I Am Sam

Name: I Am Sam
Genre: Drama
Released: 2001-12-28
Duration: 2 h 12 min
Rating: 7.6
Cast: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest, Dakota Fanning, Richard Schiff

2001·Movie·PG-13·132 min·★ 7.6(2,521)

Drama More English titles

“Love is all you need.”

Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.

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Click a service to open I Am Sam there. Availability last verified on July 11, 2026.

Where is I Am Sam streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	The Roku Channel, Plex, Tubi TV	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, maxdome Store
France	—	Amazon Video
Brazil	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Japan	Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, U-NEXT, HBO Max on U-Next	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
South Korea	wavve, Watcha	wavve, Google Play Movies

About I Am Sam

I Am Sam is a 2001 English-language drama film directed by Jessie Nelson. The cast is led by Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest. It has a runtime of 2h 12m. Viewers rate it 7.6/10 across 2500 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on The Roku Channel, Plex, Tubi TV.

I Am Sam was produced by New Line Cinema, Bedford Falls Productions, and Red Fish, Blue Fish Films and made in United States of America and Germany. It was released on December 28, 2001, and carries a PG-13 certification. Made on a budget of about $22 million, it went on to gross $93 million worldwide.

Director: Jessie Nelson
Writers: Jessie Nelson, Kristine Johnson
Release date: December 28, 2001
Original language: English
Age rating: PG-13
Status: Released
Country: United States of America, Germany
Budget: $22 million
Box office: $93 million
Production: New Line Cinema, Bedford Falls Productions, Red Fish, Blue Fish Films

#mentally disabled#foster parents#lawyer#pro bono#social services#coffee shop manager#pizza hut#children's book#locked door#child custody#woman director#father daughter relationship#neurodiversity

I Am Sam cast & crew

I Am Sam was directed by Jessie Nelson and written by Jessie Nelson and Kristine Johnson.

The cast features Sean Penn as Sam Dawson, Michelle Pfeiffer as Rita Harrison Williams, Dianne Wiest as Annie Cassell, Dakota Fanning as Lucy Diamond Dawson, Richard Schiff as Mr. Turner, and Loretta Devine as Margaret Calgrove.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by John Powell, cinematography is by Elliot Davis, and it was produced by Jessie Nelson and Edward Zwick.

Is I Am Sam worth watching?

I Am Sam holds an audience score of 7.6/10 from 2,521 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 2h 12m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, I Am Sam is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch I Am Sam

In United States, you can stream I Am Sam on The Roku Channel, Plex, and Tubi TV, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.