Analyzing an Interview
Movie: I Am Sam (directed by Jessie Nelson)
The individuals involved in the interview are a man diagnosed with Autism (subject S) and a female lawyer (subject R). They are connected through a professional-helping relationship. The incidents leading up to the interview are with regards to a custody battle concerning subject S and his seven year old daughter. His doctors have declared that the intellectual capacity of subject S does not exceed the age of seven. The issue arises when Child Protective Services deem subject S unfit and incapable of raising his daughter due to the fact that he is unable to hold down a steady job and that his daughter will eventually surpass his brain capacity in age. Subject S makes the conscious decision of hiring a lawyer to plead his case. The lawyer in question, or subject R, chooses to provide services to subject S free of charge.
During the custody battle, subject S is granted the opportunity to have short, supervised visits with his daughter. Shortly before the occurring of the interview, subject S and his daughter meet, followed by his daughter proposing to go to the park. She lies and tells him that the social worker gave her permission to go with him due to the fact that she did not spend enough time with him and she was crying. Once on their way, she explains to her father that the only possible way for them to be together was to run away. Subject S, makes the concrete decision to find his way to the police station and return his daughter to the social worker. This scene is followed by a court hearing where they call upon subject S’s neighbor as a witness. Earlier on at the start of the movie we see that this neighbor aids subject S in taking proper care of his daughter.
Subject S has been promoted in his job from cleaning the restaurant to making the drinks. On the first day of his new position, the restaurant is very busy and subject S begins