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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 source; UK critics are listed first)
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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
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/09/04
Channel 4 Film
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
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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: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
03/06/05
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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N/R

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

One of those well-intentioned misfires that so frustrate both audiences and critics -- brimming with thematic potential, yet consistently unable to establish and maintain an effective tone.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
12/03/04
Wade Major
Wade Major
Boxoffice Magazine

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
12/03/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Falls prey to the defect of all poor road movies: In gluing together unbelievable but convenient episodes with sugary sentimentality, it loses most of its credibility.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
12/02/04
Robert K. Elder
Robert K. Elder
Chicago Tribune

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
N/R

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

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
08/30/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Leaves you with the lingering scent of truth.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/02/04
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News

At its best in the taut opening and in the third act, when the pieces finally come together. In between, the episodic story sags a bit.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
12/03/04
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

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

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

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.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
12/03/04
John Monaghan
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press

It's refreshing to watch a movie aimed at young people that's actually grounded in reality.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
12/03/04
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The words creak with calculated composition that never sufficiently capture the foreignness of the situations or individuality of people.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
12/31/03
Greg Muskewitz
Greg Muskewitz
eFilmCritic.com

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
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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