Movie Review I Am Sam

Plot Summary

In modern society, the media provide much useful information on a regular basis. Moreover, the media help to educate viewers and form their views on various issues affecting society. I chose I Am Sam because it is a good movie that tells about a man who is mentally challenged. The movie teaches many people that despite their disabilities, they can show love to their children and provide good parental care.

Sam is the main character in the movie. He raises his daughter Lucy alone as his wife abandoned them. Sam has a mental disability; therefore, many people believe that he is not capable of providing good parental care. Despite the challenges facing him, Sam remains a loving and caring father. The main character has true friends who also have developmental disabilities. Annie is one of such friends, who takes care of Lucy during Sam’s absence.

When Lucy goes to school, her friends start to tease and laugh at her because she has a mentally challenged father. Soon, she becomes ashamed of her father. As many people question Sam’s parenting skills, the court appoints a guardian to take care of Lucy. Therefore, Sam asks Rita Harrison, an experienced and clever lawyer, to help him win a court case and get custody of his daughter. Rita agrees to defend Sam in court.

During the trial, Sam is overcome by emotions when one of the opposing counsels convinces the court that he is not a good father since he is not capable of taking care of his daughter. When the trial is over, Lucy is placed in a foster home. Although the girl manages to escape from her foster family, Sam returns her to avoid other legal problems. However, Rita and Randy (the foster mother) convince the court that Sam is a good parent for Lucy who also wants to live with her father. Finally, Sam gets custody of his daughter. At the end of the movie, viewers see a football match where Sam is a referee and Lucy is a player.

Concepts from Social Psychology

I Am Sam is a movie closely related to social psychology. The first concept depicted in the movie is social learning. Sam tries to provide a caring and loving environment for his daughter. Other parents help Sam to change his behavior and improve his parenting skills, despite the fact that he is mentally challenged. The main character observes the behavior of other parents and eventually changes his behavior for the sake of his daughter. At the beginning of the movie, viewers see that Sam does not want to listen to other people’s pieces of advice and accept that he is wrong. However, over time, his opinion changes, and he accepts his mistakes to provide better parental care for his daughter.

The concept of social learning can also be used to describe Lucy’s behavior. As she goes to school, she sees that other children read books to acquire new knowledge. Therefore, Sam and Lucy read schoolbooks to learn new information. Reading facilitates the girl’s personal development, and she becomes more intellectually advanced than her father. Moreover, while attending school, Lucy learns how to properly behave in society.

Lucy’s emotions are also affected when her friends tease and laugh at her father for being mentally challenged, which makes her very embarrassed. According to the materials from class, emotions can change the behavior of people and influence the way they think. It is obvious that Lucy’s emotions change automatically when her father is mocked. She does not like that her friends offend her father; therefore, she is angry and has a very negative attitude towards them. As a rule, women are more likely to express such emotions as anger, hatred, or unhappiness.

The last concept from social psychology is the hedonic treadmill, which means that a person remains at the same level of happiness regardless of what happens to him/her. Although Sam’s daughter is placed in a foster home, the man remains happy and positive. He believes that he will overcome any difficulties and get custody of his daughter again. Sam lacks intellectual maturity, but he feels unconditional love for Lucy.

Various factors determine the happiness of Lucy. The girl loves her father and does not want to live with her foster parents. Although Sam’s has a mental disability, his love makes Lucy happy. When she is separated from Sam, she does not abandon hope and decides to return to her father. New difficulties do not make Lucy weak or less happy. She is ready to struggle to be together with her father and continue living a happy life.

Conclusion

I Am Sam is a movie about the power of parental love. It shows a mentally challenged man who tries to provide good parental care for his daughter to make her happy. The main character faces numerous challenges but remains strong and courageous. Sam is ready to act to return Lucy and become a good parent. The man’s true friends help him to change his behavior and improve his parental skills. Sam may not be able to help Lucy with her homework, but he can teach her to love and always remain a good person. No matter how hard others try to separate them, their love for each other will help them stay together. All parents should watch this movie because it teaches them that it is necessary to never abandon hope and do one’s best to raise children to be decent people.

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