Flicka (2006)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This movie takes place in Wyoming (where my husband is from) and is all about horses (my favorite animal) and how one girl finds herself in a wild mustang. With that alone, is there really any doubt that I would love this movie? The rodeo scene is familiar from the few rodeos I've had the chance to attend so far. The mix of family trouble, ranch rules, different breeds, and all around love of horses makes for a sometimes heartbreaking yet thoroughly enjoyable film. Always love playing this one.
Can a wild horse with a bad attitude and a not-quite-wild but pretty darn sullen teenage girl with a bad attitude be the best things that ever happened to each other? Though we guess the answer pretty early on in Flicka, it doesn't diminish the feel-good family film one bit. The film is a remake of the 1947 My Friend Flicka itself based on the bestselling (and still riveting) novel by Mary O'Hara. This 2006 update changes the hero to a heroine, Katy, though the dynamic is similar, and in some ways makes the appeal of the film broader. After all, young girls love their horses, and Katy's moxie and determination, as she opens her heart to the wild filly, a touchingly and humanly conveyed. As Katy struggles with her relationship with her gruff dad, she finds she can gain confidence and be the person her father wants her to be--solely by being herself as she connects with Flicka the horse. The cinematography is stunning, and showcases a part of America that once was seen and celebrated often in films, and lately so rare as to be precious.
- source: listal