DVD Review - Flicka
I wanted to see the new version of My Friend Flicka (the original version was made in 1943) because I love horses (and all creatures great and small). I can't say that this new version of the family film based on Mary O'Hara's book is as good as the original. But it is still a very nice film.
The theme is one we've seen many times before. Feisty Katy (Allison Lohman) butts heads with her rancher father (Tim McGraw). Her mother (Maria Bello) always seems to be in the middle. Katy goes to an expensive boarding school and is not doing well. She would rather be with the horses on the ranch. One day Katy finds a beautiful wild mustang and wants to tame her. She names her Flicka (which means pretty girl). But her father sees to it that Katy and Flicka are separated. You more or less know the rest but it doesn't matter. You can still enjoy watching the film for its beautiful visuals and heartwarming theme.
27 year old Lohman is pretty convincing as the 16 year old Katy. The wonderful Bello is underused in her role and I wouldn't call McGraw an actor. Most importantly, the film has a positive message about saving wild mustangs.
I didn't like the rodeo scenes. I find rodeos cruel and unnecessary. I'm sure that the American Humane Society did its best to make sure that nothing bad happened to the animals during those scenes. However, after I saw the film I read a piece on line that said that two horses died during the making of this film. It was not due to any negligence or any act of cruelty. They were both accidental deaths. But if I knew about his before I saw the film I might not have rented it (I don't want to point fingers because it was an accident - but it makes me wonder what happens on the sets of other films that use animals).
However, since I have seen the film I can say that is a good family film in a style that we don't see too often these days. I just hope that film crews are more careful in the future when making films using real, live animals.
The theme is one we've seen many times before. Feisty Katy (Allison Lohman) butts heads with her rancher father (Tim McGraw). Her mother (Maria Bello) always seems to be in the middle. Katy goes to an expensive boarding school and is not doing well. She would rather be with the horses on the ranch. One day Katy finds a beautiful wild mustang and wants to tame her. She names her Flicka (which means pretty girl). But her father sees to it that Katy and Flicka are separated. You more or less know the rest but it doesn't matter. You can still enjoy watching the film for its beautiful visuals and heartwarming theme.
27 year old Lohman is pretty convincing as the 16 year old Katy. The wonderful Bello is underused in her role and I wouldn't call McGraw an actor. Most importantly, the film has a positive message about saving wild mustangs.
I didn't like the rodeo scenes. I find rodeos cruel and unnecessary. I'm sure that the American Humane Society did its best to make sure that nothing bad happened to the animals during those scenes. However, after I saw the film I read a piece on line that said that two horses died during the making of this film. It was not due to any negligence or any act of cruelty. They were both accidental deaths. But if I knew about his before I saw the film I might not have rented it (I don't want to point fingers because it was an accident - but it makes me wonder what happens on the sets of other films that use animals).
However, since I have seen the film I can say that is a good family film in a style that we don't see too often these days. I just hope that film crews are more careful in the future when making films using real, live animals.
posted by Film Fanatic | 7:39 PM
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