David Parent Guide

A country boy at heart, David (voiced by Brandon Engman and Phil Wickham) is happiest in the hills surrounding Bethlehem, shepherding his father’s flocks and fighting off predators. This idyllic childhood comes to an abrupt end when the prophet Samuel declares that David will be Israel’s next king and promptly anoints him as God’s chosen ruler. There are only two problems: first, David isn’t crazy about giving up his life as a shepherd, and second, Israel already has a king.

After a glorious start to his reign, King Saul (Adam Michael Gold) has descended into chronic melancholy and paranoia. And with the Philistines mounting a massive invasion, led by their terrifying champion, Goliath (Kamran Nikhad), it seems Saul’s darkest fears may be realized. Then David steps into the fray and offers to fight the giant himself…

After that well-known confrontation, the rest of the film focuses on David’s on-again/off-again relationship with Saul, his friendship with the king’s son, Jonathan (Mark Jacobson), and the power he receives from his faith in God. “I’d rather take my chances following the light than choose to live in the dark,” he says at a particularly perilous moment, an attitude which sums up his character arc and the overall message of the film.

If you’re expecting this production to be a faithful retelling of the Biblical narrative, you will be disappointed. The story takes several liberties with the scriptural text and offers a David who feels like Donny-Osmond-with-eyebrows. He’s the animated version of a sensitive 21^st century teen, kindly freeing a trapped lion after it attacks his sheep, and routinely belting out treacly Christian pop songs.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for an entertaining spectacle that will expose kids to some Old Testament stories and maybe, just maybe, get them interested in reading the real thing, David could be what you’re looking for. It’s one of the best family-friendly Bible films I’ve seen, with some stunning animation, beautiful backgrounds, and impressive monumental scenes. For once, I actually recommend seeing it on a big screen to fully appreciate the visual design. (I watched an online version sent to me by the studio and I know I missed out on the full scope of the film.)

Regular readers of this site will know that I have an ambivalent relationship with Biblically inspired films, given my preference for reading the source material over watching someone else’s adaptation. That said, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. It’s fun and (aside from the song and dance scenes) reasonably well-paced. The film’s negative content consists almost entirely of highly sanitized war-related violence, so this show will be well tolerated by most kids. Yes, Goliath is terrifying, and yes, the Amalekites are very, very scary, but any kid who can sit through a Disney movie can make it through David without screaming. And since the movie ends at the beginning of David’s rule, it avoids the messy, sexy Bathsheba storyline, thereby keeping it clean.

Parents and church youth leaders can hope their youngsters will absorb the script’s messages about faith, devotion, courage, loyalty, and family. If we’re lucky, maybe they’ll look beyond the battles to David’s personal growth and realize the truth of his father’s counsel, “The true battle is not against flesh and blood but in our hearts.”

About author

Kirsten Hawkes

Kirsten Hawkes has a BA in Political Science and English and has worked in international development and medical education and marketing. Kirsten enjoys reading, watching movies, and debating politics with her husband and sometimes unwilling children.