I’m Sam

(Psychological Analysis)

Submitted To:
Dr. Vicar Solomon

Submitted By:
Usama Adeel
Roll No. 2 (1st Semester)

For the Partial Fulfillment of M.Phil. Degree

 I’m Sam
Pilot
I Am Sam begins with Sam Dawson (Sean Penn) at his job. He lives in
Santa Monica and works at Starbucks. We can see that he's mentally retarded. He
appears slightly autistic. Because of this, he's given only menial tasks to do.
Suddenly, his boss tells him that he has to go. We see Sam running through the
streets, catching buses and so on to end up at a hospital. A woman is in labor and it
turns out that he's the father, but she wants nothing to do with him afterward,
apparently, it was something like a one-night stand. She abandons him with the
baby.
Samuel Dawson, a Starbucks employee with an intellectual disability,
becomes the single father of Lucy Diamond Dawson, named after The Beatles
song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", following their abandonment by her
mother, a homeless woman with whom Sam had a sexual encounter.
Sam is well-adjusted and has a supportive group of friends with disabilities,
as well as a kind, agoraphobic neighbor, Annie, who takes care of Lucy when Sam
cannot. Nearly eight years later, Sam provides a loving place for precocious Lucy,
though she soon surpasses his mental capacity and ability.
Other children bully her for having an intellectually-disabled father, and she
becomes too embarrassed to accept that she is more advanced than he is. In danger
of losing child custody, Sam gets advice from his friends and also hires a lawyer,
Rita Harrison, whose absorption in her work and neglect of her son reveals her to
also struggle with her role as a parent. In an attempt to prove that she is not cold,
Rita agrees to take on Sam's case pro bono.
As they work to secure Sam's rights, Sam helps Rita see her own life anew.
This includes encouraging her to leave her philandering husband and repair her
fractious relationship with her son.
At the trial, due to pressure from the prosecutor, Sam breaks down after
becoming convinced he is not capable of raising Lucy. Afterward, she resides in a
foster home with Miranda “Randy” Carpenter but tries to convince Sam to help her
run away. Sam moves so he is nearby Lucy, so she continually leaves in the middle
of the night to go to his apartment, though he immediately returns her.
 However, the foster parents decide not to adopt her as they had planned and
return her to Sam. Randy assures him that she will tell the judge he is the best
parent for Lucy. In turn, Sam asks Randy if she will help him raise Lucy because
he feels she needs a mother figure.
The final scene depicts a soccer game, in which Sam referees and Lucy
participate as a player. In attendance are Lucy's former foster family, Sam's friend
group, and a newly single Rita with her son.
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.
 Intellectual Disability Disorder
Intellectual Disability disorder means brain hasn't developed properly or has
been injured in some way. The brain may also not function with in the normal
range of both intellectual and adaptive functioning. In the past n medical
professionals called this term as “mental retardation”.
There are four levels of Intellectual Disability Disorder;
1. Mild IDD 2. Moderate IDD
2. Severe IDD 4. Profound IDD
IDD involves both a low IQ and problems adjusting to everyday life. These
may also be learning, speech, social and physical disabilities.
Intellectual Disability is a neurodevelopmental disorder which disturbs a
person’s intellectual and adaptive functioning.
Adaptive functioning means adapt changes according to the environment. If
someone has such type of disorder, they are unable to adapt such type of changes.
It disturbs person’s intellectual functioning means interfering with general
mental abilities such as learning through cognition, thinking, experiences and
judgement etc.

Symptoms of Intellectual Disability Disorder

Symptoms of IDD will vary based on individual’s level if disability and may
include;
• Failure to meet intellectual milestones.
• Sitting, Crawling or Walking later than other children.
• Problems learning to talk or trouble in speaking clearly.
• Memory problems.
• Inability to understand the consequences of actions.
• IQ (Intelligence Quotient) below 70.
If a child has IDD, they may experience some behavioral issues like;
aggression, dependency, withdrawal from social activities, attention seeking
behavior, lack of impulse control, tendency toward self-injury, low self-esteem and
psychotic disorders.
Levels of Intellectual Disability Disorder
Intellectual Disability Disorder is divided into four levels based on child’s
IQ and degree of social adjustment.
Mild Intellectual Dyability Disorder
• Taking longer to learn to talk, but communicate well once they know
how to talk.
• Being fully independent in self-care when they get elder.
• Having problem with reading and writing.
• Social Immaturity.
• Benefiting from socialized education plans.
• Having an IQ range of 50 to 69.
Moderate Intellectual Disability Disorder
• Slow in understanding and use of language.
• Can learn basic reading, writing and counting skills.
• Generally, unable to live alone.
• Can take a part in various type of social activities.
• Having an IQ range of 35 to 49.
Severe Intellectual Disability Disorder
• Noticeable motor impairment.
• Severe damage/ abnormal development of their central nervous
system.
• Generally, having an IQ range of 20 to 34.
• They can be just trained; we can’t educate them.
Profound Intellectual Disability Disorder
• Inability to understand and comply with requests and instructions.
• Possible immobility.
• Very basic non-verbal communication.
• Inability to care for their own needs.
• They need constant help and supervision.
• Having an IQ range less than 20.
Causes of Intellectual Disability Disorder
• Trauma before birth; such as an infection or exposure to alcohol,
drugs or other toxins.
• Trauma during birth; such as oxygen deprivation or pre-mature
delivery.
• Inherited disorders; such as phenylketonuria (PKU).
• Chromosome abnormalities; such as down syndrome.
• Lead or Mercury poisoning.
• Brian Injury.

Diagnosis / Treatment
To be diagnosed with IDD, a child must have below average intellectual and
adaptive skills. Child’s doctor will perform a three-part evaluation that includes;
• Interview with Parents
• Observation of Child / Patient
• Standard Tests