Become a Critic

I recently thought I would see the movie “I Am Sam.” The movie tells the story of the financial struggle of a father who is determined to raise his daughter by himself. The hardest part in this situation is that the father is mentally handicapped and lives with just his daughter. However, he still manages to raise her. Directed by Jessie Nelson, this film encourages society to think differently when choosing who deserves to possess and care for a child. The law can try to state that those who are mentally handicapped are incapable to raise a child, but this movie, “I Am Sam,” disproves that. At his daughter’s seventh birthday party, Sam loses custody over his daughter because of an incident that happened just as a social worker happened to arrive. A sympathizing lawyer finds Sam and fights to help Sam keep his daughter. There’s a chance that his daughter could be lost to him for the rest of his life.

Friends of Sam, who knew him before the birth of his daughter, testify on his behalf. While doing so, they have to prevail over their own handicap issues. Because this trial is long and tedious, Sam’s daughter is taken to a foster family to care for her in the meantime. Not only has Sam lost his daughter, for now, but he’s also receiving harsh criticism from the foster parents. They despised him and would not let him near his daughter. They threatened him even more by saying they were planning on adopting her, so his visiting should cease. Sam seems to be in a powerless situation. His daughter is so torn over not being with her father that she sneaks out repeatedly back to his house. The movie starts to near its end and you have no idea what to expect other than a very emotional ending.

This film introduces an issue that’s not so aware to the public. This movie asks the question, Should a mentally handicapped person have the responsibility to raise a child? Although the movie about Sam’s life is fictional, the hardships and experiences of which...