Flicka

Life is full of weird little coincidences, and one of the most recent is the fact that two animal movies produced in 1943, both starring the young Roddy McDowall, have been remade and released to American theatres in just the past few months. And both of the remakes have reduced their titles to just the animal's name. A few months back, Lassie Come Home, about the famous collie, became simply Lassie. And now, My Friend Flicka, about a wild untamed mustang, is simply Flicka.

The dog-and-pony act ends there, though. Whereas Lassie took place decades ago, in its original setting, Flicka has been moved up to the 21st century. And the boy that McDowall played so long ago—the lad who, as they used to say, became a man by taking responsibility for one of his father's horses and looking after it—has become a girl who is less interested in proving her maturity than in protecting the horse from the social and economic forces that would harm its wild spirit.

Alison Lohman as Katy, who becomes enamored with a wild mustang she found

Katy McLaughlin, for that is the girl's name, is played by Alison Lohman, who was 25 when the film was shot but is quite convincing as a teenager, just as she was in White Oleander and Matchstick Men. (One is reminded of how Michael J. Fox played high schoolers like Marty McFly well into his late 20s.) Katy is failing at the private boarding school she attends, because she looks out the window and daydreams about horses when she ought to be writing exams. Times are tough for her family, back on the ranch in Wyoming, so when her father Rob (Tim McGraw) hears that Katy might have to repeat the year at school, he is more than a little upset.

And then the mustang comes into their lives. Katy's father, who regards wild horses such as these as "parasites" on his farm, captures the animal in an exciting sequence, in which the wild horse stirs up the other, ordinarily tame horses and almost leads them off a cliff. Rob puts the horse in a pen, and Katy, who is home for the summer, sneaks out at night to visit the animal. She identifies very strongly with the horse, which she names "Flicka"—after the Swedish word for "pretty girl"—and just in case we miss the connection, she declares at one point, "We're the same!"

Katy and her father Tom (Tim McGraw) enjoy the view from their Wyoming ranch

The screenplay—by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner, whose credits include the private-girls-school drama Mona Lisa Smile and the remakes of Mighty Joe Young and Planet of the Apes—is unfortunately prone to those sorts of clichés, both in terms of the underlying story structure and in terms of the surface dialogue.

Katy has a brother, Howard (Ryan Kwanten), who wants to go to college but is afraid to say so because his dad expects him to stay on the ranch that has been in the family for generations. Rob is a stern father whose heart is just waiting to be thawed —after acting up a storm as the alcoholic and abusive dad in Friday Night Lights, McGraw keeps his emotions much more in check here, perhaps too much—and money is so tight that he even considers selling the ranch. And, at one point, Katy has to pretend to be a boy in order to carry out her plan to secure both Flicka's freedom and the farm.

The McLaughlin family…Katy, Nell (Maria Bello), Howard (Ryan Kwanten) and Tom

And then there is the dialogue, which contains a few isolated clunkers but arguably reaches its lowest point when Katy, Howard and another girl plan their scheme. After voting two-to-one in favor of Katy's plan, one of the girls says, "The people have spoken!" To which Howard replies, "No, the inmates have taken over the asylum." To which the other girl says, "Walk it like you talk it!" Wow, three hackneyed phrases in a row—and even in context, the third one doesn't make all that much sense!

Also, because the film stars country singer Tim McGraw as Katy's dad, it tends to go a bit too far in plugging bits of the soundtrack album into the movie. When Katy approaches Flicka and sings a few lines of one song to her, you find yourself thinking that it sounds less like the folk song or lullaby that a person might actually use to soothe a horse, and more like the opening hook of a radio-friendly pop ballad.

Lest I sound too down on the film, it does have its merits. Beautiful scenery, a mildly quirky performance or two—especially courtesy of Maria Bello, as Katy's mom—and a few scenes that hint at the continuing passion in the lives of Katy's parents all contribute to a reasonably enjoyable family flick. But the dullness of the script, and the way it extols restlessness, wildness, and the freedom to be what you want—even though the whole point of the story, as with horse riding itself, is about finding the right balance between freedom and control—is ultimately unsatisfying.

There once was a time when filmmakers knew the morals to their stories, and were prepared to challenge people to be better than they are. Not so much nowadays, though; this version of Flicka would fit right in with the "follow your heart" school of thought that has been common to, say, Disney films of the past 20 years.

Talk About It

1. How does this film portray the states of being tame and being wild? Does the film—or its characters—prefer one state over the other? Do their words match their actions, in this regard? Point to specific scenes and lines of dialogue.
2. How do we balance freedom and control in our own spiritual lives? How does God encourage us to control our passions? How does he encourage us to let go of the things that hold us back? Consider, for example, Paul's instructions to the Corinthians on the correct way to exercise a gift of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12-14), or the relationship between the Law and mercy throughout the Bible.
3. In one scene, Katy offers Flicka a treat and says, "If you want it, you can come and get it. But you would have to trust me to do that, wouldn't you?" How have you earned the trust of others? How have you learned to trust others yourself?

The Family Corner

Flicka is rated PG for mild language (the occasional "damn" or "ass"). There are also moments of peril involving a wild horse and a mountain lion, as well as a shot of Katy examining one of her wounds in a bathtub.

Photos © Copyright 20th Century Fox

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

What Other Critics Are Saying

For girls who love horses, Mary O'Hara's 1941 novel Flicka is a favorite and a classic. But in the new film, the central character is no longer a boy. Her name is Katy (Matchstick Men's Alison Lohman), and she's a troubled student who can't keep her mind on her work. She'd rather be out trying to tame a wild horse. Her father isn't pleased with her rebelliousness.

So, is it the reckless teen who needs to learn a lesson? Or is it the disciplinarian dad?

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says, "In the new film Flicka, unfortunately, the takeaway is a vague uneasiness about the lesson you've just been fed for two hours." She concludes that the film excuses rebelliousness, and that it dismisses the necessity of repentance and reprimand.

Belinda Elliott (CBN) says, "While we've seen these characters and storyline before, the film does still pack an emotional punch.

Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) says the movie "poses the significant question of whether it's worth sacrificing relationship for the sake of rules, however well-intended those rules might be. Ultimately, Flicka answers that question with a resounding no." But he adds, "Still, Katy's stubborn rebelliousness is a real—if navigable—issue that families who see this engaging story will want to talk about."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls it "[a] wonderful film for all," and says, "Some parents may find fault with Katy's blatant disobedience, but apart from some heated arguments it's good to see a positive portrayal of a stable and loving family headed by nurturing and devoted parents."

Mainstream critics are split in their opinions. Peter Hartlaub of The San Francisco Chronicle sums up the film's lesson like this: "Keep disobeying your parents and eventually you'll get your way."