final score ( average of various classical cinematic quality ) represent8 . 5 ( out of 10 ) i shouldn not have like this movie . not at all . there a part of me that think it just have to have be sappy and derivative and manipulative . yet and from it open sequence in which mentally retard sam be leave on the street corner to care for his newborn daughter on his own this thing grab me . the whole mentally retarded shtick have be do so to death in movie we sometimes forget what a good performance look like . sean penn play sam a a real person and not a caricature and very much disappearing into the role . surprisingly michelle pfeifer be almost equally good in her own . i be sam in many way become about pfeifer character and rita and her feeling of inadequacy a a parent . pfeifer and penn be clearly parallel of the same person . it like director and co writer jessie nelson be use sam like a metaphor he look and act how rita ( and many parent ) feel most time . the plot concern rita fight to help sam keep custody of his daughter because a the state see it foster care be good than a mentally retarded father . the act all around be top notch . richard schiff also appear to just do what he always do and a do laura dern ( a fantastic actress who just will not step into the spotlight continually take these near cameo small role at the peripheral of the story ) . little dakota fanning make a huge impression a intelligent and spunky lucy . she have some of the most memorable moment in the film . the beetle music be perfectly suit and but i be split on the visuals . on one hand it nice for nelson to do what she can to go the extra mile and jazz up the cinematography in a film that clearly doesn not need it . on the other hand the glossy camera work be sometimes distract pull you out of the film to try to figure out what your look at . she clearly want that documentary look and but this movie be about emotion and not celluloid . for good or bad and it look like traffic . this movie be and by no mean and a profound drama . it melodrama and which be not a bad thing at all just a matter of taste . but it be just make so incredibly well . it isn not the typical lifetime movie dreck . it be genuinely funny at time and tear jerking others . while it courtroom scene be fairly standard and there be also some pretty imaginative sequence in here . the best of which be the finale a low key and but adorable montage involve lucy it come up on u when we least suspect and be the perfect way to end a movie like this . the character be all wholly lovable and the moral be completely resonant and and while the pace occasionally drags and it pitch be just perfect ( it crowd please but never quite pander ) . the dialogue be intelligent and seem honest . most importantly it keep a cynical and jade moviegoer like myself entertain for it entire long length . a virtually flawless film for fan of the genus and non fan might give it a chance and be pleasantly surprise .