Flicka (DVD, 2009, Dual Side; Movie Cash)

Flicka takes considerable pains to resurrect the girl-and-her-horse genre, tinkering with Mary O'Hara's 1941 children's novel, "My Friend Flicka," so that the book's main character, nine-year-old Ken McLaughlin (played by Roddy McDowell in the 1943 movie version) is magically transformed into a 16-year-old girl named Katy. But talk about flogging a dead horse. National Velvet, it ain't.

No one would suggest that a motion picture squarely aimed at adolescent girls needs to be particularly smart and insightful. But neither does it have to be so relentlessly lame. Flicka is hobbled by cliché, on-the-nose dialogue and an embarrassing absence of subtlety. Screenwriters Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner leave nothing to chance. Only the most catatonic viewer will miss that the untamable spirit of Flicka mirrors the untamable spirit of Katy.

Except that the horse is more sympathetic. Lohman, a very good actress, does the best she can as our willful heroine, but it's a short hop from obstinate Katy to shrill, obnoxious Katy. It's difficult to muster up much rooting interest for the girl, who ignores her father's sensible directives (like staying off a wild horse), throws tantrums and lashes out at her parents' friends. Hmm. So that's why she'd been sent off to a boarding school.

Don't fault the actors for this by-the-numbers drama. The 27-year-old Lohman is a bit mature to play the 16-year-old Katy, but she brings a much-needed presence to the role. Country music superstar McGraw, who was so impressive in 2004's Friday Night Lights, makes the most of an underwritten part, and Maria Bello is typically excellent. But then there is Ryan Kwanten as Katy's older brother, Howard, whose chief responsibility is to walk around shirtless.

The film is not totally without charm. Director Michael Mayer does make the most of the attractive scenery, sprucing things up with shots of majestic horses barreling across equally majestic countrysides. It's beautiful imagery, all right ... for selling Ford pickups.

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After adopting a wild mustang and promptly dubbing it Flicka, 16-year-old Katie watches in horror as her father callously sells her companion. Determined to regain Flicka's freedom, Katie hatches a secret plan to enter a treacherous wild horse race. This film is Michael Mayer's remake of the classic family film, based on a book by Mary O'Hara.

Maria Bello, Alison Lohman, Dallas Roberts, Tim McGraw

Well im a country girl it hits home and the heart. It has a great cast and is filmed in my favorite spot in the world. Who says u have to go to another country 2 see such beauty. We have it all right here Plus we have Tim & Faith and their family one can only hope he is as good father in real life as he is in the movie.

Gee, where to start with this new remake... it killed two horses in the making of this movie. One of them was certainly avoidable... the big scene where all the horses galloping and rearing in the arena with halters and lead ropes dragging on the dirt, waiting for the horse to trip on the rope and break his neck..... no they edited that scene...but the horse died all the same... could have a velcro lead rope!

This story has little reality... pass on this one! Check out the orginial its better...

by the way... most of it was filmed in Los Angeles...not Wyoming

I rented this movie and glad I did not buy it. It was okay, the scenery was beautiful, but the acting left a lot to be desired. Alison Lohman acted like a spoiled brat and sorry to say it wasn't even believeable. She kept doing the same thing over and over and it was very predictible. You almost knew what was going to happen before it did. I also expected more out of Tim McGraw, but maybe his talent lays in the singing business. Maria Bello was kind of out of the way type of character, I would have liked to see more of her acting skills put in the movie. I was disappointed in many ways, it was the same ole, same ole.