I Watched 'I am Sam' for Christmas

I thought I should do something for Christmas. My families and friends were far away. Even the neighbor guy I hung out with was gone visiting his aunt. But I still thought I should do something. I watched a movie. I watched I am Sam.

She told me about it. She told me about someone telling someone else how he (or she) was “the color red of her life.” I wanted to watch it to know what it meant. A love movie could be nice – I supposed – each and every time I could learn something new and insightful. The movie I am Sam was insightful indeed! However, though it was full of love, humors, and excitements, it was not, by any means, what I was expecting.

I am spoiling it: the movie is about a retarded father trying to get back his daughter, and he does it splendidly. There were many things going on in my head as I was watching it, thoughts about relationships between parents and children, about the beautiful diversity of companionships, about different values in Life and how one chooses which to pursuit. I am Sam is a surprisingly meaningful movie and I can make this post a long and boring discussion about the richness of it. Or, I can talk about retarded people.

To say it simple, retarded people have problems with mental development and their intellectual level can only reach that of a young child. They are everywhere, and to tell the truth, I never feel too comfortable being around them. They tend to disturb people around at an ultra-high level, and in the worst case I have experienced, they treated my friend Renae badly while she was trying to help them. I have wondered at times why people try so hard to help them while they aren’t really that treasurable. I can live with inherent unproductiveness, but I cannot easily forgive ignorant cruelty.

The movie gives me a different experience. The miserable beings in there present us with series of touching moments. How Sam raised his daughter Lucy to become a strong and smart girl, how Sam’s handicapped friends helped him to buy Lucy her new shoes, and how he had the famous lawyer Rita Harrison to help with bringing Lucy back are most incredible among others, and watching them would easily bring one into tears. The disabled were able to perform the miracles.   

Only by following through the whole story of one retarded father may I see the unimaginable. Sam and his handicapped friends show me their genuine love for other people, their extraordinary efforts to carry on responsibilities, and their utmost appreciations toward any tiny goodness of life. 

As awesome as Sam is, we can’t deny the fact that he and his friends keep acting weird and screwing things up. Someone who only glimpses at I am Sam for 10 seconds can really say, “Oh my, these guys are nothing but nuts!” But then again, is this “clumsiness” really such a bad thing? We all know someone who tries too hard and messes things up – we do too! Maybe that’s why retarded people mess up all the time: they always try their absolute best to make things work, consistently, persistently. To learn to love them patiently and courageously helps us to love better our children, our elderly loved ones, and ourselves.

To tell, retarded people are quite lovable – to the point that they may as well be listed among God’s favorites. They never twist any comprehensible truth. They try to do the right things and to enjoy their lives – and they try real hard. Don’t they have some of the best virtues that God has ever created? Isn’t there always something in them that we can observe and wholeheartedly admire? Aren’t they simply some other people that are different? We are all different. And from now on, I will restrain myself from using the word “retarded” inappropriately.     

So on one night I watched I am Sam. What a wonderful movie! It was a good time. It was a good cry. It was a good Christmas cry.