I am Sam
Release Date:
December 25, 2001
Limited release
It's widely agreed that Sean Penn is an excellent actor and it is no mystery that his attitude towards the AMPAS is why he has never received an Academy Award for any of his performances. This year, like many years before, Penn seems poised for another nomination, this time for his portrayal of Sam, a mentally challenged man who has the mental capacity of a seven-year-old child, in the film I Am Sam.
Originally titled Sam I Am, the story follows Sam in his fight to gain custody of his daughter after she is taken away from him by Social Services. Michelle Pfeiffer plays his lawyer whose life is changed through the experience of working for Sam.
Penn's role is exactly what Hollywood likes to give awards to. The mentally challenged character has been the focus of much attention from the Academy as it has a history of handing out the Oscar to male leads who take such roles. The list includes Daniel Day Lewis (My Left Foot), Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man), Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump) and so on. The real question is whether the Academy will finally give the award to Penn.
That'll be hard to guess but it seems that the box office hope of I Am Sam rest on Oscar and critical buzz. Not to be ignored is Michelle Pfeiffer who has been in so many films and is such a staple in Hollywood that her performance might gain her a nomination as well. (Walid Habboub/BOP)
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