Plot
Young Katy claims a wild horse as her own -- an effort to prove to her father that she is capable of one day taking over the family ranch.

Release Year: 2006

Rating: 5.7/10 (3,469 voted)

Critic's Score: 57/100

Director: Michael Mayer

Stars: Alison Lohman, Tim McGraw, Maria Bello

Storyline
Coming of age story set in the mountain vistas, A headstrong 16 year old Katy McLaughlin desires to work on her family's mountainside horse ranch, although her father insists she finish boarding school. Katy finds a mustang in the hills near her ranch. Katy then sets her mind to tame a mustang and prove to her father she can run the ranch. But when tragedy happens, it will take all the love and strength the family can muster to restore hope.

Writers: Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence Konner

Cast:
Tim McGraw - Rob McLaughlin
Maria Bello - Nell McLaughlin
Alison Lohman - Katy McLaughlin
Ryan Kwanten - Howard McLaughlin
Danny Pino - Jack
Dallas Roberts - Gus
Kaylee DeFer - Miranda Koop
Jeffrey Nordling - Rick Koop
Dey Young - Esther Koop
Nick Searcy - Norbert Rye
Buck Taylor - Wagner
Wade Williams - Man with Clipboard
David Burton - Rider #6
John O'Brien - Mr. Masterson
Armie Hammer - Male Prefect

Taglines: The biggest dreams take the most courage.

Official Website: Twentieth Century Fox [France] | Twentieth Century Fox [United States] |

Release Date: 20 October 2006

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $7,703,551 (USA) (22 October 2006) (2877 Screens)

Gross: $20,998,709 (USA) (4 February 2007)

Runtime: 95 min

Trivia:
Christie Hayes was originally chosen by the director and producer to play Miranda, but the studio wanted Kaylee DeFer.

Goofs:
Errors in geography: The license plates on the vehicles have the wrong county numbers on them. In Wyoming the number before the bucking horse indicates the county the car is registered in. For instances the horse trailer has County 3 plates on them. County 3 is in northern Wyoming, while they are based in southern Wyoming which would be either county 2 or county 5.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Katherine "Katie" McLoughlin: [narration] I live on top of the world... in the Never Summer Mountains of Wyoming, 8,000 feet closer to the sky. In my mountains when spring finally comes to save me from a perpetual winter, the world comes to life again and I remember what it is I'm here for. I'm the only daughter in a long line of ranchers and when we let our horses out for the first time every spring...

Truly Moving Picture

Rating: 10/10

I saw this film on July 7th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival's Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." Heartland gave that award to this film.

Set in a stunningly beautiful ranch in Wyoming, Flicka is a story of a rebellious teenage girl and a naturally rebellious and wild, mustang horse.

The girl, Katie, is the only daughter in a long line of ranchers. She is a bad student, but it is because she is a dreamer and longs to be on the family horse ranch instead of at an exclusive Boarding School. Her father wants her to finish high school and go to college. She is constantly in a struggle with her father over her long summer break not only because of her lack of interest in academics, but also because she finds a mustang (she names Flicka) in the wild and wants to keep it.

She wants to break and ride the mustang, but her father insists that a mustang doesn't belong on a quarter horse ranch. And, they are going through tough economic times. The ranch of many thousands of acres is worth a fortune to land developers. No one wants to sell out, but they may be forced to. Katie has an older teenage brother who works the ranch because he feels it's his duty. He actually is the opposite of Katie. He wants to leave the ranch, go off to college, and experience the world.

It all sounds like a dysfunctional family. But it isn't. The father, mother, daughter, and son love each other deeply. As they struggle with their economic problems and coming-of-age problems, their love and fidelity to each other are the only things that have a chance to keep them together.

The cinematography and art direction are exceptional. You are actually there in Wyoming and can understand why people never want to leave the remote and beautiful West, and why they love their horses.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Comments: