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Another plus for Pfeiffer was working with Penn. "I had always wanted to work with Sean. I knew he would be brilliant, and he is," says Pfeiffer. "Working with him was pure joy. It was like butter, it was just so easy. I got so spoiled. I had such a good time artistically being in a scene with him."
Also among the cast are Dakota Fanning as Sam's daughter, Lucy; Laura Dern as Lucy's temporary foster mother; Richard Schiff (The West Wing) as the District Attorney; and Dianne Wiest as Sam's neighbor, friend and helper.
The $25 million movie was a labor of love for the filmmakers and a long time in the making. Nelson and her cowriter, Kristine Johnson (as well as Penn and Pfeiffer), did extensive research that included meeting with parents at Los Angeles-based L.A. Goal, a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 to serve adults with developmental disabilities. Two L.A. Goal members, Brad Allen Silverman and Joseph Rosenberg, had roles as Sam's friends. Asked about the collaboration, which involved improvisational scenes, Pfeiffer is full of fond memories.