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Sean Penn plays the mentally challenged Sam, who becomes a father by accident when the mother of his child promptly departs the hospital after giving birth. (If I had to have a kid with Jeff Spicoli, I probably would, too.) But with the help of a kindly neighbor (Dianne Wiest) he manages to raise cute little Lucy (charming Dakota Fanning), until Social Services comes along to take her away and place her with a more "normal" foster mother (Laura Dern.) Since Sam can't even eat at a Kip's Big Boy without having a nervous breakdown over pancakes, he doesn't take the potential loss of Lucy very well. But through a series of typical Hollywood lucky breaks and contrivances, he manages to interest high- powered attorney Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer) in his plight, and a dramatic court battle ensues. Kramer Vs. Kramer, meet Forrest Gump.

Penn earned an Oscar nomination and much critical acclaim for his tense, insightful performance, and his scenes with the often amazing Fanning are poignant and wring true. Unfortunately, however little else in I Am Sam works. Pfeiffer's ticks are distracting and feel forced, and the strong supporting cast isn't given much to do except fit into the cookie-cutter twists and turns of the pat script. Director Jessie Nelson and her director of photography Elliot Davis attempt to up the emotion with a garish and obvious faux- documentary style, but it detracts from the drama more than it enhances it. (While do filmmakers these days always think that shaky handheld camera moves equal "energy?") Co-screenwriters Nelson and Kristine Johnson also fail to convince us that Sam really is capable to take care of Lucy, so a film that should have had no easy heroes or villains isn't able to make the frustrating climax work. I Am Sam rates as a disappointment, although it may be worth seeing if only for Penn's performance.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Here comes another stellar New Line transfer. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, this image is just about without fault and any distractions are due to the stylistic choices of the filmmakers. Nelson and Davis went too far with the heavy use of blue filters for my taste, but aside from any aesthetic complaints, it often gives the film an artificial, pumped up look. But the transfer is pitch perfect, with excellent blacks and d rock solid colors that never bleed or smear. Fleshtones are probably as accurate and natural as can be considering the use of filters, and contrast terrific. Detail is strong, with only shadow delineation sometimes a bit murky and undefined, again due to the high-key lighting. The print is also pristine, with nary a compression artifact nor any edge enhancement to distract. This is about as good as it gets, especially with material as difficult as this.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

Presented in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround, this is an excellent soundtrack. Most typical Hollywood dramas tend to have lackluster audio presentations, but not I Am Sam. While it is often subtle, this is a surprisingly enveloping mix. Production values are topnotch, with wide and pleasing dynamic range and excellent fidelity. Dialogue is crystal clear and perfectly balanced with the music and effects. The score and mix of Beatles covers are nicely spread out across the front soundstage with some nice bleed into the rears as well. Effects, especially ambient sounds, are nice and subtle in the surrounds with some discrete effects as well. Low end is also supple and strong but not overpowering.

Differences between the DTS and Dolby surround tracks are relatively minor. Like some other New Line titles, the DTS track sounds much louder, but once levels were match between the two tracks the mixes evened out. Imaging is a bit more transparent on the DTS track, as is the low end, but the rest of the mixes sounds comparable. Highs also sound a bit smoother, but nothing significant. Both mixes are very good and both are strong examples of how to do an adult drama right.

Also included is an English 2.0 Dolby surround track, and English Closed Captions and subtitles.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

The latest in the long line of New Line's excellent Platinum Series DVD releases, I Am Sam is up to the challenge. First up is the screen-specific audio commentary with director Jessie Nelson. If you're a fan of the film's style you'll probably like Nelson, who is almost obsessive in her eye for detail. She offers considerable insight into her directorial choices, the casting, working with the actors and the score. But while it's certainly a very well-edited commentary that's insightful and full of detail, alas I found Nelson to be a little too pretentious. Her voice can be dry and often pauses for breaks of silence, and there is little humor here. Everything and every performance is great and wonderful, yet for some reason Nelson' commentary, like her film, feels more rehearsed than real.

Better is the new 42-minute documentary Becoming Sam, produced exclusively for this DVD. Producer Laura Davis has created as fine a documentary as you're likely to see on a DVD; it's classy, impeccably edited and full of production footage and interviews with Nelson, screenwriter Kristine Johnson, producer Ed Zwick, most of the main cast including Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer, and other crew and contributors. Unfortunately, as smart as the doc is, I'm afraid it is likely to become an instant camp classic at film schools everywhere. Self-indulgent and touchy-feely, again there is no humor or self-analysis here, with every performance and directorial choice beautiful and perfect. I also tend to bristle when big Hollywood actors pat themselves on the back for being so sensitive to the plight of the "handicapped," and the only notes that ring true are the all-too-brief interviews with the real-life handicapped actors Brad Allan Silverman and Joseph Rosenberg. Also a highlight is the contribution of such musicians as Rufus Wainright, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn, who also offer interviews. Otherwise, it's all a bit too sickly sweet.

Next up are a collection of 7 deleted scenes, all presented in anamorphic widescreen. They look great, and there are couple of segments, including "Sam and Rita Dance" and "Unexpected Moments," that are poignant. While I'm not sure any would have benefited the film had they not been removed, they are nicely presented here with or without commentary by Nelson.

Rounding out the extras are the film's original theatrical press kit, which includes some production notes and cast filmographies, along with the original theatrical trailer in anamorphic widescreen and 5.1 surround.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

Like most New Line titles, pop the disc in your drive and be greeted by a classy custom interface with the customary weblinks to the film's official website (which is also contained in full on the disc itself) and New Line's "Hot Spot" web portal. Exclusive to the DVD is the film's complete original screenplay, accessible via a script viewer allowing you to directly access corresponding scenes in the film. The viewer also allows for easy printing of selected chapters or the entire script.

Parting Thoughts