An adaptation of the classic novel North to Freedom by Anne Holm, the film probably would have benefited from keeping that title but nobody knew at the time this film was made that James Caviezel would soon become our lord and savior. No one could know back then that putting his unshaven face on the poster would cause the instant mental association with Mel Gibson's religious opus, an unfair and cruel trick of fate if there ever was one.  Paul Feig (Freaks & Geeks) writes and directs one of those rare gems of a film that only comes along once in a great while; a film that can be viewed by anyone of any age and have everyone come away with the feeling that this film was just for them.  It's the kind of film that people like Mel Gibson could only dream of making and probably never will.

Ben Tibber, one of the finalists for the title role in the Harry Potter franchise, plays David, a boy who manages to escape a Communist work camp in Bulgaria with a sealed letter, a compass and instructions to take the letter to Denmark.  David's journey takes him through early '50s Europe, exposing the boy to a world that appears normal to everyone but for him is filled with adventure.  David's natural distrust of those around him is fueled by a distrust of him as a stranger in a strange land.  David's journey reads on paper like some juvenile boy's adventure novel; he stows away on a freighter, wanders Europe, is taken in by a family for a time and has some lasting effect on the life of every person he meets.  Ben Tibber's natural talent as an actor makes this journey so much more than what it seems on paper, giving the character of David a humanity that most "child" actors just don't have the experience to draw from or the raw talent to create.

© Lions Gate; Photo: Paul Chedlow Ben Tibber in I Am David

Feig uses flashbacks to tell the story of  David's friendship with fellow prisoner Johannes (Caviezel) and his subsequent escape, weaving these incidents into the present in such a way that they help move the story forward.  When the 12 year old meets a woman named Sophie (Joan Plowright), the film really shines.  David learns to trust and open up with Sophie and it is at that point that secrets are revealed and David's true mission becomes known to the audience and to David himself.

While it would have been easy to turn this film into a shameless Spielberg-ian attempt to manipulate an audience's emotions, crying, laughing and applauding on cue, Paul Feig lets the material speak for itself.  When you think you're in for one of those overly sweet, heartwarming moments that you expect because you've seen it so many times before, Feig gives you the emotional equivalent of unsweetened chocolate – a familiar taste that has more bite than you expect.

I Am David isn't a perfect film but Paul Feig manages to work wonders with the material and gets the best out of his cast.  Ben Tibber has the unenviable task of having to carry a film at the age of 12 and he pulls it off magnificently.  Tibber is in every scene of this film and without him, the whole thing falls apart.  Joan Plowright deserves an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work; without her, the film is just a road movie with no moral center.  James Caviezel proves once again that there is such a thing as screen presence and that he's got more of it than most actors in the business today.  Combined, this is one of the strongest casts assembled for a film in recent years, made stronger because the work of each actor complements the work of the rest of the cast.

© Lions Gate; Photo: Paul Chedlow Ben Tibber & Joan Plowright in I Am David

The most unfortunate thing about this film is that Lions Gate is pretty much dumping it into theaters.  It won't be playing in New York or Los Angeles in time to be eligible for this year's Oscars, which is a shame when you have an Oscar-worthy performance by Plowright and a nomination-worthy performance by Tibber.  If there is any silver lining to this it will have to come with the knowledge that most Academy Award-winning films have gone on to be nothing but trivia question answers while most of the truly great, memorable films were overlooked by the Academy.  I Am David certainly deserves its place in the former group and is certain to become a classic on home video.  Qualification for an award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences aside, I was fortunate enough to see this film in 2003, where it won the Audience Award at FilmFest Kansas City.  The film has also gone on to win awards at the Austin Film Festival, the Midwest Film Festival and many other festivals, deserving every single one of them.