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I Am David (2004)
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Synopsis: An extraordinary family adventure, I AM DAVID follows a twelve year-old boy as he boldly escapes from an East European prison camp and makes an incredible personal journey to freedom. Fleeing with only a compass, half a loaf of bread and a sealed, secret letter he must carry across the... An extraordinary family adventure, I AM DAVID follows a twelve year-old boy as he boldly escapes from an East European prison camp and makes an incredible personal journey to freedom. Fleeing with only a compass, half a loaf of bread and a sealed, secret letter he must carry across the continent, David cannot foresee the dramatic odyssey that awaits him. From stowing away on a ship bound for Italy, to facing his fears of the dangerous outside world, to the unexpected revelation of his true identity, David discovers for the first time the real meaning of courage, trust, laughter and hope. Based on the internationally acclaimed young adult novel by Anne Holm, I AM DAVID celebrates the indomitable human spirit and captures the thrill of a child tasting the wonders and excitement of life for the first time. The film is written and directed by Paul Feig (the Emmy-nominated creator of television's "Freaks and Geeks"). The cast includes Oscar nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner Joan Plowright ("Enchanted April"), acclaimed American actor Jim Caviezel ("The Passion of the Christ") and newcomer Ben Tibber in the role of David. The producers are Clive Parsons, Davina Belling and Lauren Levine. When the story begins, freedom is just a dream to David (Ben Tibber), a young boy who has grown up a captive in a 1950s labor camp with almost no knowledge of the outside world or what happened to his family. Everything he knows about life has been taught to him by his fellow prisoner and mentor Johannes (Jim Caviezel). One night David is helped to make a brave break from the camp and is handed a mysterious letter he is told must reach Denmark, a place David has never heard of, let alone knows how to find. Relying on his wits and courage, David manages to evade the prison commandos, attempt a dangerous border crossing and hide away on a freighter headed for Italy, but his adventure is only just beginning. In Italy, David discovers something beyond his imagination: a country at peace. He has no idea how to get along in this brave new world-the only advice he's ever been given is to trust no one. He doesn't understand the most basic aspects of everyday life - doesn't know what money is, how to use silverware or even how to smile. It's as if he must learn how to live in the world from scratch, and each day brings both shocking new terrors and exhilarating new pleasures. When David is taken in by a kind aristocratic Italian family, he is so happy to at last have a home, he almost gives up on his quest to reach Denmark. But the journey must go on. Haunted by memories, David crosses into Switzerland, where he meets an artist recovering from her own tragedy, Sophie (Joan Plowright), the woman who will help him find the key to his identity and his destiny at last. -- © Lions Gate Films [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Ben Tibber, Jim Caviezel, Joan Plowright
DVD Info
Release:
May 4, 2005
DVD Features:
- Region (unknown)
- Keep Case
- Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital 2.0 - English
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Audio Commentary - Paul Feig - Director
- Featurette - DISCOVERING DAVID
Interactive Features:
- Scene Access
Reviews
Short, simple and inoffensive, it's well suited to family viewing, albeit on the gogglebox one Sunday teatime rather than the big screen.
While some parents might wish the film had more emotional depth, they will probably appreciate the gentle humor. Then they can introduce their children to the book.
Clearly, huge tankers of disbelief must be suspended in a sea of goodwill to get into the spirit of the film.
It's like Tom Sawyer's Great Escape - a strange combination of stories that's interesting, but doesn't quite capture your emotions.
It is not an especially brilliant film, nor does it execute its ideas with particular flair, and yet I cannot resist liking and being moved by it.
A nice enough picture, but it's also slow and meandering. Watching it is like seeing a decent Family Channel movie, except in this case you have to pay for it.
While probably not suitable for the wee ones, older kids and most adults will love this exciting and heartfelt adventure of one boy's survival during the darkest days of post-war Europe.
How David escapes, alas, is less compelling than wondering how this drearily earnest movie escaped the Hallmark Channel.
The film is marred by too many coincidences, but there are a couple of twists at the end that tug at the heartstrings and leave you with a warm feeling.
While the material itself has promise (it's an adaptation of Anne Holm's best-selling novel), this drama fumbles and stumbles its way to a resolution that's far too easy.
It's not lack of a strong story that keeps I Am David from taking off. Blame a straightforward approach that makes the movie feel too much like an after-school special.
It's refreshing to watch a movie aimed at young people that's actually grounded in reality.
Feig's neorealist approach to the look of the film might work better if he didn't fill it with so many coincidences and melodramatic flourishes.
I know, I know, I'm supposed to get sentimental about this heart-warming tale. But I couldn't believe a moment of it, and never identified with little David.
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