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Reviews
I Am David (2003)
Dreadful if you've read the book--OK if you haven't
It's hard to believe anyone would say this movie is faithful to the book (as some of the above comments have stated!).
My gifted fifth grade students and I read the book this year and then we watched the movie together. (I have used this book with classes ever since it was published in the 60's and it's one of my all time favorites.) I knew my kids would be shocked with the movie's deviation from the book and they were! Their biggest criticisms of the movie: too abrupt an ending (putting David on an airplane to Denmark--where did THAT come from???), no scenes with King, the dog, and an actor playing Maria who was the antithesis of Maria in the book. (They didn't like the David character too much either!) Well, we DID have a marvelous discussion after the movie ended.
The movie pales in comparison to Anne Holm's touching and emotion-packed novel. I really don't know how the movie could have been done to include all the thoughts and feelings David experiences as he makes his way out of the camp and North to Freedom (an earlier of the book's titles). I do know that this movie doesn't do it! Read the book if you want a truly great experience.