Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.
Acting
Dakota Fanning outacts everyone at age seven.
Score
Wall-to-wall Beatles covers that somehow work.
Writing
Dialogue that walks a tightrope of earnestness.
Director
Jessie Nelson
Sean Penn
Sam Dawson
Michelle Pfeiffer
Rita Harrison Williams
Dianne Wiest
Annie Cassell
Dakota Fanning
Lucy Diamond Dawson
Richard Schiff
Mr. Turner
Loretta Devine
Margaret Calgrove
Marin Hinkle
Patricia
Laura Dern
Randy Carpenter
Brad Silverman
Brad
Stanley DeSantis
Robert
Doug Hutchison
Ifty
Bobby Cooper
George
Mary Steenburgen
Dr. Blake
Eileen Ryan
Estelle Dawson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Starbucks scenes were shot in an actual store, and Penn reportedly trained as a barista. The 'Green Apron' is cinema history.
The film sparked major disability rights debates — some praised its heart, others slammed it for 'inspiration porn' and having a neurotypical actor in the lead. The conversation around it aged better than the casting.
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