Based on Mary O'Hara's classic coming-of-age novel, MY FRIEND FLICKA, this 2006 drama follows Katy (Alison Lohman), a rebellious Wyoming teen, as she contends with her parents (country singer Tim McGraw and lauded actress Maria Bello) and struggles to tame the willful and wild horse of the title. When her frustrated father opts to sells the rambunctious Flicka (whose Swedish name roughly translates as "beautiful girl"), Katy must take drastic action for the sake of both herself and her equine companion.
Initially filmed in the 1940s under its original name, the story switches the lead character from a boy to a girl, allowing the always-compelling Lohman to add depth to her restless character. Previously known for the edgy drama A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD, director Michael Mayer skillfully corrals the story through beautiful Western scenery (familiar to fans of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) and breathtaking horse-riding sequences, but the real highlights of FLICKA are the performances of Lohman and Bello, who play off energetically against the stoic McGraw. With its old-fashioned, straightforward cinematic storytelling and topnotch cast, FLICKA breaks to the front of the family-film herd, and stands out as one of the finest horse-themed movies of the early 21st century.
Theatrical Release: October 20, 2006
DVD Features:
Region 1
NTSC
Keep Case
Dual Side
Full Frame - 1.33
Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Surround 5.1 - English
Dolby Surround -French, Spanish
Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Disc 1/Side A: FLICKA - Full Frame
Additional Release Material:
Trailers
Music Video: Tim McGraw "My Little Girl"
Disc 1/Side B: FLICKA - Widescreen
Additional Release Material:
Deleted Scenes
Featurette: Making of
Bonus Footage:
1. Bloopers
2. Gag Reel
Disc 2: Digital Copy
Distributor Notes: Sixteen year old Katie McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) is a headstrong and determined teenager trying to find her way in life. Katie forms a bond with a wild horse she names Flicka. Despite pleas from her father (Tim McGraw) not to ride Flicka, Katy sets out to follow her own path not only with the horse, but with her future to show that she is capable taming Flicka and one day taking over the family ranch.
Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Stars
Alison Lohman: American actress, WHITE OLEANDER
Maria Bello: American actress, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Dallas Roberts: Actor, A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD (2004)
Tim McGraw: Country Music Performer
Ryan Kwanten: Actor, LIQUID BRIDGE 2003
Danny Pino: Actor, FLICKA, (2006)
Jeffrey Nordling: Actor/"Dangerous Heart"
Kaylee DeFer: Star, FLICKA, (2006)
Dey Young: Actress/Serpent & Rainbow
Director
Michael Mayer: Director, FLICKA (2006)
Screenwriter
Laurence Konner:
Mark Rosenthal: Screenwriter/Director
Composer
Aaron Zigman: Composer, JOHN Q (2002)
Source Writer
Mary O'Hara: Novelist, MY FRIEND FLICKA
Director of Photography
J. Michael Munro: Dir. of Photography, FLICKA, (2006)
Review 1:
"[The film is] set on a horse ranch in a spectacularly pristine, mountainous swath of Wyoming..."
Source: New York Times
p.E12 10/20/2006
Review 2:
"[A] new yet insistently old-fashioned spin on the kid-lit classic MY FRIEND FLICKA....Bighearted and beautifully shot..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.55 10/27/2006