fighting for custody of his young daughter (Dakota Fanning). The child welfare board of his native Santa Monica has taken her from him, worried that at eight years old she has already begun to pass him in intellectual development. Sam's argument is that it's not brains but love that counts, and his case is taken by a stressed-out hot shot lawyer named Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer) who has her own problems dealing with her rebellious son. Anchored by his infectious love of the Beatles, the ceaselessly enthusiastic Sam becomes a positive influence on Rita as he raises a lot of questions about what's most important as a parent. Though it's Penn's show, Pfeiffer is so good she practically steals the film from him, and the startlingly precocious Fanning is not far behind. A warm soundtrack of Beatles covers and clever, fast-cut editing help the message of love and forgiveness shine through.

Original Production Year: 2001.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Snap Case
Single Side - Dual Layer
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Full Frame - 1.33
Additional Release Material:
Alternate Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Featurette: BECOMING SAM
Audio Commentary: Jessie Nelson - Director
Trailers: Original Theatrical Trailer

Sean Penn: Actor, Director
Michelle Pfeiffer: American actress, SCARFACE, DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Laura Dern: American Actress; RAMBLING ROSE
Loretta Devine: Actress
Doug Hutchison: American Actor; THE GREEN MILE
Richard Schiff: Actor
Dianne Wiest: Oscar-winning American actress, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (1994)
Scott Paulin: American Supporting Actor
Wendy Phillips: TV/Film Actress
Will Wallace: 
Dakota Fanning: Actress, I AM SAM/CORALINE

Jessie Nelson: Director/Screenwriter

Marshall Herskovitz: Director/Prod./Screenwriter
Edward Zwick: Director/producer/screenwriter
Richard Solomon: PRODUCER

Kristine Johnson: 
Jessie Nelson: Director/Screenwriter

John Powell: Composer/ FACE OFF (1997), ANTZ, CHICKEN RUN

"...[Penn] gives a bold, heartfelt performance....[It's] a portrayal of stirring emotion and blunt truth..."
"...Mr. Penn, with his usual discipline, burrows deep into Sam....You need only look into the actor's eyes to see how deeply he is committed to perceiving the world the way Sam does..."
"..[Fanning is] cute without being cutesy, smart without being smart-arsed, she's the bright eyed emotional heart of the film..."
"...Emotionally effective....Fanning, in her first feature role, is charmingly earnest and positively luminous..."