I watched this movie last night on the Inspiration Channel (and likewise saw lots of commercials for hip replacement surgery, old people scooters, home health, knitting tools, buttons to hit when you fall, etc.) and anyway, while this was a made for TV film, it was decent. I've not read the book, but this film did a bit to invert some of the predictable cliches. For one, it is set after WW2 so it's not a concentration camp he escapes from. (I've often wondered why movies seem to think all ENDED with the end of the war--when in fact, many were still held in labor camps years afterward.)
Basically, David travels around and meets a variety of interesting characters, notably the painter--Sophie, played by Joan Plowright. Also, the boy is a good actor--he's not so cute and nor is he a wise ass, but a believable kid. He stumbles across people along the way, dips into their lives and then moves on. While this isn't a greatly deep film, it is one of the better "plot driven" ones I've seen, notably because the characters he meets are memorable.
The film could have benefited from a bit more deep moments or some rumination and observation, but it was well done for what it was and far better than cliched shit like Schindler's List.
