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"Daddy, did God mean for you to be like this, or was it an accident? That's little Lucy Dawson, asking her father why he isn't quite like other people. She's a bright kid and figures out the answer herself, and when a classmate at grade school asks, "Why does your father act like a retard?" she explains, "He is." "I Am Sam" stars Sean Penn as Lucy's dad, Sam, who has the IQ of a 7-year-old but is trying to raise the daughter he fathered with a homeless woman. The mother disappeared right after giving birth (her farewell words: "All I wanted was a place to sleep"), and now Sam is doing his best to cope, although sometimes Lucy has to help him with her homework. Eventually Lucy decides to stop learning so she won't get ahead of her dad. "I don't want to read if you can't," she tells him.

Sam loves the Beatles (his favorite is George). He named his daughter after "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," and has learned most of life's lessons from Beatles songs. 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.

Sean Penn does as well as can be expected with Sam, but it is painful to see an actor of his fire and range locked into a narrow range of emotional and intellectual responses. Not long ago a veteran moviegoer told me that when he sees an actor playing a mentally retarded person, he is reminded of a performer playing "Lady of Spain" on an accordion: The fingers fly, but are the song or the instrument worthy of the effort? The kind of performance Penn delivers in "I Am Sam," which may look hard, is easy, compared, say, to his amazing work in Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown." As Robert Kohner observes in his Variety review: "In a way, Edward Norton's turn in "The Score" in which his thief used a mental handicap as a disguise, gave the trade secret away when it comes to this sort of performance." The movie sets up the Department of Children and Family Services and its attorney as the villains when they take Lucy away from Sam and try to place her with a foster family. The heroine is a high-velocity Beverly Hills lawyer named Rita ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), who takes Sam's case on a pro bono basis, to prove to the other people in her office that she's not a selfish bitch. This character and performance would be perfect in an edgy comedy, but exist in a parallel universe to the world of this film.

Sam has the kinds of problems that come up in story conferences more than in life. For example, he's sitting in a diner when an attractive young woman smiles at him. He smiles back. She comes over and asks him if he would like to have a good time. He says he sure would. Then a cop pounces and arrests him for frequenting a prostitute. Back at the station, the cop admits, "This is the first time in 19 years I actually believe a guy who says he didn't know she was a hooker." Hey, it's the first time in history that a man has been arrested on sex charges for talking to a woman in a diner before any clothes have come off, money has changed hands, or services have been discussed.

The movie climaxes in a series of courtroom scenes, which follow the time-honored formulas for such scenes, with the intriguing difference that this time the evil prosecutor ( Richard Schiff ) seems to be making good sense. At one point he turns scornfully to the Pfeiffer character and says, "This is an anecdote for you at some luncheon, but I'm here every day, You're out the door, but you know who I see come back? The child." Well, he's right, isn't he? The would-be adoptive mother, played by Laura Dern , further complicates the issue by not being a cruel child-beater who wants the monthly state payments, but a loving, sensitive mother who would probably be great for Lucy. Sam more or less understands this, but does the adoptive mother? As the film ends, the issue is in doubt.

"I Am Sam" is aimed at audiences who will relate to the heart-tugging relationship between Sam and Lucy (and young Dakota Fanning does a convincing job as the bright daughter). Every device of the movie's art is designed to convince us Lucy must stay with Sam, but common sense makes it impossible to go the distance with the premise. You can't have heroes and villains when the wrong side is making the best sense.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

I Am Sam (2002)

Rated PG-13 For Language

133 minutes

Sean Penn as Sam Dawson

Michelle Pfeiffer as Rita

Dakota Fanning as Lucy Dawson

Dianne Wiest as Annie

Doug Hutchison as Ifty

Loretta Devine as Margaret

Laura Dern as Randy

Richard Schiff as Turner

Directed by

• Jessie Nelson
• Kristine Johnson

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Common sense media reviewers.

Moving but unrealistic film has mature themes, profanity.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Provides a very sympathetic look at the developmen

Insightful portrait of a mentally challenged fathe

Tense family situations.

Mild references to out-of-wedlock pregnancy, adult

Sam, the film's hero, is referred to as "

Starbucks is a featured location in numerous seque

Parents need to know that I Am Sam portrays a mentally challenged man and his impassioned efforts to parent and retain custody of his precocious young daughter. There are several heartwrenching scenes during which Sam and Lucy are forcibly taken from one another. Other characters (two of whom are actually…

Positive Messages

Provides a very sympathetic look at the developmentally disabled community and shows elements of both their limitations and strengths. Promotes love, commitment, and good intentions as primary values in parenting and at the same time affirms that "it takes a village to raise a child."

Positive Role Models

Insightful portrait of a mentally challenged father. With few resources and against all odds, his courage, industriousness, sensitivity, and unlimited capacity for love help him live well beyond the world's expectations. Several characters representing legal and social service agencies are narrowly drawn as cold and with little empathy.

Violence & Scariness

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Mild references to out-of-wedlock pregnancy, adultery.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sam, the film's hero, is referred to as "retarded" in some scenes. One leading female character swears several times: "goddammit," "hell," "for Christ's sake," "son of a bitch," "up the wazoo," "screw." There is one use of "f--k."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Starbucks is a featured location in numerous sequences. Other products and retailers clearly identified include Equal sweetener, Huggies, Payless, Baskin-Robbins, Tab, Pizza Hut, Bob's Big Boy, and IHOP.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that I Am Sam portrays a mentally challenged man and his impassioned efforts to parent and retain custody of his precocious young daughter. There are several heartwrenching scenes during which Sam and Lucy are forcibly taken from one another. Other characters (two of whom are actually developmentally disabled) give insightful performances that may enlighten older kids and teens about people with special needs. A female character swears occasionally: one use of "f--k," along with numerous instances of "goddammit," "hell," and other mild epithets. Starbucks is prominently featured as Sam's workplace, and many other products and retailers are identified. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (6)
• Kids say (13)

Based on 6 parent reviews

I think this is a necessary and appropriate Movie!

What's the story.

In I AM SAM, Sam Dawson ( Sean Penn ), a mentally challenged man who wipes the tables at Starbucks, decides to fight for custody of his daughter, Lucy ( Dakota Fanning ). Although Lucy's mother, a homeless woman, leaves right after Lucy is born, Sam does just fine at first, with help from an agoraphobic neighbor ( Dianne Wiest ). Sam also gets some help from an entourage of friends, and all goes along pretty well until Lucy, at age 7, begins to surpass Sam intellectually. When Family Protective Services try to take Lucy away, Sam gets intense lawyer Rita Harrison ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) to help him. And, sure enough, she learns from Sam to take time to smell the roses and play with her own son.

Is It Any Good?

If only the filmmakers had trusted the material and the audience a little more, then I Am Sam wouldn't feel so manipulative and dishonest. But by making anyone who thinks that maybe a child needs more than a mentally challenged parent can provide look like a monster, they turn the characters into cardboard. The glowing last scene, with Sam performing in a role that's clearly beyond what he has been shown to be capable of, is just phony.

But Penn gives a first-rate performance, and Pfeiffer holds her own. In smaller parts, Wiest, Richard Schiff, Mary Steenburgen , and Laura Dern all are very fine as well, and the soundtrack of Beatles songs recorded by some of today's best artists is a genuine treat. The real miracle of the movie, though, is young Fanning, who gives a performance of such sincerity, subtlety, and delicacy that she almost carries the entire movie herself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what Sam should do to give Lucy everything she needs. What problems are they likely to have as she gets older?

What did Rita learn from Sam, and why was it only Sam who could teach it to her?

A number of the people in the movie struggle with parenting issues -- there has never been a court proceeding in history that permitted such discussion of the family lives of all the participants and witnesses. How do you see those struggles in the families around you?

Movie Details

• In theaters : January 25, 2002
• On DVD or streaming : June 18, 2002
• Cast : Dakota Fanning , Michelle Pfeiffer , Sean Penn
• Director : Jessie Nelson
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors
• Studio : Warner Bros.
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 132 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : language
• Last updated : July 3, 2022

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I Am Sam Reviews

Penn never goes over the top with his speech, ticks, hand gestures, and all-around physicality. He doesn’t act like a mentally challenged man, he behaves like one: there’s a big difference between the two.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 10, 2022

Penn's performance deserved the Oscar nomination.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 11, 2020

Moving film with great acting seems too contrived.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 24, 2010

Sean Penn gives the most professionally shameful, cruelly wrongheaded performance ever nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, while Jessie Nelson Kristine Johnson's script lives down to Penn's ugly ineptitude with idiotic catchphrases and product placement.

Full Review | Original Score: 0/4 | Sep 25, 2010

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 7, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 30, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Dec 6, 2005

And I think I am sick.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 64/100 | Mar 16, 2004

Sean Penn may be the most gifted actor of his generation.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 19, 2003

Just watching Penn and Fanning interact...is worth wading through the occasionally ankle-deep syrup.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 8, 2003

This movie plays like an after-school special or a public service announcement.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Jan 23, 2003

This movie is every bit as painful as it sounds.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Dec 8, 2002

A fairly formulaic (and terribly overlong) tearjerker.

Full Review | Dec 2, 2002

Penn repeatedly hits the ball out of the park, but the rest of the team never gets past first base.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 6, 2002

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 30, 2002

The script lacks focus and consistency of approach, and the whole becomes a mixture of emotional manipulation and laughable caricature.

Full Review | Oct 21, 2002

The movie asks for a leap of faith that it can't make itself.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 15, 2002

A supremely well-acted TV movie. But, like a lot of microwaveable insta-films, it has a capacity to taste shamefully better than it looks.

Full Review | Aug 29, 2002

Contradictory stew of anger, pain and crass commercialism.

Full Review | Aug 8, 2002

‘I Am Sam,’ a Film That Gets It, Finally

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Rarely has the message from Hollywood hit us so clearly.

Once you see a person with mental retardation portrayed as accurately and positively as in the recently released movie “I Am Sam,” you can only conclude that society has come a long way.

When is the last time you saw a movie that focuses around the life of a person with a developmental disability? Sure, there was Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump,” Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man” and Leonardo DiCaprio in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” But when is the last time the main character was not seen as a misfit? When was the last time an individual with a mental disability was shown holding a job, socializing with his friends and being a part of society?

Keep in mind that until the 1970s, people with mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities were literally warehoused in institutions. Parents were told upon the birth of children with disabilities that there was no future for these youngsters and it was best to forget about them. So, of course, in 1988 we saw Hoffman playing the role of Raymond, a man with autism who had been in an institution and was totally dependent on his brother. Moreover, the character seemed to encompass virtually every stereotype of a person with autism.

Today, in “I Am Sam,” Sean Penn plays Sam Dawson, a father with mental retardation raising his young daughter, Lucy, who is developing typically and whose cognitive abilities are rapidly eclipsing those of her father.

A single parent struggling to raise a child is not unusual for Hollywood. A single parent with a cognitive disability struggling to raise a child? That’s groundbreaking!

Every new parent, regardless of race, creed, color or economic conditions, enters his or her role a novice. We buy books on parenting. We watch tapes and talk shows. We speak to “specialists.” Not long ago, I was a little taken aback when a friend told me about the parent support group she was attending every week in New York City. When I asked what kind of support they were seeking, she said, “Oh, you know, just all the usual things we have absolutely no idea how to deal with.”

At one time or another, everyone needs support--whether it is from a neighbor, friend, family member, pediatrician or social service agency. Everyone seeks help, whether it is from a $150-an-hour child psychiatrist or our own mother.

“I’m smart enough to know when I need help, I ask for it,” a 46-year-old mother with a learning disability told me recently. She receives support from a parents-with-special-needs program. If she needs help with parenting skills of any kind, a parent counselor is just a call away. If she feels frustrated, she attends the program’s parents support group.

As the movie points out, being a loving parent has little to do with educational diplomas, bank accounts or job titles. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the role of Rita, Sam’s pro-bono attorney, and her character and lifestyle are sharply drawn to contrast with Sam’s situation in life. She has all the trappings of affluence and success but excruciatingly little time to sit down and just “be” with her son. Sam is a busboy at Starbucks. His job in no way appears to compromise the quality time that he spends with his daughter. The camera lingers on them swinging together in the sun, enjoying a meal, or curling up in bed reading. These are wonderful, physically warm moments. There’s little price to these moments, just time well spent.

In one critical scene of the movie, Sam is questioned by state agency officials about why he thinks he has the ability to be a father. He responds, “It’s about constancy and it’s about patience. And it’s about listening and it’s about pretending to listen when you can’t listen any more, and it’s about love.” In the case of parents with special needs, we must provide the kind of support services that will offer practical help and an ear to listen. Parents with special needs benefit from help with tutoring, after-school activities, transportation, budgeting money and, like every parent in the universe, a little baby-sitting now and then.

I can count on one hand the number of programs that I know of to help these parents. It is my hope that with the national release of this provocative movie, every state funder for social services will see this need and respond with sensitive and creative programs.

The bottom line to the story of Sam and Lucy is that no loving parent and child should be separated because social services are not available.

“Everyone needs to understand that persons with disabilities have needs and desires just like everyone else,” the parent with a disability explained. “They need to take care of someone and love someone else.”

Her words seem obvious. But how many of us thought about parents with special needs before seeing “I Am Sam”? Hollywood thought about it. And Hollywood gets it.

Joel M. Levy is chief executive of New York City-based YAI/National Institute for People With Disabilities.

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Sappy material redeemed by acting

Review: moving 'i am sam' saved by penn.

By Paul Clinton CNN Reviewer

(CNN) -- "I Am Sam" is heartbreaking, uplifting, brilliantly acted, and profoundly moving. The fact that the story is utterly implausible has to be set aside. Fortunately for the movie, Sean Penn -- once again proving he's one of America's finest actors -- stars in the title role, and his performance makes the film.

Sam Dawson is a man with the mentality of a child. After a homeless woman whom Sam has befriended abandons him right after the birth of their daughter, he's forced to raise the child alone.

In an awesome performance -- in only her third feature film -- young Dakota Fanning almost steals the show as Sam's daughter, Lucy Diamond Dawson. This 7-year-old actress is astonishing as she completely absorbs her role. If some of her scenes with Penn don't break your heart, you might want to check your pulse.

Father and daughter manage to survive -- and thrive -- as Sam supports them with his menial job in a coffee shop. He also gets lots of help from his loyal friends: Ifty (Doug Hutchison), Robert (Stanley DeSantis), Brad (Brad Allan Silverman), and Joe (Joe Rosenberg), who are also mentally challenged. Another member of his vital support system is his neighbor Annie, played pitch-perfectly by Dianne Wiest. Annie is the only one in the group not developmentally disabled, but she's agoraphobic and never leaves her apartment, so her help is limited.

Great performances

Everyone in this motley crew continues on their merry way until a social worker at Lucy's school investigates her home life. After discovering that Lucy's mental capacity will soon surpass her father's, the powers that be decide to remove her from Sam's custody. At his friends' urging, Sam goes in search of a lawyer, and somehow lands in the office of high-powered attorney Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer).

At first she tries to brush him off, but then she's shamed -- in front of her co-workers -- into taking Sam's case pro bono, and together this strange duo fight to keep father and daughter together.

This is Penn's best work in years. He would rather direct than act, but it's a lucky thing he signed on for "I Am Sam," because without his performance -- which anchors the entire film -- this story could have been sappy beyond description. All parents feel lost and confused at times, and Penn's rendition of a mentally challenged man trying to cope with the everyday realities of raising a child is a work of art.

Better people

Overall, the premise is hard to swallow, but again the performances save the day.

Like Penn, Pfeiffer and young Fanning are exceptional. Pfeiffer gets her meatiest role in a long time, and she's up to the challenge. Her character is just as handicapped as Sam, though her limitations are more socially acceptable: an obsessive-complusive nature, and a manic need for perfection, are destroying her sense of self-worth and ruining her relationship with her own son. On the outside, this successful lawyer has everything, but inside her life is out of control.

Ultimately, Sam helps Rita more than her legal skills could ever help him, as he changes her outlook on life. Sam's determination to be a father at all costs, and against all odds inspires Rita to be a better parent and a better person.

Co-written (with Kristine Johnson), produced and directed by Jessie Nelson, "I Am Sam" is a highly manipulative film, but it does capture the extraordinary love between this father and daughter. Ultimately, the sugar-coated ending tied with a big bow will test your limits of believability. But it's a motion picture that will stir your soul.

"I Am Sam" opens nationwide on Friday, January 11.

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• DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Sean Penn as Sam Dawson; Michelle Pfeiffer as Rita Harrison; Laura Dern as Randy Carpenter; Dakota Fanning as Lucy Diamond Dawson; Dianne Wiest as Annie

Home Release Date

• Jessie Nelson

Distributor

• New Line Cinema

Movie Review

Sam lives alone. He works at a Starbucks. And his mental capacity is that of a 7-year-old. Sam is also a father. And he has raised his little girl (named Lucy Diamond after the Beatles song) alone for seven years, ever since her mother ran away days after her birth. You wouldn’t think he could do it, the diapers, the feedings, the potty-training. But he does. And he freely gives Lucy all the love he possesses. He adores her, and she adores him right back.

“Daddy, did God mean for you to be like this? Or was it an accident?” Lucy asks Sam one day. “What do you mean?” he replies, perplexed. “You’re not like other people,” she says. Scared, and worried that Lucy is telling him she thinks he’s dumb, Sam begins to apologize. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he repeats. “It’s okay, Daddy, don’t be sorry,” Lucy is quick to assure him. “I’m lucky. Nobody else’s daddy ever comes to the park.” Lucy already understands what the courts don’t; that love can be the most powerful force on earth.

It’s on her seventh birthday that they come to take her away. Child Services has decided Sam is not fit to be her father any more. In 30 days, they tell him, you’ll come back for a hearing so that the judge can decide what to do with Lucy. “You mean, she’s not coming home with me tonight?” he wails. No, she’s not going home with you tonight.

Sam knows he needs a lawyer, so he and his friends look through the Yellow Pages to find a good one. The coolest ad there leads him to Rita, a driven, out-of-sorts, hurl-insults-at-the-traffic sort of attorney. She doesn’t want anything to do with him (“You can’t afford me!” she snaps) and sends him packing. But a mixture of guilt and peer pressure force her to reconsider and she eventually takes the case pro bono. “That’s for free,” she tells him.

The balance of the movie shows Sam fighting for his daughter. Rita fighting for her soul. And Lucy running away from her foster parents to be with Daddy.

positive elements: Life is supremely valued here. Disabilities, handicaps, inconveniences, disinterest, none of those things negate life’s intrinsic value. Sam knows that instinctively. Rita must learn the hard way. Lucy is truly a diamond in the sky for Sam. The filmmakers may not have intended for her to become such a symbol of life , but it’s impossible for me not to make her one. So many children have been discarded for lessor “reasons” than her parents could have given. Her mother was homeless. Her father incapable of adult responsibilities. She should not have been allowed into the world. At least that’s the way the argument goes. Sam silently screams, “No! She is my daughter. I love her.”

Sam demonstrates to everyone watching that what the culture views as curses can be turned into blessings. Rita’s journey toward humanness includes the awakening of her true maternity (her son has become an obligation to her rather than a joy), patience (her life is rife with immediate demands) and compassion.

The movie may present an overly-romanticized picture of a mentally disabled man raising a child, but it also shows the world how to embrace just such a man (or woman). “I don’t know what to call you,” blurts Rita, after stumbling over the terms “handicapped,” “retarded” and “challenged.” Sam’s reply is simple and profound: “You can call me Sam.”

Sam also doles out amazingly wise advice on the subject of parenting: “I’ve had a lot of time to think about what makes somebody a good parent,” he tells the court. “It’s about constancy. It’s about patience. It’s about listening. It’s about pretending to listen even when you can’t listen anymore. And it’s about love.” Sam’s unique view of the world cuts cleanly through the lies that invade so much of what we do. In the courtroom, he is appalled when Rita makes a witness cry by dredging up her past to discredit her. He is perplexed by the notion of “tweaking” the facts to manipulate the truth.

spiritual content: Overtly, the only spiritual content is a simple two word prayer for his daughter. Sam cries, “Please God, please God, please God.” But the celebration of life and love that infuse the entire film are straight from heaven.

sexual content: Obviously Sam had to sleep with Lucy’s mother, but that happens nine months before the film begins. A prostitute (who shows quite a bit of cleavage) comes on to Sam in a restaurant, but he is completely unaware that her “friendliness” is anything more than friendly. In tears, Rita tells Sam that her husband is “screwing” other women.

violent content: Right before Lucy is taken away from him at her birthday party, Sam is pushed down by an angry parent. Rita kicks a bowl of candy across her office. She also kicks in Sam’s door when he won’t answer it.

crude or profane language: One f-word expressed in anger and frustration. God’s name is abused more than a dozen times. There are also five or six other mild profanities and coarse expressions. Rita makes an obscene gesture to a passing motorist.

drug and alcohol content: Rita and her peers drink champagne at a party.

conclusion: Reactions to I Am Sam are likely to be varied. Critics are split over whether it is a gripping triumph or a sudsy melodrama. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone calls it “contrived, manipulative and shamelessly sentimental,” while The Los Angeles Times ’ Kevin Thomas writes that it is “inviting and accessible.” Moviegoers will similarly lean strongly one way or the other upon leaving the theater. What’s indisputable is that Sean Penn turns in a dazzling performance, thoroughly losing himself in Sam (just as Dustin Hoffman did in Rain Man and Leonardo DiCaprio did in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape ). One other thing is incontrovertible: I Am Sam will make you think.

Should Sam be allowed to continue raising Lucy? You see the story from Sam’s perspective, so your empathy lies with him. But you still agonize over whether he can do it alone. The events unfold and the court makes its decisions and the lives of the characters go on. But you continue playing out Sam’s case in your head. Sam is turned into a real person. Confined within the movie’s 130 minutes, he’s neither a statistic nor a hypothetical scenario. And that creates a valuable exercise for those of us not usually faced with such life-altering quandaries. It’s valuable to put yourself in the shoes of someone else for a day. It’s valuable to ponder the moral what-ifs of foster care, adoption and abortion. It’s valuable to see the world through different eyes, be they Lucy’s, Rita’s or Sam’s. I Am Sam ’s occasionally profane language is a disappointment. Its message is not.

Steven Isaac

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I Am Sam Review

10 May 2002

132 minutes

Movies about the disabled always risk falling into schmaltz, and a Hollywood film dealing with mental retardation is imperilled more than most. This is an industry ever-obsessed with the box office dollar, so having it tackle single parenthood, mental impairment and foster care in a movie obviously designed for Oscar-approved success just doesn't seem quite right.

Not that New Line or director Jessie Nelson (Corrina, Corrina) care; their main concern seems to be to make the audience feel ashamed, gleeful, and finally absolved through the healing powers of understanding and love. And in a way (in an as-long-as-you-don't-think-about-it-too-long kind of way), it works - making I Am Sam one of the finest examples of onscreen emotional manipulation since Rain Man.

In this regard, Sean Penn is an excellent casting choice. His guileless portrayal of single parent Sam is the most effective piece of emotional ammunition in this movie's battery. He has the staccato hand gestures, gleeful clapping and stultified speech down pat, and while he doesn't slather on the sentimentalism (thank God), he still lays it on pretty thick - and has gained the hoped-for Oscar nom. The soundtrack of Beatles covers, too, is just perfectly designed to trigger tear ducts worldwide.

Yet the film as a whole is a heartless abuse of emotion, masquerading as searing critique. Sam's relationship with his daughter is one big trip to the park, until her mental capacities start to surpass those of her father, and those meddling social worker types decide he cannot be fit to raise his child. How wrong, says the film, disallowing any room for confusion or debate. Foster parent Dern is treated with similar over-simplification, as is the mediocre Pfeiffer's high-maintenance, low-life lawyer-bitch who - if the film is to be believed - needs nothing more than the touch of autistic humanity (what would we do without it?) to make her learn how to love.

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Movies | 29 01 2002

I enjoyed this film much more than I expected. I'd read the reviews, including several that were quite negative about Sean Penn's performance. I didn't really expect to enjoy his performance either...I simply thought this type of role would be beyond his range. Yet, I largely founding myself enjoying this film. First, Penn's performance deserved the Oscar nomination. The voice, while initially irritating, fit well with his character and his intellectual limitations.

Penn wonderfully portrayed his relationship with his daughter, beautifully played by Dakota Fanning. Beyond Penn, she was the real find in this film. While not always realistic, I appreciated that the script did not always go for the easy answer.

The end, in particular was unrealistic yet satisfying in a certain way. I liked that the custody issue was not resolved as a "he gets her, he doesn't get her." In reality, both parent and child ended up having needs addressed. Certainly, the system does not usually work this successfully but I was willing to fantasize a happy ending in this manner.

My main beef with this film was in the performance of Michelle Pfeiffer...She had wonderful moments, but was disturbingly inconsistent with the emotions, energy and pacing of the rest of the film and its characters. Nice direction, generally, by Jessie Nelson. An interesting soundtrack, at times not successful in accompanying the film's action but generally a nice addition to the film.

© Written by Richard Propes The Independent Critic

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Contrived, manipulative and shamelessly sentimental, this film is notable for the courageous reach of Sean Penn, who gives a bold, heartfelt performance. Penn plays Sam Dawson, a man whose mental development stopped at age seven. Sam’s job serving lattes at a Starbucks in Los Angeles gives him the money to support Lucy (the enchanting Dakota Fanning), the daughter he has raised since her mother, a homeless woman, deserted them after Lucy’s birth. Lucy is seven now, advancing beyond her dad and his obsessive love for dinners at IHOP, video nights with his four buddies (Doug Hutchison and Stanley DeSantis join two actors with disabilities, Joseph Rosenberg and Brad Allan Silverman) and Beatles music. The film is awash in Beatles covers, from the Wallflowers’ jaunty “I’m Looking Through You” to Sarah McLachlan ‘s tender “Blackbird.”

So far, so bearable. But when the court intervenes and Sam persuades a workaholic lawyer, Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), to help him keep Lucy, director and co-writer Jessie Nelson ( Corrina, Corrina ) sends the movie hurtling off the cliff into soap opera. Only Penn stays the course, turning what could have been an actor’s stunt into a portrayal of stirring emotion and blunt truth.

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The Ending Of I Am Sam Explained

"I Am Sam" tells the story of Sam Dawson ( Sean Penn ), a man with unspecified developmental disabilities who unexpectedly becomes the father of a baby girl, Lucy Diamond (Dakota Fanning). With help from his group of friends and acquaintances, Sam does his best to be a father for Lucy, but she eventually starts surpassing his mental abilities, which she tries to hide in fear of outgrowing her father. Soon, the authorities become interested of their family unit, and deem Sam unfit to be a father ... which Sam fights in court, aided by lawyer Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer). 

Critics haven't been especially kind to "I Am Sam," and they've accused the movie of taking a complicated issue and simplifying it into an easily chewable Hollywood drama (via Rotten Tomatoes ). Viewers, on the other hand, have largely enjoyed the film, which enjoys a very impressive 86 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Regardless of whether you're taken in by Penn's Oscar bait performance , or disagree with the way the film juxtaposes his act with some of the movie's other actors with actual disabilities, chances are that you have plenty of thoughts about the movie's ending. Let's take a closer look at the ending of "I Am Sam." 

Ultimately, Sam wins the day

Though critics have been unkind to "I Am Sam," it's worth noting that the courtroom proceedings of the movie have caused Harvard Law School to arrange a screening of the film to discuss the child's best interests in such a case — as well as the various tactics the characters use to convince Sam's ability to function as a father. In The Washington Post , Special Olympics Chief Executive Officer Timothy Shriver also praised Sam's portrayal as someone who is able to enjoy life and fight what he recognizes as a clear injustice.

As movie plots go, "I Am Sam" ends in a somewhat predictable manner. Sam's displays of resourcefulness win the day, and when he convinces Lucy's would-be foster mother Randy (Laura Dern) that he's up to the task of parenting — and asks her to help with Lucy's upbringing — Randy decides to side with Sam, which ultimately convinces the court. As the movie makes abundantly clear, the cards are massively stacked against someone like Sam in a situation like this, so a happy ending like this might come across as a bit Hollywood-y. Still, when you remember that Harvard Law School and Shriver have deemed the movie's points worth discussion, is wrapping all these talking points up with a happy ending really a bad thing?

Growing up is a communal experience

Throughout the movie, a major counterpoint of the authorities' argument that Sam can't take care of a child is that he's not alone at it. The ending of "I Am Sam" highlights this by showing a soccer game where Lucy is playing and Sam is refereeing. In the stands, Sam's friend group — as well as Rita and her child — cheer on.

The implication here, of course, seems to be that of a "happily ever after" scenario, but it's worth noting that this is also a very handy moment for a movie to fade to black. Fast forward a few years, and Lucy is in her teens, which Sam and his tight-knit social circles — most of whom have some form of developmental disability or mental health issue — are likely unprepared to deal with. Even with the newfound help of Randy as a mother figure to Sam, one can't help but wonder how a sequel of the movie would pan out. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website .

Rita turns her life around

Apart from the main plot that deals with Sam's struggle to be a father to Lucy, "I Am Sam" also prominently focuses on Michelle Pfeiffer's hard-boiled Rita, who enters the scene as a cold, work-oriented person who's clearly estranged from her family, as well as the majority of life's good things. Sam's way to see the life in a very different way wins her over, and she starts representing him free of charge. Over the course of the movie, Sam's positive effect also helps Rita confront her own inadequacies as a parent, as well as her loveless marriage. In turn, she gets Sam through his worst moments after Lucy is taken away from him. 

By the end of the movie, you see that Rita has clearly divorced her cheating husband, and regained her self-confidence in her personal life. What's more, she's last seen happily watching Lucy's football game with her son, which shows that she's grown to be a capable parent. As such, this monumental shift in her life means that she arguably goes through more character development than anyone else in the movie.

I Am Sam (United States, 2001)

Never trust a serious drama that uses a line from a Dr. Seuss book as its title. I Am Sam (inspired by a line from "Green Eggs and Ham"), despite boasting interesting character relationships, stumbles and falls because of a storyline that consistently overlooks real-life situations when it isn't pandering to the needs of those who want every screenplay to be constructed from cliches. Of course, there's also the problem of overt manipulation - subtlety is not one of this film's hallmarks - but that's to be expected from any motion picture that so obviously wants to be regarded as a tear-jerker.

Sam Dawson (Sean Penn) is a mentally-retarded forty year-old man with autistic tendencies who earns a living by working as a janitor at a local Starbucks. It would be difficult enough for Sam, whose mental capacity is equal to that of a seven year-old, to survive on his own, but he has a daughter, Lucy (Dakota Fanning), who was the product of a one-night stand. At age seven, Lucy is smarter than Sam, and, as a result, fiercely protective of him. But, when the Department of Child Services hears about the situation, they take Lucy away from her father, believing that Sam cannot effectively care for her. Needing a lawyer to represent him in the custody hearing, Sam approaches high-profile attorney Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), who initially brushes him off. But Sam is persistent, and, in an attempt to prove to her colleagues that she has a heart, she agrees to represent him pro bono. And, in the process of preparing for Sam's case, Rita begins to bridge the gulf that has developed between her and her son.

With a better plot, I Am Sam might work, but it glosses over reality on so many occasions that it's hard to take seriously. Despite the high-profile nature of the cast, I had the feeling that I was watching one of those made-for-TV weepers that show up with alarming regularity on cable TV's Lifetime Network. From the supposedly heart-wrenching drama of the separation of father and daughter to the courtroom scenes, this is pure soap opera - not a promising way for Jessie Nelson to return to directing after a seven-year absence (her previous credit, which was her feature debut, was Corrina, Corrina ). She is clearly relying upon audiences being swept away on a tide of emotion so overwhelming that concerns about the intelligence and logic of the movie become irrelevant. Unfortunately, I Am Sam doesn't possess anything close to the degree of power necessary for that to happen.

Sean Penn's portrayal of Sam screams "Oscar contender" with a voice that's dissonant. New Line Cinema is clearly hoping that Penn's name, beloved by the Academy, in conjunction with the image of a mentally retarded character, another Academy favorite, will result in a nomination. From a strategy perspective, it's sound reasoning, but the problem is that Penn's performance is no better than average. He doesn't do anything interesting or unique with Sam - it's a by-the-book portrayal of a retarded individual. The actor could probably do this kind of thing in his sleep. Opposite him, Michelle Pfeiffer is equally perfunctory in her approach to her character. Rita is a stereotypical career-driven woman who has alienated her son in her pursuit of power, wealth, and material goods. Like Penn, she doesn't give a bad performance, but also offers nothing beyond the bare minimum required by the role. The only standout is Dakota Fanning, who, in her first significant motion picture part, manages to be irrepressibly cute without becoming irritating.

The one aspect of the film worth lauding is the character interaction. Nelson and her co-writer, Kristine Johnson, are adept at building I Am Sam 's two key relationships - those between Sam and Lucy, and Sam and Rita. Unfortunately, the filmmakers' aptitude in this area does not extend to the overall production, which mutes the effectiveness of this interaction by smothering it in cloying, unconvincing melodrama. Even the message comes across as muddled - if "all you need is love" to care for a child (Sam, being a Beatles fan, quotes their songs incessantly), why did I find myself agreeing with the State that Sam, despite having the best intentions, does not have the capacity to care for his daughter? Nelson stacks the deck by developing our emotional investment in Sam, yet, at the last minute, she seems to back away from him in an attempt to inject a bit of reality into her largely fanciful screenplay. The transition, if it can be called that, is clumsily handled, and makes us uncertain what her feelings are about the current social system. Then, after backpeddling for a while, she changes direction again in a mad dash for a cathartic conclusion. This is the kind of story I would love to see British director Ken Loach tackle. He would strip away all of the tear-producing manipulation and get to the heart of the matter - something that I Am Sam , despite its high-profile cast and end-of-the-year release slot, is unable to do.

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I Am Sam Parent Guide

SAM DAWSON (SEAN PENN) LIVES with a moderate learning disability that prevents him from progressing past a job of clearing tables and sorting sugar packages at Starbucks. However, it doesn't stop him from fathering a child after the softhearted man offeres a homeless woman a place to sleep.

Release date December 27, 2001

Run Time: 132 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by rod gustafson.

But performances, audience manipulation, and profanities aside, watching over two hours of cinema shot on a hand held camera left me a shade similar to the oft-repeated allegorical readings of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham . Hardly a film your children will be begging to see, I Am Sam’s filmmaking disabilities handicap the premise.

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Rod Gustafson

I am sam parents' guide.

How can fictitious movies with constructed characters like Sam work to convince audiences to believe an argument? How does knowing screenwriter and director (in this case, the same person) are in complete control of a character like Sam effect your perception of the story? How do you feel about Sam’s desire to raise his daughter? The movie claims, “All you need is love” to be a parent. Do you think there are any other essential qualities required for raising a child?

The most recent home video release of I Am Sam movie is June 17, 2002. Here are some details…

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Mental abilities and disabilities are explored in the movies K-PAX , A Beautiful Mind , and Lost In Yonkers .

The 10 Best Martial Arts Movie Stars, Ranked

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The martial arts genre seems to be one that’ll remain eternal, perhaps not as popular as it once was, but never waning to the point where people will become disinterested. There’s an undeniable bluntness and spectacle to such movies, given they tend to feature frequent fight scenes, stunt work, and amazing action choreography, more often than not highlighting hand-to-hand combat.

Directors and fight scene choreographers are obviously essential, but great stars are similarly important , because martial arts movies need to sell the action, and it’s the actors who play a massive role in making fight sequences believable. The following actors all have charisma, immense physicality, and a certain believability when it comes to action (often because they’ll do their own stunts). From great to greatest, here’s an attempt to go through some of the best of the best to ever be involved with the genre, particularly in starring roles.

10 Iko Uwais

Movies include: 'the raid' (2011), 'the raid 2' (2014), 'the night comes for us' (2018).

Though he only found breakout success in 2011, with The Raid , Iko Uwais has already established himself worthy of being counted among the greats when it comes to martial arts movie stars. The Raid was such an incredible, pure, brutal, and sickeningly convincing action/thriller movie , and then 2014’s The Raid 2 just escalated things even more, with it becoming a surprisingly epic gangster movie on top of an action flick.

These two films are easily Uwais’ most iconic to date, and as the protagonist of both, he’s essential to a huge number of iconic action scenes spread across the two films. Hollywood has so far underused him in films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the fourth Expendables movie , but anyone who’s seen The Raid and wants more Iko Uwais should check out the (also brutal) The Night Comes for Us , where he once again shines in a prominent role.

9 Sonny Chiba

Movies include: 'kill bill vol. 1' (2003), 'the street fighter' (1974), 'wolf guy' (1975).

Sonny Chiba has a memorable supporting role in the first volume of Kill Bill , which is a great martial arts movie, though Chiba himself doesn’t get to show off his martial arts skills. Anyone wanting Sonny Chiba to get into the actual action of an action movie might have to travel back a few decades, back to when he was a massive star in Japan, especially during the 1970s .

He was the sort of actor who considerably elevated what might’ve ordinarily been rather average action flicks, with The Street Fighter series, Wolf Guy , and Dragon Princess being some of his best films from the era. It’s pretty clear Quentin Tarantino was a big fan of Chiba, given Kill Bill homages the sort of martial arts movies he starred in while also casting the actor in the pivotal role of sword-smith Hattori Hanzō.

8 Donnie Yen

Movies include: 'hero' (2002), 'ip man' (2008), 'john wick: chapter 4' (2023).

Faring a little better in Hollywood to date than Iko Uwais , Donnie Yen might be most recognizable to viewers in the West for his roles in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and John Wick: Chapter 4 . Funnily enough, both movies saw him playing a blind character, though in both instances, lacking eyesight did very little to slow down his combat abilities (especially so in John Wick ).

He’s had plenty of noteworthy non-American movie roles, too, starring in the long-running biographical Ip Man series , as well as being featured in Once Upon a Time in China II in 1992, and New Dragon Gate Inn from that same year . He’s consistently great whenever called upon to take part in an action scene, and the latest John Wick suggests he’s not going to slow down any time soon, since Yen turned 60 the same year that film came out.

7 Chow Yun-fat

Movies include: 'crouching tiger, hidden dragon' (2000), 'curse of the golden flower' (2006), 'the killer' (1989).

There’s an argument to be made that anyone who had a prominent role in the creation of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is worthy of being considered an icon within the martial arts genre. It offered something new to martial arts movies as a whole, homaging classic wuxia movies while making the whole thing more approachable than ever before. Chow Yun-fat was well-established before 2000 as an action movie star, but Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon just made him even more of a legend.

Some of his other movies feature gunfights more than fist/sword fights , but there’s a physicality to the roles he plays in movies like The Killer and Hard Boiled that makes those films almost feel like martial arts movies, at least in some scenes. And then there are other genuine/more traditional martial arts movies he starred in, including 2006’s Curse of the Golden Flower , which scratches a similar itch to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by also being beautiful, visually bold, and dramatically impactful .

Movies include: 'Hero' (2002), 'Fearless' (2006), 'Once Upon a Time in China' (1991)

Jet Li was born the same year as Donnie Yen, and the two have both starred together on more than one occasion, including in Hero and Once Upon a Time in China II . In both those instances at least, though, Li played the central character, and when it comes to Once Upon a Time in China , he’s the star across that series’ initial trilogy (three films telling an epic story, all released in 1991 and 1992).

Other Jet Li martial arts movies that prove seriously impressive include Tai-Chi Master (1993), Fist of Legend (1994), and Fearless (2006) . He became fairly well-known in Hollywood, too, thanks to starring in the first three Expendables movies and Mulan (2020)… admittedly, those aren’t as good as the classic Chinese films he’s starred in, but it’s nevertheless worth mentioning that he’s a martial arts star who’s achieved true international recognition.

5 Sammo Hung

Movies include: 'project a' (1986), 'ip man 2' (2010), 'the millionaires’ express' (1986).

It would be nearly impossible to count the number of iconic action sequences Sammo Hung’s been a part of, as he started out as a martial arts actor when he was very young, appearing in uncredited/background roles for a while . He slowly rose up the ranks, so to speak, and eventually became a somewhat unlikely leading man, as well as a skilled director of various action movies, too.

Hung brings a unique physicality to the sorts of fights his characters get involved in, as he has a large frame yet can still move just as fast as just about anyone else. He stands out among other martial arts movie actors in a good way, and has been at the forefront of numerous classic action flicks, including The Millionaires’ Express and Project A , as well as more recent films like the second entry in the Donnie Yen-starring Ip Man series.

4 Michelle Yeoh

Movies include: 'everything everywhere all at once' (2022), 'crouching tiger, hidden dragon' (2000), 'wing chun' (1994).

The landscape of martial arts cinema in decades past tended to be more than a bit male-dominated, but Michelle Yeoh proves it's unfair how actresses generally weren't given as many opportunities to shine, given she’s just as iconic as all the great male leads in the genre. She’s been kicking all sorts of ass for decades now, with early films like Yes, Madam! and Magnificent Warriors still – for the most part – holding up extremely well.

She’s never seemed to slow down when it came to picking action movie roles, either, as she played a lead role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon alongside Chow Yun-fat, and also had perhaps the best role of her entire career as recently as 2022, with Everything, Everywhere All at Once . That Best Picture winner shows she can do a lot more than just action, too, but when there’s a fight scene to be fought, few other stars – be they male or female – are as capable as Yeoh consistently is.

3 Gordon Liu

Movies include: 'kill bill vol. 1' (2003) & 'vol. 2' (2004), 'the 36th chamber of shaolin, (1978), 'the 8 diagram pole fighter' (1984).

It feels a bit unfair to only highlight one actor who’s inextricably linked to Shaw Brothers Studio, but Gordon Liu is debatably the best star who had breakout success with the studio. Whether it was in unique martial arts movies like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin or all-out bloodbaths like The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter , Liu continually showed how he always understood the assignment.

Like with Sonny Chiba, Quentin Tarantino was clearly a fan, and he ended up giving Gordon Liu not one, but two roles in Kill Bill: one as the leader of the Crazy 88 in Vol . 1, and then a meatier/more dialogue-heavy role as Pai Mei in Vol. 2 . Those movies are probably where most people in the West will know Liu from, but his dozens of performances in martial arts movies of old – often in the starring role – shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone who loves old-school martial arts action.

2 Bruce Lee

Movies include: 'enter the dragon' (1973), 'fist of fury' (1972), 'the way of the dragon' (1972).

Bruce Lee is basically untouchable, so far as iconic action stars go, even though he only starred in four complete martial arts movies in his tragically short career. A fifth of sorts, Game of Death , was cobbled together after he passed away , with the fight scenes he shot for the movie easily being the best parts of it… well, really, the only watchable parts, because the non-Bruce Lee stuff in that film proves to be kind of rubbish.

But as for the other four movies, they’re all classics, and it’s bittersweet how each one felt a little better or more ambitious than the last, given he could well have continued making even better films. The Big Boss , Fist of Fury , The Way of the Dragon , and then his final completed film, Enter the Dragon , all represent 1970s martial arts action at its best, and are essentially required viewing for anyone who loves action movies. They immortalized Bruce Lee as an icon forever, and though it always hurts knowing he wasn’t able to star in more, the films he did give the world continue to endure and entertain more than half a century on from his passing.

1 Jackie Chan

Movies include: 'drunken master ii' (1994), 'police story' (1985), 'who am i' (1998).

Because of Bruce Lee’s untimely death, Jackie Chan might well just get the edge on Lee when it comes to crowning a single actor as the king of the martial arts genre. Jackie Chan came close to death during many of his grandiose stunts, because when he was at his peak, there seemed to be nothing off-limits to the actor. Outside the stunts, he’s also a perfectionist when it comes to choreographing action , but the dedication almost always pays off.

Before coming to Hollywood, Jackie Chan worked tirelessly within the Hong Kong film industry, starring in (and sometimes directing) dozens of amazing action movies. He’s continued to charm and entertain as he’s gotten older, and proves enjoyable to watch even in his (generally) tamer Hollywood outings. He’s a legend, perhaps the bravest of all time when it comes to performing stunts, and always delivers in the action department. None have ever done the martial arts genre better, and it might well be safe to say that no one will ever top Jackie Chan when both the quality and quantity of one’s filmography are taken into account .

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Sam Raimi has revealed his favorite recently released movie – and it's a horror film from 2022.  

"I thought Barbarian was great," Raimi said during an appearance at WonderCon when asked if he'd enjoyed any recently released movies. "That one was fantastic."

The movie, directed by Zach Cregger, follows Tess (Georgina Campbell), a woman staying in a Detroit Airbnb while she visits the city for a job interview. When she arrives, she finds that the property has been double booked – but that turns out to be the least of her problems when she discovers what lurks in the basement… Bill Skarsgård plays Tess' fellow guest, while Justin Long plays a disgraced actor and the owner of the Airbnb. Barbarian was a hit with critics and has a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes , with reviewers calling the movie "bracingly effective" and "an inventive, nerve-shredding horror film".

Raimi, who's directed everything from The Evil Dead to Spider-Man to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , was at WonderCon to promote his new movie Boy Kills World, which he produced. Directed by Moritz Mohr and starring Barbarian actor Skarsgård, the film follows a deaf man who's trained by a mysterious mentor to take vengeance on the people who killed his family. 

"We talked a lot about what we loved," Mohr told Total Film of the movie's influences. "I love old kung-fu movies. I love Asian cinema. I play a lot of video games and I read a lot of manga. Anime is a big influence. But also shitty little Saturday-morning cartoons that I loved growing up. I knew I wanted to make a revenge movie with a deaf protagonist, but that was literally the one constant."

Boy Kills World arrives on the big screen on April 26. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other best upcoming movies on the way in 2024. 

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I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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AMC conducting review after 4 girls randomly stabbed inside Massachusetts movie theater

By Matt Schooley

Updated on: May 27, 2024 / 11:27 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BRAINTREE – Movie theater chain AMC said it is conducting a "thorough review" after four girls were stabbed during an apparently random attack inside a Braintree theater.

Jared Ravizza , 26, is charged with the Saturday night attack at AMC Braintree 10. Police said Ravizza entered without paying and stabbed four young girls who were at the theater for a screening of "IF."

Ravizza also allegedly stabbed two people at a McDonald's in Plymouth about an hour later. He was arrested following a crash in Sandwich.

Mother says AMC employees did not react initially

Lisa Dembowski, the mother of three of the AMC stabbing victims, said employees initially did not take action after the girls reported the stabbing.

"They said they all went out, they told the people at AMC, the AMC didn't believe them, didn't do anything, actually, and they had to call the police themselves," Dembowski said.

AMC conducting "thorough review"

In a statement to WBZ-TV, AMC said it is reaching out to the involved families privately.

"At all of our locations, AMC has multiple security features and procedures in place, the specifics of which we do not disclose or discuss publicly," a spokesperson said. "We have already begun to conduct a thorough review of this incident. Based on theatre associate accounts and video footage, the theatre team jumped into action immediately, calling emergency services and administering aid to the victims."

According to AMC, there will be a visible security presence at the Braintree location "for the immediate future."

Connecticut investigation

Sources tell the WBZ I-Team Ravizza is also wanted in connection with a murder investigation in Deep River, Connecticut. A body was found there after a report of a disturbance Saturday afternoon.

Neighbors say there were two men living in the home and two dogs. They believe the dogs are also dead. "It is really sad. It's surreal. I mean, it's a human life," a Connecticut neighbor said.

Ravizza held without bail

Jared Ravizza has been released from South Shore Hospital and is being held without bail. He is due in court on Tuesday. 

Dembowski is hoping for justice. "I hope he gets what he deserves," Dembowski said.  

• Braintree News

Matt Schooley is a digital producer at CBS Boston. He has been a member of the WBZ news team for the last decade.

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A woman named Sam must survive an invasion in New York City by bloodthirsty alien creatures with ultrasonic sound hearing. A woman named Sam must survive an invasion in New York City by bloodthirsty alien creatures with ultrasonic sound hearing. A woman named Sam must survive an invasion in New York City by bloodthirsty alien creatures with ultrasonic sound hearing.

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• Runtime 1 hour 40 minutes
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