I Am David (film)

Last updated
I Am David
I Am David.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Paul Feig
Screenplay byPaul Feig
Based on I Am David
by Anne Holm
Produced byDavina Belling
Lauren Levine
Clive Parsons
StarringBen Tibber
Jim Caviezel
Joan Plowright
Cinematography Roman Osin
Edited by Steven Weisberg
Music by Stewart Copeland
Production
companies
Distributed by Lions Gate Films (North America)
Summit Entertainment (International) [1]
Release dates
  • May 15, 2003 (2003-05-15)(Cannes)
  • December 3, 2004 (2004-12-03)(United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million [2]
Box office$292,376

I Am David is a 2003 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.

Contents

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

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]

Related Research Articles

<i>I Am Sam</i> 2001 American drama film by Jessie Nelson

I Am Sam is a 2001 American drama film co-written and directed by Jessie Nelson. It stars Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine and Laura Dern.

<i>Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore</i> 1974 film directed by Martin Scorsese

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1974 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell. It stars Ellen Burstyn as a widow who travels with her preteen son across the Southwestern United States in search of a better life. Kris Kristofferson, Billy "Green" Bush, Diane Ladd, Valerie Curtin, Lelia Goldoni, Vic Tayback, Jodie Foster, Alfred Lutter, and Harvey Keitel appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Perfect Score</i> 2004 American film

The Perfect Score is a 2004 American teen comedy-heist film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Chris Evans, Erika Christensen, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, and Leonardo Nam.

<i>Intermission</i> (film) 2003 film by John Crowley

Intermission is a 2003 Irish black comedy crime film directed by John Crowley and written by Mark O'Rowe. The film, set in Dublin, Ireland, contains many interconnected storylines, and is shot in a documentary-like style, with some sections presented as excerpts from television programs that exist within the show.

<i>Unleashed</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Louis Leterrier

Unleashed is a 2005 action film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Luc Besson. It was produced by Besson and Jet Li, the latter of whom also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, and Kerry Condon. The action scenes were choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping, with the film's setting and shooting location in Glasgow, Scotland. The film received generally positive reviews.

<i>Naked Gun 33 <sup>1</sup>/<sub>3</sub>: The Final Insult</i> 1994 film directed by Peter Segal

Naked Gun 33+13: The Final Insult is a 1994 American crime comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by Pat Proft, David Zucker and Robert LoCash. The film is the third and final installment in The Naked Gun film series, which was based on the television series Police Squad!. The Final Insult is the only film in the series that is not directed by David Zucker, with him serving as producer and co-writer instead. Police Squad! co-creators Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker returned as executive producers.

<i>Doc Hollywood</i> 1991 American romantic comedy film

Doc Hollywood is a 1991 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Daniel Pyne along with Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on Neil B. Shulman's book What? Dead...Again? The film stars Michael J. Fox, Julie Warner, Barnard Hughes, Woody Harrelson, David Ogden Stiers, Frances Sternhagen, and Bridget Fonda.

<i>I Am David</i> Book by Anne Holm

I am David is a 1963 novel by Anne Holm. It tells the story of a young boy who, with the help of a prison guard, escapes from a concentration camp in an unnamed Eastern European country and journeys to Denmark. Along the way, he meets many people who teach him about life outside the concentration camp.

<i>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa</i> American computer-animated comedy film in 2008

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a 2008 American animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to Madagascar (2005) and the second installment in the franchise. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Etan Cohen, Darnell, and McGrath. The film features Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Elisa Gabrielli, McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, and Conrad Vernon reprising their voice acting roles from the first film, joined by new cast members Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, and will.i.am, as well as voice acting veteran John DiMaggio. In the film, the main characters, a party of animals from the Central Park Zoo whose adventures have taken them to Madagascar find themselves in the African savannas, where they meet others of their species and where Alex the lion reunites with his parents.

<i>Bean</i> (film) 1997 British comedy film

Bean is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Mel Smith and written by Richard Curtis and Robin Driscoll. Based on the British sitcom series Mr. Bean created by Rowan Atkinson and Curtis, the film stars Atkinson in the title role, with Peter MacNicol, Pamela Reed, Harris Yulin, Sandra Oh and Burt Reynolds in supporting roles. In the film, Bean works as a security guard at the National Gallery in London before being sent to the United States to talk about the unveiling of James Abbott McNeill Whistler's 1871 painting Whistler's Mother.

<i>Tuck Everlasting</i> (2002 film) Film by Jay Russell

Tuck Everlasting is a 2002 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Jay Russell and written by Jeffrey Lieber and James V. Hart, based on Natalie Babbitt's 1975 book of the same name. Narrated by Elisabeth Shue, the film stars Alexis Bledel, Ben Kingsley, Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Victor Garber, Jonathan Jackson, Scott Bairstow, and William Hurt. The film was released in the United States on October 11, 2002.

<i>Freaky Friday</i> (1976 film) 1976 film by Gary Nelson

Freaky Friday is a 1976 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Gary Nelson, with the screenplay written by Mary Rodgers based on her 1972 novel of the same name. The film stars Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster in the lead roles. John Astin, Patsy Kelly and Dick Van Patten are featured in supporting roles. In the film, a mother and her daughter switch their bodies, and they get a taste of each other's lives. The cause of the switch is left unexplained in this film, but occurs on Friday the 13th, when Ellen and Annabel, in different places, say about each other at the same time, "I wish I could switch places with her for just one day." Rodgers added a water skiing subplot to her screenplay.

<i>Captain Corellis Mandolin</i> (film) 2001 film by John Madden

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a 2001 war film directed by John Madden. It is based on the 1994 novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. The film pays homage to the thousands of Italian soldiers executed at the Massacre of the Acqui Division by German forces in Cephalonia in September 1943, and to the people of Cephalonia who were killed in the post-war earthquake. The novel's protagonists are portrayed by actors Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz.

<i>Bronson</i> (film) 2008 film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Bronson is a 2008 British biographical prison drama film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, based on a script written by Refn and Brock Norman Brock. The film stars Tom Hardy as Michael Peterson, known from 1987 as Charles Bronson. The film follows the life of this prisoner, considered Britain's most violent criminal, who has been responsible for a dozen or so cases of hostage taking while incarcerated. He was given the name Charles Bronson by his fight promoter, for his bare-knuckle fighting years.

<i>The Debt</i> (2010 film) 2010 film

The Debt is a 2010 remake of the 2007 Israeli thriller film Ha-Hov, directed by John Madden from a screenplay by Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Peter Straughan. It stars Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Marton Csokas and Jesper Christensen.

<i>The Mechanic</i> (2011 film) 2011 American action thriller film directed by Simon West

The Mechanic is a 2011 American action thriller film directed by Simon West, starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland, James Logan, Mini Andén, Jeff Chase, and Christa Campbell. Written by Lewis John Carlino and Richard Wenk, it is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name. Statham stars as Arthur Bishop, a professional assassin who specializes in making his hits look like accidents, suicides and petty criminals' acts.

<i>Liberal Arts</i> (film) 2012 American film

Liberal Arts is a 2012 American comedy-drama film, written and directed by Josh Radnor. It tells the story of 35-year-old Jesse (Radnor) who has a romantic relationship with Zibby, a 19-year-old college student. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in January 2012.

<i>Tosca</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Benoît Jacquot

Tosca is a 2001 musical drama film written and directed by Benoît Jacquot, closely based on the 1900 opera Tosca with music by Giacomo Puccini and an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based in turn on the 1887 play by Victorien Sardou. The film stars soprano Angela Gheorghiu, tenor Roberto Alagna, and baritone Ruggero Raimondi, who mime their parts, sung in Italian. The soundtrack was pre-recorded in 2000 with the Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus conducted by Antonio Pappano.

<i>The Little Hours</i> 2017 American film

The Little Hours is a 2017 American medieval black comedy film written and directed by Jeff Baena. The film is loosely based on the first and second stories of day three of ten of The Decameron, a collection of novellas by Giovanni Boccaccio, a 14th-century Italian writer. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, and Molly Shannon.

<i>Redeeming Love</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film by D. J. Caruso

Redeeming Love is a 2022 American Christian Western romance film directed by D.J. Caruso, who co-wrote the screenplay with Francine Rivers. The film is based on Rivers' 1991 novel of the same name, which was based on the Biblical story of Hosea, and is set in the American Old West during the California Gold Rush. It stars Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis and Logan Marshall-Green.

References

  1. "I Am David (2004)". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  2. Bowe, John (September 28, 2008). "The Trouble With Paul Feig". The New York Times.
  3. "I Am David". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  4. "I Am David". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  5. Ebert, Roger (December 3, 2004). "I Am David Review". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  6. "I Am David (2004)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  7. "I Am David (2003) - Awards". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  8. "Ben Tibber". IMDb.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.