Based on Anne Holm's acclaimed young adult novel North to Freedom, I Am David chronicles the struggles of a 12-year-old boy who manages to flee a Communist concentration camp on his own -- through sheer will and determination. All he has in his possession is a loaf of bread, a letter to deliver to someone in Denmark and a compass to help get him there.
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.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
3 Dec 2004
rotten:
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.
– John Monaghan,
Detroit Free Press,
3 Dec 2004
rotten:
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.
– Robert Denerstein,
Denver Rocky Mountain News,
3 Dec 2004
rotten:
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.
– Eric Harrison,
Houston Chronicle,
3 Dec 2004
fresh:
Clearly, huge tankers of disbelief must be suspended in a sea of goodwill to get into the spirit of the film.