Movie: "I am Sam"

LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW.

Last night we watched Sean Penn in "I am Sam." The movie was pretty good, but it was a grueling experience! I generally balk at pix that're over the standard 110 minutes. This one runs 134 minutes. They could probably brought it down, but it never seemed to drag, at least not for me. In the first five minutes I took the bait and fell in love with with Penn's character, "Sam" (big surprise?), a man with a 'developmental disability" (as we say nowadays). What that means for him is that he's got the mental age of a seven-year old with autistic tendencies--basically an ability to remember extensive lists of bus routes, a compulsion to arrange everything "just so," and an inflexibility about deviating from his routine, such as Wednesday being I-HOP night and Monday being video night with his collection of charming and quirky friends, each with his own mental disability.

At about minute seven, we hit the first dramatic element in the movie: He's suddenly a single father responsible for a newborn. (You're going to have to watch the movie--trust me, it's actually a believable turn of events!) Gawd, from there I'm on the edge of my seat and really worried the remaining 127 minutes. You know there's going to be problems. Diana Wiest shows up as the reclusive but kind neighbor (I love that woman, even if a lot of her roles and pix have been kina...well...dawgs--Little Man Tate was a shoulda-been-made-for-TV mess, and in Footloose she was a complete stereotypic pastor's wife. Okay, okay, her role in The Birdcage was fun). Anyway, where was I? Who cares!

So, face it, it's a nail biter. For the next 20 minutes his daughter grows up. At 2 years 10 months she's Elle Fanning and by the time she's seven she's turned into Dakota Fanning! (That kind of reassured me. She did a terrific job.) Then, after he gets arrested for soliciting a hooker (which, of course, he had no idea was happening), the gears of the social service agencies start grinding him and his daughter up. Michelle Pfiffer appears with a lot of screen time as a really f--ked up attorney who helps him. There's a sad and sweet court scene in which Sam must testify to keep custody of his daughter and he gives this very eloquent speech that turns out to be from Kramer vs. Kramer, a movie his buddies and he have watched multiple times in order to figure out how to help him with his case.

I'm glad I watched it all the way through. It had a happy ending. I'm just glad that I don't ever have to watch it again. I don't think I could go through the emotional ups and downs.