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Director Paul Feig's film I Am David is based on North to Freedom, an acclaimed novel by Anne Holm, set in the 1950s. The story follows David (Ben Tibber), a 12-year-old prisoner who has been separated from his parents and is growing up alone in a Bulgarian labor camp. He befriends another prisoner (portrayed by The Passion of The Christ's Jim Caviezel) who plays an important role in helping him escape the prison.

Time out! If there was a contest for Most Bizarre Casting Choice of 2004, it would very likely go to the casting of Hristo Shopov as the concentration camp commandant who carries out a harsh judgment on Caviezel's character. Shopov played Pontius Pilate in The Passion of The Christ, where he carried out an even harsher judgment on Caviezel's Jesus. The Passion's Saint Peter, Francesco de Vito, also shows up, playing an Italian sailor who has compassion for young David. Two other cast members, Matt Patresi and Paco Reconti, appear in both films. And Shaila Rubin, appearing here as the owner of a vineyard, served as the casting director for The Passion of The Christ. (Don't get your hopes up—Monica Belucci is nowhere to be seen.)

What's going on here? Is Feig capitalizing on The Passion's success? No. Feig assembled this cast before Mel Gibson made The Passion. Feig told Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films), "We made this film in 2002. We cast everyone out of Rome, same as Mel. And so when Mel came to Rome, he got one of the actresses from my film—Shaila Ruben—as his casting director. So he ended up getting a lot of the same actors we had worked with."

Okay—back to the story. After a tense prison break, David flees into Greece and eventually to Italy, carrying only a knife, a compass, and a mysterious sealed envelope, hoping to find a better future and some answers about the fate of his parents. Along the way he encounters troublesome police, a friendly baker, the daughter of a wealthy family, and a compassionate painter, and he learns a thing or two about trust.

Personally, I found I Am David handsomely filmed, and young Ben Tibber is an interesting talent. Caviezel makes an undeveloped character surprisingly memorable, and the wonderful Joan Plowright gives a warm and likeable performance in the movie's last chapters. Feig's central theme—that it's not a bad idea to trust other people—is an honorable one. But the film moves rapidly through short episodes that introduce us to a variety of forgettable characters, develop very little tension or intrigue, and culminate ultimately in an abrupt, sentimental finale. The film fails to fill in enough historical context for us to get our bearings. Overall, it's a good-looking piece of cinema that lacks one essential element—a compelling narrative.

"I Am David is okay family fare," says Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies), "and while some parents might wish the film had more emotional depth, they will probably appreciate the gentle humor and delicate restraint Feig brings to this story. Then they can introduce their children to the book."

Andrew Coffin (World) calls it "a solid, middle-of-the-road production that makes for worthwhile, if not indispensable, family viewing.

Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) echoes that opinion: "I Am David is admirable and worthwhile, if not quite totally satisfying. The film is 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. What keeps things fitfully interesting is the newness of the outside world in David's eyes, though some of his experiences, notably the rescue of a young girl trapped in a burning barn, are too obviously artificial."

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December (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48