Customer Reviews

Flicka

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

The original Flicka is so much better this one doesn't even compare. The parents in this movie are too young for the kids or the kids are too old for the parents. In the original movie the boy was a 12 year child not an out of control teenage girl. Very Hollywood.

Teenage Katie (Alison Lohman) grew up on her family's beautiful quarter horse ranch in Montana. She hasn't done well at boarding school and is in big trouble, especially after she brings home a wild mustang that she names "Flicka." Against her father (Tim McGraw)'s orders, she sneaks out at night and tries to tame the horse; when dad finds out, he sells the horse to a rodeo and Katie's heart is broken.

If you're a horse-crazy girl between the ages of 9 and 13, you will absolutely love this movie. Not only is the girl-horse bond strong, but so is the love between Katie and her father, mother, and brother. They are an ideal family and virtue overcomes all odds, as we know it must in a PG-rated movie. It's a simple and wholesome story with no offensive material, although if you're not a horse-loving adolescent, you may find it predictable and only mildly entertaining. Alison Lohman and Tim McGraw give sensitive performances as the headstrong daughter and doting dad, but Maria Bello is too young and glamorous to be convincing as the mother/wife. It's a good film for the target audience, and just in time for little girls to start begging for a horse for Christmas.

Whenever I hear of a new horse movie being produced, I feel two mixed emotions - hope and skepticism, at the same time. I love horses, and I love a good horse story, but so many equestrian movies are overly romanticized and juvenilized, probably in anticipation of an audience comprised mostly of horse-crazy, pre-teen girls. And unfortunately, that's exactly the audience this movie would appeal to, and probably the only audience it would appeal to. "Flicka" is loosely based on the classic young adult novel "My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara. Having read the book twice - once in my childhood and again last year when I heard of the upcoming movie - I was curious as to how the film would compare. The book tells the story of 9-year-old Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, who desperately wants a horse of his own. However, he is doing dismally in school and repeatedly makes mistakes around the ranch, and his father insists that he must begin demonstrating some personal responsibility. Finally he agrees that Ken can have a horse, in hopes that taking on the care of an animal will help him develop more maturity, but to his dismay, the boy sets his heart on an unmanageable filly he names Flicka, and an intense mental and emotional father-son struggle ensues.

The movie, however, is quite different. While the same basic theme of impulsive, horse-crazy child vs. traditional rancher father is preserved, huge changes have been made to the plotline. The most obvious of these is that the main character has been switched from a 9-year-old boy to a 16-year-old girl. The film begins with the family being notified that Katy (Alison Lohman) is being held back a year in school due to her failure to complete a final essay. In hopes of postponing the inevitable confrontation with her father (Tim McGraw), Katy goes for a trail ride and encounters a mountain lion. Conveniently, a lone mustang appears and runs the creature off. Katy, enraptured by this mysterious horse, rushes home and asks her father to bring the filly in. Having just gotten word of Katy's failure in school, he predictably says no. So Katy runs off and tries to capture the horse herself. Not surprisingly, she bungles the attempt, and her father ends up bringing the filly in after all, if only to keep her from joining and "ruining" his own herd of Quarter Horses. He orders Katy to stay away from the filly so, also rather predictably, she begins sneaking out to the corral at night, leading to a further cascade of events that build more and more tension between girl and father.

Ironically, the change in the main character's age is probably the biggest thing that keeps the story from being plausible. The writers simply did not adjust the dialogue or behavior to fit an older character. As a result, we see a 16-year-old girl acting like a child. Is dissolving into tearful screaming fits and declaring hatred for one's father each time something doesn't go the way you'd like a good way to convince one's parents that you're mature and capable and deserve to be rewarded? Not likely. Katy's father is not an ogre, and the film makes it very clear that he cares about his family, but Katy's explosions would be enough to turn any parent off. Behavior like this may be understandable in a 9-year-old (though even Ken in the book doesn't throw fits like his movie counterpart does), but a 16-year-old should know better. A 16-year-old raised on a ranch should also have some amount of common sense around horses, but Katy does not. She just hauls herself aboard the wild horse one night, not taking any time to condition the filly to the feel of a foreign body on her back and, predictably, is promptly deposited in the dirt. When Flicka finally does accept Katy as a rider, the girl decides it would be a great time to open the gate and go for a trail ride. And when Flicka, seeing her pathway to freedom opened, takes off at a gallop, what does Katy do to try to get her to stop? She begins screaming her head off.

Other changes, too, have been made to the story. In the movie, Flicka is a lone mustang that one day appears out of nowhere. In the book, Flicka is a part of McLaughlin's herd, only 1/4 mustang, the progeny of the ranch's Quarter Horse stallion Banner and the 1/2 mustang broodmare, Rocket. The original story is much more plausible, for it would be highly odd for a fully wild mustang to be found wandering alone. Horses are herd animals and for a wild horse to be separated from its herd is dangerous to its own survival. The other thing that really had me cringing was Flicka's incessant screaming and squealing after she is brought back to the ranch. Whereas domestic horses will whinny at each other in greeting and so forth, wild horses make very little noise, as doing so would alert predators. Anyone who has adopted a mustang can tell you that these horses are generally much quieter than their domestic counterparts. And as the movie progresses, the plotline deviates further and further from the original, until there are few parallels at all. In addition, just as Flicka's behavior in the film is unrealistic, so is that of the human characters. The dialogue is often juvenile and idealistic, and just not very believable.

Now, just to explain why I still gave the movie some stars, I'll refer back to my previous comment about it appealing to young, horse-crazy children, which is true. I probably would have loved this one when I was a kid. It is the kind of ambitious, take-on-the-world story that captures children's imaginations, and at that age they are unlikely to pick up on the unrealistic aspects. As far as loyalty to the book, I have been told that the older (1943) adaptation with Roddy McDowall as Ken is much better, but I have not seen it myself and so cannot give personal feedback. Finally, the DVD offers only a few special features. There is director commentary, a music video of Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl," outtakes, and three deleted scenes, only one of which (the extended bedtime conversation between Katy's parents) really lends anything to the story. Both widescreen and fullscreen viewing options are available. To conclude, I'd really only recommend this one to families with younger, horse-loving children. While it isn't the worst horse movie I've seen, I don't foresee it appealing to a very large adult audience. For older viewers seeking a good horse movie, "Seabiscuit" remains my favorite of those produced in recent years.

I have many movies this year. Most likely my total is over 100 films. Flicka ranks as one of the best that I have seen.

I didn't know what to expect walking into the theater. My wife likes Tim McGraw, but I don't care much for him. My daughter is horse crazy, and would love anything with horses in it. I expected a decent movie, but I didn't expect an amazing film.

Flicka is the story of a girl, Katy McLaughlin (played by Alison Lohman) who is struggling to carve her own way in life. She is failing at school, and like most teens, her relationship with her father (Tim McGraw) has its straining moments. During a summer ride, Katy stumbles upon a mountain lion, and a wild mustang horse which she later names Flicka. It is here that the story begins.

Flicka has all the elements of a great film. The acting was amazing. Tim McGraw and Alison Lohman were wonderful. I never expected Tim to be so good, but despite the fact that I dislike his singing, I loved his acting. But the best part of the film was the story.

Flicka is a real American film, and will have you laughing and crying. In the end, just like Katy's essay, you will be reminded that America is not about capitalism, stuffy politicians, expensive-suited businessmen, or any of the 9,000,000 other sterotypes. Katy McLaughlin (and Flicka) heart wrenchingly remind us that America is about freedom.

I walked out of the theater with tears, not just because of the story, but because of the story of America hidden within Flicka. And for this reason, it is a brilliant film.

Please, take yourself to see this film. Look at it as a story of America and freedom first and foremost, and within this story, a girl and a horse learn to ride. Flicka is an amazing piece of cinema.

Total Score (out of 100) = 100

50 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
10 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
10 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
10 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
10 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
10 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?

"Flicka" is a Y2K version of the children's classic "My Friend Flicka," which is part of a trilogy set on a ranch in Wyoming. The book's protagonist is male and somewhat younger than the "teenage" girl, Katy, here. Alison Lohman does a decent job, but she can't overcome the fact that she looks WAY older than a teen. I mean, some actors you can suspend disbelief and others you just can't. The other actors do a good job with the cliched material, but another problem is that Katy's brother looks only slightly younger than her father. This really should have been corrected because it dampens the drama between the son and dad, who have a major conflict going.

Anyway, like the kid in the book, Katy is quite the daydreamer because she would prefer to be riding on the range than going to boarding school. She seems to be on good terms with her classmates, but she winds up failing a final, and returns home to thunderclouds. Literally and figuratively. Then she spots a wild mare running free and falls in love. Will she tame the beast and prove to her dad that mustangs aren't trouble? Will she show everyone that girls can ride just as well as boys, and have the potential to take over the family ranch? Have you ever seen a horse movie before?

There are also lots of ballad style songs, sung by the dad, Tim McGraw, that seem to well up at the slightest provocation. The symbolism is always crystal clear, too, so you don't have to worry about missing anything. Good for a rainy day, but there are so many other horse movies out there. I'd recommend "The Black Stallion" instead. Or better yet, read the books. And please. Before you go climbing up on your neighbor's wild horse when no one's looking, wear a hard hat. Forget the romance of your hair flying out, and avoid a possible concussion. Thank you.

I can't really stand the movie, but my 7 year old girl LOVES it. And it came on time and was in good condition.

This movie was surprisingly good! I watched it mainly for Tim McGraw but found out that I really enjoyed the other actors, as well as the storyline. That surprised me because it involves a rebellious teenage girl and usually that in itself is enough to turn me off. However, this particular girl didn't irritate me quite as bad. Maybe Allison Lohman (Katy McLaughlin) is just that good. Or maybe I could relate to what she was going through, being a horse lover myself. :) I think Tim McGraw does a great job in this movie as well, playing a protective father (Rob McLaughlin). I like how he actually yells at his daughter, instead of letting her get her own way like 90% of movies these days. Maria Bello...eh....I didn't like her that much, but now that I've watched the movie a couple times, I can't really imagine anyone else playing the mother (Nell McLaughlin) Ryan Kwanton is quite easy on the eyes and I thought he played the part of older brother (Howard McLaughlin) very well. I actually really enjoyed the relationship he has with his sister - made me want an older brother. :D Overall, rather good film. I can't imagine many people over the age of..oh..14? liking this movie that much, save for the parents who may find it touching, but I'm 20 and I love it so there are obviously going to be some exceptions. :) Check it out for yourself! You may be pleasantly surprised, like me.

I saw this movie and thought it was great (that's why I gave it 5 stars), but when I saw the reviews for it, alot of people were saying that two horses died while making the movie. Can someone please explain this?

My 11 year old horse-crazy daughter disliked this movie, and so did I. It's not just that they swapped a headstrong teenage girl for the book's original young, quiet, sensitive boy. We both just thought the girl in the movie was a horrible, spoiled, annoying, selfish brat. We couldn't abide her and so no amount of pretty horses could make up for her one-dimensional character. The book is so lovely, so nuanced--it's a gem that wasn't even adequately portrayed by the 1940s "classic" version of the story. Strange that such a subtle story has not been adapted successfully for the screen, whereas the fun but mainly action-adventure "Black Stallion" story was turned into the beautiful, lyrical, timeless film of the same name.

There's just no reason to plod through this unnecessarily butchered remake of Mary O'Hara's book. They could have found an original script about horses, I think, instead of more "remake-itis" that Hollywood is stuck in right now. Rent the 1943 version and the 1945 sequel "Thunderhead."

They're old movies, but they can't be improved upon. The technicolor of the Big Outdoors is sumptuous, the horse stunts nearly impossible to tell they were staged as when Flicka's mother rears under the sign while she's being trucked out and brains herself. Or when baby Flicka escapes the barn by breaking through a glass window and jumping out and the heart rendering scene where she is caught in the barbed wire fence. Can't watch either of these movies without a BIG box of kleenex! Flawless horse training for movies as was the fight to the death of Thunderhead and the Albino in the sequel. PLus there was the music score by the great Alfred Newman whose son, Thomas Newman, did the superb score to Horse Whisperer.

If your horse-loving daughters really need to see a horse movie, get them training tapes by the gentle and effective trainers out there such as Pat Parelli, Chris Cox, Clinton Anderson, etc. At least they'll learn something. There's nothing in this bastardized version to like. And the only tear I shed was that 2 horses had to die for this turkey.