Flicka
A young woman pins her hopes and dreams on a maverick horse in this drama based on the classic novel by Mary O'Hara. Katy (Alison Lohman) is the teenage daughter of a horse rancher (Tim McGraw) who is grooming his son to take over the family business, while Katy is sent to an exclusive private school where she feels like a misfit. One day, while out riding, Katy finds a wild horse, a beautiful black mustang, and she feels an emotional connection with the animal. While her father is convinced having a mustang around his herd will be bad for both his thoroughbred ponies and the wild horse, Katy is certain she can break the strong-willed steed and make him a champion, and she even gives the horse a name -- Flicka. As Katy struggles to tame the headstrong Flicka, she also tries to prove to her father that she knows horses as well as he does, and that she's every bit as capable of running the ranch as her brother. Also starring Maria Bello and Ryan Kwantan, Flicka was previously adapted for the screen as My Friend Flicka in 1943. more..
Director: Michael Mayer
Starring: Tim McGraw, Maria Bello, Alison Lohman, Ryan Kwanten, Danny Pino
The best parts of Flicka are its pinch-me optimism and its old-fashioned-movie flourishes.
The film paints a fairly realistic portrait of four people bound by blood but -- like all of us -- all too capable of underestimating each other.
As for our heroine (Lohman), her archetypal struggle with crusty Pa (uncrusty Tim McGraw) feels attitude-heavy and life-lesson-light.
Mayer knows how to tug at the heartstrings, and his admirably restrained cast keeps the family drama from becoming too sugary.
There are some nice moments and beautiful scenery, but the film is often slow and the dialogue is overwrought.
Best Family Film (Live Action)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2007)
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