Josh and S.A.M.

Josh and Sam is actually a brilliant film. It is unfortunate that it has been panned by so many who fail to understand it and refuse to give the film a fair shake. History will redeem this movie; it is one of the best I have ever seen.

The soundtrack alone would make this movie worth seeing. Thomas Newman (Fried Green Tomatoes, Shawshank Redemption, Road to Perdition) is one of Hollywood's best musical talents, and he scores Josh and Sam beautifully in his trademark hypnotizing style.

Many people are too hard-hearted to appreciate films like Josh and Sam, but that is no reason to say that it is a 'bad' film. It is a tender film. But a good one. And it is internally consistent. Psychologically true. The real fault of Josh and Sam is that it had incredibly bad marketing. "Why run away from home when you can drive?" Whoever thought that tagline up should be shot. And the box cover for the VHS was just as ridiculous. In fact, based on the marketing, I am surprised that I ever watched Josh and Sam, but my brother had somehow seen it at random and after literally years of persuading he finally got the rest of us to watch it. We were blown away.

Josh and Sam is not a children's film, it is just an old style family friendly movie. A throwback to a time before our social entertainments had become commodified and delineated by target demographics. In that sense, as far as genre goes, it is the same type of presentation as J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels -- it has something to offer viewers of all ages.

I would happily pay $50 for a proper widescreen DVD of Josh and Sam. It's sad that the movie has never been released on DVD. But, considering how the film was sold, it's not entirely surprising. Josh and Sam is an emotionally complex film about brothers running away from home and getting in over their heads. More "A River Runs Through It" than "Spy Kids", this is a movie, first and foremost, about human relationships.

Among people who have actually seen it, Josh and SAM has a lot of fans. In fact, it is quite a minority who actually think it is a BAD film (check the votes). "Josh and SAM" isn't for everyone, but it is a very good movie.

When i was about 14 i saw Josh and sam for the first time, it was on showtime and i watched it because nothing else was on. Up until that day i had no idea of the open west. I was a city kid and of course the world revolved around my little neighborhood. But Josh and Sam took me away from that. show me there are places out there that aren't made of stone, and opened my mind to the beauty of the open road and what it really means to be free with no boundaries. Just out there in the cool night with no phones, no restrictions just your 1993 Pontiac candy apple red Grand Prix and home is toward the setting sun. This is a great adventure movie for kids and teens 15 and under especially for those with siblings and active imaginations. I highly recommend it.

but always will see it again. that movie might touch your heart if you have one. while watching i had to laugh. while watching i was even near the edge of some tears.

lovely and phantastic. i'd like to be 12 again. well we all can, if we do not forget about the most important of our lives: this is the time when we were children. so take whoever you love, like or find likable, sit close together on the couch and let yourself go like the kids in the movie: they are the real heroes!

Children and Parents need to see this,

Children need to see this as to know what NOT to do, what not to believe. And that their Actions can have severe consequences.

Parents need to see this to see just how devastating to their Children their actions as parents can be.

I remember watching "Josh and S. A. M" back in high school and loving it. I didn't realize then why I loved it so, but today I clearly know why. Josh (Jacob Tierney) had achieved what I could only hope to. I am an older brother and I was somewhat tyrannical and manipulative. That was when I was a kid and I'm nothing like that today, but I would have loved to come up with the mindbleep Josh did.

Josh was the black sheep of his family. His dad (Stephen Tobolowsky) wanted him to be tougher, his step-brothers picked on him, and his brother Sam (Noah Fleiss) didn't like him. In order for Josh to feel superior to his younger more athletic brother, Sam, he convinced him that he was a machine built for war. He told him that his name was an acronym for Strategically Altered Mutant and that he was supposed to fight in a war in Africa soon at the behest of the government. He had Sam so solidly hooked that he couldn't even convince him that he made the whole thing up. I only wish I could've been so clever.

Josh's lie grew wings and took flight. Sam wanted to escape to Canada to avoid being used for war and no one was going to stop him. Josh himself was on the run as well for what he believed he did to a man. This caused the two of them to go on an adventurous road trip where they picked up a girl named Alison (Martha Plimpton) who only helped cement Sam's beliefs. I laughed at the three of them all along their uproarious journey that served only to make the brothers closer.