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Shelf Beauties
by Willie Waffle
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Flicka
If you go to see Flicka,
I
dare you not to cry! Even
I, the most
macho movie critic in all of the land, had one manly tear running down my rough,
unshaven
cheek after this movie. You
can’t help
it, hold it back, or stifle your emotions.
Alison Lohman stars as Katy
– a rambunctious teen who would rather be working on her
family’s horse ranch
in Wyoming
than stuck in some private boarding school with spoiled little rich
girls. She’s
on the verge of flunking out as she
heads home for the summer, but Katy is more fascinated with a young
mustang
horse that saves her from certain danger when she is out in the woods
one
day. Dad (Tim
McGraw) isn’t happy to
hear about the wild horse near by, and ends up bringing it back to the
ranch,
explicitly telling Katy to stay away from the horse she has named
Flicka, and
wants to train on her own.
Will Dad sell Flicka to save
the ranch from going bankrupt? Does Katy have what it takes to tame
Flicka, so
she can be part of the family without interfering with the other horses?
Flicka is one of the
year’s
best family films, and one that is bound to touch the heart of every
man, woman
and child who takes the time to appreciate it, even if you are a jaded
teen or dead hearted man who thinks nothing can reach you.
I just want to warn parents that Flicka can
get intense. People
and animals find
themselves in peril, and it can get explicit at times, so you might
want to be
careful with the 6-years old and under kids.
For everyone else, it’s a good night at
the movies.
Writers Mark Rosenthal and
Lawrence Konner (based on the novel by Mary O’Hara) provide a
strong story even
if it is a bit cliché and gets a little slow in the middle. Ultimately, Flicka is the timeworn tale of
teen rebellion, but Rosenthal and Konner make it feel earnest and
relatable
without sacrificing the characters’ portrayals as real people. Kids will see themselves
in Katy. Parents
will see themselves in Mom and Dad.
However, all of us will feel like they are
far from stereotypical and simple.
Director Michael Mayer
beautifully
captures the vastness and magical feel of the countryside, which means
so much
to the story and to the development of the characters.
Yes, he has to turn to a few too many
montages later in the movie (which feel like padding to get Flicka to last long
enough), but he never lets the scenery get in the way of the story. Flicka is about this family and this
horse,
and the pretty mountains are just syrup on the waffle (you knew I
couldn’t
resist that one).
Because it’s about the
family, we get to see McGraw and Lohman put in some strong performances. McGraw, who continues to
show he is more than
just a country singer recruited to sing the theme song and sell some
soundtracks, proves to be much better in the quieter, more dramatic
moments
towards end of Flicka.
Early on, he’s a
bit forced as he shows Dad’s rougher side, but McGraw excels
when the crucial
moments hit, and he gets a chance to show a father’s love for
his
daughter.
Lohman again proves
she’s still
as talented as she is beautiful. Seeing
her ride through the tall grass with that long hair flowing behind her
in the
wind makes a city boy like me want to put on some spurs and a cowboy
hat, then head
out to Wyoming (I'd have to fly, something tells me it might hurt to ride a horse all the way out there). Additionally, she avoids
making Katy into a
whiny brat. Instead,
Lohman makes the
teen into a determined dreamer with a real heart and soul, and a
compelling
leading character.
Flicka
is the movie you want to see with someone who won’t be
embarrassed when you
cry.
3 Waffles
(Out Of 4)
Copyright
2006 - WaffleMovies.com
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