I Am Sam poster

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Streaming data from JustWatch

I Am Sam

2001 · Movie · 132 min
C

MEANRANK

69/100

Averaged across 12 ratings · 1M votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

Google: Google retired the star ratings it used to show in search results, so this one no longer updates. More on where the numbers come from →

28–96 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Metacritic critics on 28, highest is Google on 96. Critics average 32, everyone else 77.

See the films the platforms disagree about most →
Compare Trailer

A mentally challenged man with the intellectual capacity of a seven-year-old fights to retain custody of his young daughter. When her abilities begin to surpass his own, social services intervenes. He seeks help from a high-powered, cynical lawyer who takes on his case pro bono, and together they challenge the court's definition of what makes a good parent.

Details

Director
Jessie Nelson
Released
28 December 2001
Country
United States, Germany
Language
English
Runtime
132 min
Rated
PG-13
Budget
$22.0M
Box office
$92.5M
Awards
8 wins, 7 nominations

This title elsewhere

Sean Penn

Sean Penn

Sam Dawson

Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer

Rita Harrison Williams

Dianne Wiest

Dianne Wiest

Annie Cassell

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning

Lucy Diamond Dawson

Richard Schiff

Richard Schiff

Mr. Turner

Loretta Devine

Loretta Devine

Margaret Calgrove

Marin Hinkle

Marin Hinkle

Patricia

Laura Dern

Laura Dern

Randy Carpenter

Awards & nominations

See all 15 →

2 major awards won · 8 wins from 15 nominations across 11 ceremonies

Critics' Choice Awards 2001 Best Young Performer Dakota Fanning Winner
Producers Guild of America 2001 Stanley Kramer Award Jessie Nelson Edward Zwick Marshall Herskovitz Richard Solomon Winner
Academy Awards 2001 Best Actor Sean Penn Nominee
Critics' Choice Awards 2001 Best Actor Sean Penn Nominee
Grammy Awards 2001 Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Nominee
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2001 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Sean Penn Nominee
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2001 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Dakota Fanning Nominee
Humanitas Prize 2001 — Kristine Johnson Jessie Nelson Winner
Show all 15 awards across 11 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.