What I Watched -- I Am Sam

We picked up I Am Sam at the library.  I have wanted to see it for years, but just never got around to it.  S had seen it, and warned me about how sad it was.  I knew he was right, but I'm not really sure I was prepared, even after the warnings.

It's the story of a developmentally disabled father and his young daughter, separated by the juvenile court system.  The court makes an initial determines that Sam, played by Sean Penn, is incapable of adequately caring for his daughter, played by a young Dakota Fanning, due to his Autistic tendencies.  A high-powered lawyer, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, takes his case on a pro bono basis, out of shame if nothing else.

Since I spend some time in my professional work in juvenile court, I found it at once fascinating and horrifying to look at a case from the outside.  I supposed I am just too involved when I am in the middle of a case to look at it in a completely detached manner, which I was able to do while watching this film.

Bottom line: S was right -- it's worth seeing.