Sam Dawson (Penn) is a mentally challenged single father who works part-time at a coffee shop to take care of his highly intelligent young daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning).

Next door neighbour Annie (Dianne Wiest) offers help and support, and occasionally baby-sits, but for the most part, Sam copes on his own.

As Lucy approaches her seventh birthday, she begins to intellectually surpass her father and social services demand that she is placed in care, where she will get the love and stimulation she needs.

The girl is placed with foster parents who excitedly welcome Lucy into their home. Sam refuses to give up his daughter without a fight, and he enlists the services of attorney Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer) to argue his case in court.

I Am Sam is a showcase for Penn's incredible ability to get beneath the skin of his characters. His portrayal of Sam is so seamless and painfully honest, that it makes some of the film's more clichd moments far easier to swallow.

Sadly, Pfeiffer is too lightweight to carry her pivotal role, and she fails to win any sympathy with her character's own personal problems. Her inability to shed a single genuine tear during the film's most moving scene is horribly distracting.

DS