Flicka (2006)

54% of critics liked it
(78 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(95,482 ratings)

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… More 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. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Michael Mayer (VI)
Written By: Laurence Konner, Mark Rosenthal
Genres: Drama, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Oct 20, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Feb 6, 2007
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It's got lovely vistas, and earnest performances, and Allison Lohman... is very believable.
Daphne Gordon, Toronto Star
Alison Lohman, the 27-year-old actress who plays Katy, makes the whole thing worth watching.
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
The apparent lesson of the movie? Keep disobeying your parents and you'll eventually get your way.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
Flicka is a bronc you shouldn't put money on.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A perfectly pleasant updating of the story, well-acted, nicely directed and beautifully photographed.
John Anderson, Newsday
Often very beautiful looking, but gracelessly directed.
Jane Boursaw, Common Sense Media
Classic book gallops to the big screen.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...an entirely needless piece of work.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Perhaps the children will enjoy this, but I was just choked by the corniness...
Ryan Cracknell, Calgary Movies
If it's going to be a paint-by-numbers plot then there should be an emotional core to hang it on.
Staci Layne Wilson, Buzzine Magazine
Katy falls off of Flicka so many times, head injuries are the only explanation for her incredibly stupid behavior throughout the movie.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
With Flicka, young ladies who weren't in the market for Brokeback Mountain get their own chance to drool over the wide open spaces and awe-inspiring mountains of Wyoming, if they can avert their gaze from the gorgeous horses, that is.
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
A girl and a horse: that's love. What more can we want?
Pete Hammond, Maxim
A skillfully told, beautifully shot coming-of-age story.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An engrossing and beautifully acted remake that salutes horses, freedom, and familial love in ways that stir the heart.
Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
It's about wild horses representing a special sort of speed, force, and freedom, beyond Wild West shows and shootouts and men with no names.
Toddy Burton, Austin Chronicle
Ultimately, the entire endeavor seems like an effort to cash in on a predictably bankable tale.
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
If you seek high-quality family entertainment, you have a friend in "Flicka."
Bridget Byrne, Boxoffice Magazine
Maria Bello's skill and onscreen presence speak volumes about the mother's thoughts and feelings, even when the script leaves her high and dry.
Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat
This is a genuinely nice movie that wears its old-fashioned values proudly, and I had a good time watching it. Flicka is for the teenage girl in all of us.

Read all 23 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Brad W

My mother dragged me to this one. It was pretty boring and too girlish for me. The plot was trying too hard to be good when its just a horse movie. The cast was pretty good, nothing amazing. Overall its not really worth seeing in my opinion.
Leigh R

Fantastic. Lohman really rocked in this role. It is weird seeing the story with a female lead but what the heck...
Dean M

Quite great and heartwarming family movie with horses again. A teenage daughter (Alison Lohman) of the family's mountainside horse ranch has a good courage to care about a wild mustang with love and strength.
Bradley W

My mother dragged me to this one. It was pretty boring and too girlish for me. The plot was trying too hard to be good when its just a horse movie. The cast was pretty good, nothing amazing. Overall its not really worth seeing in my opinion.
William G

"It's okay, Daddy. You can shoot us." Teehee.
Constanza B

In this contemporary adaptation of Mary O'Hara's beloved novel "My Friend Flicka?, Is not really either an animal or a kid?s film but somewhat a young adult drama that charms emotionally true. Katy finds a wild mustang, which she names Flicka, and sets out to make her a… More
In this contemporary adaptation of Mary O'Hara's beloved novel "My Friend Flicka?, Is not really either an animal or a kid?s film but somewhat a young adult drama that charms emotionally true. Katy finds a wild mustang, which she names Flicka, and sets out to make her a riding horse, but she?s father sells Flicka to become a rodeo horse. The magic of this story gives beautiful scenery, shiny trappings, high professionalism and glamorous accessories.
m h

I really enjoyed this. It was a true emotional, heartfelt, sad but uplifting movie. Alison Lohman was great in this, I believed every emotion she went through. Made me want to go horse back riding badly. I actually thought Tim McGraw did well also, since he's a country singer and… More
I really enjoyed this. It was a true emotional, heartfelt, sad but uplifting movie. Alison Lohman was great in this, I believed every emotion she went through. Made me want to go horse back riding badly. I actually thought Tim McGraw did well also, since he's a country singer and hasn't acted much.
Leo L

A beautiful movie filled with great music and magnificent scenery.
Erin C

Really cute movie! I love horses, and it was sweet to see how a girl could care about something so much that she would risk her life for it.
Ina S

So predictable it hurt.