I Am David (film)

I Am David
I Am David
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Paul Feig
Screenplay by	Paul Feig
Based on	I Am David; by Anne Holm
Produced by	Davina Belling; Lauren Levine; Clive Parsons
Starring	Ben Tibber; Jim Caviezel; Joan Plowright
Cinematography	Roman Osin
Edited by	Steven Weisberg
Music by	Stewart Copeland
Production; companies	Walden Media; Film and General
Distributed by	Lions Gate Films (North America); Summit Entertainment (International)
Release dates	May 15, 2003 (Cannes Film Festival); December 3, 2004 (Limited);
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$7 million
Box office	$292,376

I Am David is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Paul Feig in his directorial debut. It is based on the 1963 novel of the same name (originally published in the USA under the name North to Freedom) by Anne Holm. The film was produced by Walden Media and Lions Gate Entertainment.

Plot

Seven years after World War II, a 12-year-old boy named David escapes a gulag in Bulgaria where he has spent his entire life where his mother has been taken away from him. He sets out on a risky journey to Denmark, initially believing he is on an important mission to deliver a letter, but eventually discovering that the "mission" was to reunite him with his mother, of whom he has distinct memories. Along his journey, he faces danger, fear, loneliness, hunger, missions and encounters various people.

Johannes, his friend and mentor in the camp, who prepares him for escape, is killed by a guard, leaving David to face escape on his own. David is helped by a guard to escape, who gives him a compass and tells him he must go southwest to Greece, take a boat to Italy and finally go north to Denmark, a peaceful and neutral country. The guard also tells him to trust no one. Since David was locked in a camp all his life, he has repressed feelings and trusts no one anyway, and so feels lost and disoriented in the world.

Along his journey, though he is mistreated by some people, he is well-treated by others. Gradually he learns that some people can be trusted, and to open up and experience his own feelings. Finally, with the help of decent people whom he has learned to trust, David is reunited with his mother in Denmark.

Cast

Ben Tibber - David
Jim Caviezel - Johannes
Joan Plowright - Sophie
Hristo Shopov - The Man
Roberto Attias - Baker
Maria Bonnevie - David's mother
Francesco De Vito - Roberto
Viola Carinci - Maria
Silvia De Santis - Elsa
Alessandro Sperduti - Carlo

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 39% of 33 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "I Am David smothers its heartwarming story in narrative contrivances that ultimately render suspension of disbelief - or enjoyment - all but impossible."^[3] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[4] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "I couldn't believe a moment of it, and never identified with little David."^[5]

The film grossed $288,552 domestically in 226 theaters. In the rest of the world, the film grossed $3,824.^[6]

Awards

The film won several awards in 2003, including the Crystal Heart Award in the Heartland Film Festival, the Queens Festival's Best Feature Film prize, and Best Film and Most Promising Actor for Ben Tibber.^[7] Ben Tibber never acted in a feature film again.^[8]