--- product_id: 4110259 title: "I Am Sam (DVD) (WS)" price: "€ 17.05" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.be/products/4110259-i-am-sam-dvd-ws store_origin: BE region: Belgium --- # I Am Sam (DVD) (WS) **Price:** € 17.05 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** I Am Sam (DVD) (WS) - **How much does it cost?** € 17.05 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.be](https://www.desertcart.be/products/4110259-i-am-sam-dvd-ws) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description I Am Sam (DVD) (WS)Can a mentally challenged man be a good father? Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer star in the moving story of unconditional love that grows between a man, his daughter and the attorney who accepts his case pro bono. When the mental capacity of Sam's (Penn) seven-year-old daughter exceeds his, the local department of social services removes her from his guardianship. But in his relentless battle to regain his daughter, Sam teaches his attorney (Pfeiffer) about love and guides her in her difficult relationship with her own son.]]> Review: A Challenging--If Not Controversial--Film That Is Wonderfully Charming Entertainment - THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE "I am Sam" (New Line Platinum Series) DVD (2002) In looking at the other reviews for this film I was struck by two things: the amazing polarity of reviews; and the negativity of both those reading the reviews and many of those writing reviews. Hence, I decided to rent the film first; but ordered it within minutes of watching it and was tempted to contact the reviewer that said, "I guarantee you will end up not buying it, or asking for your rental fee back." For me, "I Am Sam" is entertainment (albeit not drama that many may have hoped for) at its very best. At the outset I would like to make it clear that I think that Dakota Fanning, who plays Lucy, deserved a best supporting actress award. Those who find her performance "too good to be true" need to watch the extras to learn more about her abilities and the experiences of her aunt that she brought to the role. I will not enter the fray of Sean Penn's performance as Sam, beyond saying that I was able to get past the fact that it was Sean Penn; while Penn has had some good roles, I am no fan. Michelle Pfeiffer is delightful, while Richard Schiff as the prosecutor--Mr. Turner--and Laura Dern as the foster mother--Randy Carpenter--provide depth to the usually "villainous" characterizations. Are some lines and scenes over the top at times? Yes; but they should be distracting only to those who are not truly watching the film. Is "I Am Sam" realistic? Yes and no. But the film is a story based upon research, not a documentary; more importantly, it is believable--especially if you have spent any amount of time with disabled persons (as I have). "I Am Sam" is a marvelous film with, in my opinion, an illusive, subjective, almost quixotic imagery that entertains through multiple movie techniques. Moreover--at the risk of "asking" for negative votes--I think the movie scares many viewers because it brings them into a world they feel uncomfortable viewing: to the point of focusing on conceived stereotypes and "wanton" product placement. Conversely, I do feel that the subtitle--"All You Need Is Love"--injects an unfortunate theme that leads many to "agree" with Roger Ebert: "The lesson "I Am Sam" wants to teach us is, "All you need is love." This is not quite strictly true. Sam loves his daughter more than anyone else, and she loves him, but it will take more than love for him to see her through grade school and adolescence and out into the world. Since the movie does not believe this, it has a serious disagreement with most of the audience." I would ardently argue that this is not the "lesson"--or theme--of "I Am Sam." For me, if there is a lesson (which I do not really believe there is one), it is that the line between normal and not normal is more illusive than we would like it to be. More importantly, for me, is that the film really dares to deal with real life situations (parenting in particular), but in a cinematic fashion. I am normally one that "jumps" on stereotypic, black and white, simplistic and politically correct portrayals. Ironically, I find myself defending this approach as appropriately supportive of the photographic shooting style, editing, sound track, and musical score. The movie is extremely well edited, that puts the viewer into the subjective perspectives of the characters. And while some have complained that the movie uses non-Beatles versions of their songs, for which I empathize, the cost of using the actual songs would have doubled the costs. Indeed, look at how many DVDs resort to replacing original songs used in the original showing with other versions (e.g., "Northern Exposure"). As for all the other films that other reviewers compare "I Am Sam" with, I must say that I do not feel that one can justifiably do so. I truly feel that "I Am Sam" is a unique film, presented in a fairly unique fashion. Perhaps it is the uniqueness that causes the polarization--a need to categorize "I Am Sam" into a "type." But this is not "Rain Man," or any other movie. "I Am Sam" is its own movie: it questions the viability of a "disabled" (mentally challenged or not) person to be a parent--and just what is parenting? The film is about being different, each person in their own way. Is love important? Yes, but not the solution; rather it is glue that binds people together. And so, "I Am Sam" is also about friends and their important roles in our daily lives. If you are looking for an upbeat or different film, I highly recommend that you venture along with "I Am Sam" for 134 minutes. Some of you may cry or otherwise empathize. I did not: I found myself feeling like a fly on the wall--a part of the film itself. If you are looking for action, drama, or the ordinary I suggest you might look elsewhere. Please Note: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks. Review: Amazing movies - Amazing movie! Ive watched this movie several times since it came out and its a tear jerker every time. Shows the humanity in special needs people and that sometimes things are best left alone ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B000066HAS | | Actors | Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Pfeiffer, Richard Schiff, Sean Penn | | Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | | Best Sellers Rank | #2,979 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #303 in Drama DVDs | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (7,076) | | Director | Jessie Nelson | | Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No | | Item model number | NEWL5537DVD | | Language | English (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | | MPAA rating | PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) | | Media Format | NTSC, Subtitled | | Number of discs | 1 | | Producers | Claire Rudnick Polstein, David Scott Rubin, Jessie Nelson, Michael De Luca, Richard Solomon | | Product Dimensions | 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 0.01 ounces | | Release date | September 27, 2005 | | Run time | 2 hours and 14 minutes | | Studio | WarnerBrothers | | Subtitles: | English | | Writers | Jessie Nelson, Kristine Johnson | ## Product Details - **Format:** NTSC, Subtitled - **Genre:** Drama - **Initial release date:** 2005-09-27 - **Language:** English ## Images ![I Am Sam (DVD) (WS) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81NSQs+xMxL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Challenging--If Not Controversial--Film That Is Wonderfully Charming Entertainment *by D***S on August 7, 2008* THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE "I am Sam" (New Line Platinum Series) DVD (2002) In looking at the other reviews for this film I was struck by two things: the amazing polarity of reviews; and the negativity of both those reading the reviews and many of those writing reviews. Hence, I decided to rent the film first; but ordered it within minutes of watching it and was tempted to contact the reviewer that said, "I guarantee you will end up not buying it, or asking for your rental fee back." For me, "I Am Sam" is entertainment (albeit not drama that many may have hoped for) at its very best. At the outset I would like to make it clear that I think that Dakota Fanning, who plays Lucy, deserved a best supporting actress award. Those who find her performance "too good to be true" need to watch the extras to learn more about her abilities and the experiences of her aunt that she brought to the role. I will not enter the fray of Sean Penn's performance as Sam, beyond saying that I was able to get past the fact that it was Sean Penn; while Penn has had some good roles, I am no fan. Michelle Pfeiffer is delightful, while Richard Schiff as the prosecutor--Mr. Turner--and Laura Dern as the foster mother--Randy Carpenter--provide depth to the usually "villainous" characterizations. Are some lines and scenes over the top at times? Yes; but they should be distracting only to those who are not truly watching the film. Is "I Am Sam" realistic? Yes and no. But the film is a story based upon research, not a documentary; more importantly, it is believable--especially if you have spent any amount of time with disabled persons (as I have). "I Am Sam" is a marvelous film with, in my opinion, an illusive, subjective, almost quixotic imagery that entertains through multiple movie techniques. Moreover--at the risk of "asking" for negative votes--I think the movie scares many viewers because it brings them into a world they feel uncomfortable viewing: to the point of focusing on conceived stereotypes and "wanton" product placement. Conversely, I do feel that the subtitle--"All You Need Is Love"--injects an unfortunate theme that leads many to "agree" with Roger Ebert: "The lesson "I Am Sam" wants to teach us is, "All you need is love." This is not quite strictly true. Sam loves his daughter more than anyone else, and she loves him, but it will take more than love for him to see her through grade school and adolescence and out into the world. Since the movie does not believe this, it has a serious disagreement with most of the audience." I would ardently argue that this is not the "lesson"--or theme--of "I Am Sam." For me, if there is a lesson (which I do not really believe there is one), it is that the line between normal and not normal is more illusive than we would like it to be. More importantly, for me, is that the film really dares to deal with real life situations (parenting in particular), but in a cinematic fashion. I am normally one that "jumps" on stereotypic, black and white, simplistic and politically correct portrayals. Ironically, I find myself defending this approach as appropriately supportive of the photographic shooting style, editing, sound track, and musical score. The movie is extremely well edited, that puts the viewer into the subjective perspectives of the characters. And while some have complained that the movie uses non-Beatles versions of their songs, for which I empathize, the cost of using the actual songs would have doubled the costs. Indeed, look at how many DVDs resort to replacing original songs used in the original showing with other versions (e.g., "Northern Exposure"). As for all the other films that other reviewers compare "I Am Sam" with, I must say that I do not feel that one can justifiably do so. I truly feel that "I Am Sam" is a unique film, presented in a fairly unique fashion. Perhaps it is the uniqueness that causes the polarization--a need to categorize "I Am Sam" into a "type." But this is not "Rain Man," or any other movie. "I Am Sam" is its own movie: it questions the viability of a "disabled" (mentally challenged or not) person to be a parent--and just what is parenting? The film is about being different, each person in their own way. Is love important? Yes, but not the solution; rather it is glue that binds people together. And so, "I Am Sam" is also about friends and their important roles in our daily lives. If you are looking for an upbeat or different film, I highly recommend that you venture along with "I Am Sam" for 134 minutes. Some of you may cry or otherwise empathize. I did not: I found myself feeling like a fly on the wall--a part of the film itself. If you are looking for action, drama, or the ordinary I suggest you might look elsewhere. Please Note: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing movies *by M***S on January 14, 2026* Amazing movie! Ive watched this movie several times since it came out and its a tear jerker every time. Shows the humanity in special needs people and that sometimes things are best left alone ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Different is different *by A***K on February 18, 2026* Complete tear dripper with a gut lynching.But heartwarming storey with happy ending. A great movie to show people to help them understand disabilities. And something the whole family can enjoy ## Frequently Bought Together - I Am Sam (New Line Platinum Series) - Pay It Forward (DVD) - SIMON BIRCH --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.be/products/4110259-i-am-sam-dvd-ws](https://www.desertcart.be/products/4110259-i-am-sam-dvd-ws) --- *Product available on Desertcart Belgium* *Store origin: BE* *Last updated: 2026-05-03*