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Movies / On DVD / I Am David
I Am David

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I Am David (2004)

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Reviews Counted:34

Fresh:13

Rotten:21

Average Rating:5.2/10

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Dramas

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... 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]

Starring: Ben Tibber, Jim Caviezel, Joan Plowright

Starring: Ben Tibber, Jim Caviezel, Joan Plowright

Director: Paul Feig

Director: Paul Feig
Screenwriter: Paul Feig
Producer: Clive Parsons, Davina Belling
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Reviews for I Am David

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/09/04
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Short, simple and inoffensive, it's well suited to family viewing, albeit on the gogglebox one Sunday teatime rather than the big screen.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/09/04
Matthew Leyland
Matthew Leyland
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

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Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
11/19/08
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

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.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/25/06
Peter T. Chattaway
Peter T. Chattaway
Christianity Today

Get out the Game Boy instead.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 1 Comment
08/26/06
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Filmcritic.com
N/R

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Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
03/06/05
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Clearly, huge tankers of disbelief must be suspended in a sea of goodwill to get into the spirit of the film.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
12/08/04
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

It's like Tom Sawyer's Great Escape - a strange combination of stories that's interesting, but doesn't quite capture your emotions.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
12/05/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

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.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
12/04/04
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

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.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
12/04/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

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.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/03/04
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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Full Review Source: Journal News (Westchester, NY) | comment Comment
12/03/04
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Journal News (Westchester, NY)

How David escapes, alas, is less compelling than wondering how this drearily earnest movie escaped the Hallmark Channel.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
12/03/04
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

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.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
12/03/04
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle

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.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
12/03/04
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

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.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
12/03/04
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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