I Am Sam

I Am Sam (2001) — watch online on iFILM. Directed by Jessie Nelson, this American-German drama stars Sean Penn as Sam Dawson, a man with an intellectual disability who has raised his daughter Lucy entirely on his own. Penn earned an Academy Award nomination for the performance.

Lucy, named after a Beatles song her father can recite from memory, is seven years old and already catching up to Sam in ways the child welfare system can't overlook. When authorities move to take her away, Sam needs a lawyer. Rita, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, is expensive and overcommitted — she takes the case for free, and the arrangement quietly reshapes her understanding of what matters. Dakota Fanning plays Lucy.

The supporting cast includes Diane Wiest, Mary Steenburgen, and Laura Dern. The film's soundtrack is built from Beatles covers recorded by Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, and others — an unusual choice that threads through every scene. Stream I Am Sam online on iFILM.