I didn't get the end.
hello,
Does the end show us that Sam is going to raise Lucy on his own? I didn't get it, not that I think it's an important element in the movie. Still, I'm curious.
any ideas?
Yes.
share
MovieChat Forums > I Am Sam (2002) Discussion > I didn't get the end.
Before the final scene, Sam tells Randy that he wants a mother for Lucy and that that mother would be her.
So the final (where Randy and Rita attends to the game) suggests that they both have the custody of Lucy. Sam for giving her the love she needs and Randy to raise her properly.
Viewers seem to disagree on what happens at the end of this movie. It seems to me, reading the comments and user reviews on imdb, that some viewers see Sam getting full custody at the end of the movie, and others see a compromise being reached, perhaps along the lines of the arrangement mentioned by Sam's lawyer.
Sam's remarks about the foster mother being a good mother, and Lucy needing a mother, meant to me that he was willing to give her custody. I thought the friendly "See you in court tomorrow" goodbye between Sam and the foster mother indicated they were both willing to compromise. I thought it was clear that they would agree to some kind of joint custody or an arrangement where the foster parents would have custody but Sam would have extensive visiting rights. To me it looks clear, but many imdb commenters see a different conclusion to this movie, so I guess it must be ambiguous.
In any case, even if the foster mother had decided to give Lucy back to Sam, it wouldn't have changed the govt's case to get Lucy away from Sam. The foster mother doesn't have any legal right to place Lucy back with her father.
"The foster mother doesn't have any legal right to place Lucy back with her father." True, but she could be the ace witness to testify of Lucy's love for her father, Lucy's benefit from having Sam as a father - what she's learned from him, etc., and Sam's dedication to his daughter.
I fully felt that Sam got custody of Lucy, and the fact that he had created such a strong support group, the neighbor, Rita, the foster mother, etc., helped him greatly.
Truly, I am not an expert on people with mental disabilities, but for heavens sake, look at all the children that are smarter than their parents - parents who are immigrants that can't speak English, operate a computer, understand legal matters, can't explain human sexual development in any language -- and their children know all of these things to a much better degree. Should the children be taken from them? Not an exact comparison, but I think it's a valid point. Support groups save a lot of children everyday.
[deleted]
Wow... they must use different English in Austrailia "eh Mate?"
YOU ARE A BUTT CHEESE!
The example is rather weak. Those parents are generally not of iq of 60 (or that of a 7 year old). they don't speak the language because they were not born in an english speaking country not were they schooled in it but they are not idiots.
shareIt is up for anyone to decide what they believed happened at the end. When I watched it I thought that Sam offered Randy to stay in Lucy's life. I never interpreted it as if he offered shared custody, rather just that Lucy could spend time with her, come over to her house etc.
share[deleted]
Nope, I don't think so. Sam realized that Lucy needs a proper mother and he found that in Randy. Sam never said anything bad about Randy, in fact he kinda admired her. When he said that to Randy towards the end I think it's clear that all he needs was actually having a free visit time. Also for Lucy to visit him. So yeah, joint custody might be what the filmmaker decided to use as the ending.
shareIt is much more probable he was given full custody. He only indicated she would be welcome to be a part in her life as a mother figure but that's probably about it.
If it were joint custody what happens if she passed away? Then it will be her husband and Sam as joint custodians.
Further there is little point in joint custody other than if both wanted to fight for their right. Obviously she saw that Sam was her rightful family and gave up her claim. Sam just offered her to feel free to visit her and guide her as a mother would.