My Friend Flicka: The Enduring Classic Based on Mary O'Hara's Best Selling Novel
by Harold D. Schuster
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DVD details
Actor: James Bell, Patti Hale, Preston Foster, Rita Johnson, Roddy McDowallDirector: Harold D. Schuster
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Mono, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 89 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of My Friend Flicka: The Enduring Classic Based on Mary O'Hara's Best Selling Novel
DVD Review: Children and Animals
Summary: 3 Stars
Ken McLaughlin (Roddy McDowall) is a starry-eyed youngster whose love for horses gets in the way of his schoolwork. His father (Preston Foster) does not understand the boy and punishes him often in an attempt to straighten his son out. It doesn't work, and mother (Rita Johnson) suggests the boy be given a horse of his own. She reasons that if he has some responsibility, it will carry over into other aspects of his life too. Of course, Ken wants a wild horse named Flicka, the offspring of a "loco" horse named Rocket.
The cast is very good, especially the young McDowall. His sincerity and innocence is very appealing, both traits that stayed with him into later life. He was an asset to the film community and a real legend. Patti Hale is also worth mentioning for her small role as Ken's sister; she has plenty of spunk and personality.
The biggest problem with this movie is its over-sentimentality. Although these kinds of family pictures were a big hit during WWII and afterward, sometimes they were too saccharine. The ending is completely preachy and spells out the moral too plainly. It is almost insulting how blatantly we are told what we should have learned from the story. Sometimes these films were quite good and had a nice blend of legitimacy and sentimentality, but this one doesn't quite get it right.
DVD Review: My Friend Flicka - super
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased My Friend Flicka for my grandaughter who is horse mad and watches Black Beauty over and over and over. She was thrilled with this movie and now watches that one over and over etc. My daughter said it was one of the best gifts she was given this past Christmas. As I live in the U.K. and she lives in Southern California I rely on Amazon.com for most of my gifts and have not been disappointed yet.DVD Review: Flicka
Summary: 5 Stars
This is christmas gift for my sister wonderful family picture and all horse loversDVD Review: Awesome horses - less than awesome actors
Summary: 2 Stars
Sorry, but I just cannot get past Roddy McDowall's English accent. He's supposed to be a Wyoming rancher's son, yet he speaks like a Brit. No one else in the entire movie speaks like a Brit so it comes off as really annoying. It ruins the whole movie for me.
PS - I love Roddy in nearly everything else I've ever seen him in - especially "How Green Was My Valley"
DVD Review: Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Roddy McDowall is an Icon in my book. Well made, well written. Great, classic coming of age/learning responsibility story. Excellent for the family.
Description of My Friend Flicka: The Enduring Classic Based on Mary O'Hara's Best Selling Novel
A young boy is determined to befriend a rebellious horse in this touching family film based on the celebrated novel by Mary O'Hara. Ten-year-old Ken McLaughlin (Roddy McDowall), who lives on the Goose Bar Ranch, desperately wants a colt of his own. Frustrated by the boy's constant daydreaming, Ken's father (Preston Foster) finally lets him choose any horse in the herd. Ken picks a beautiful filly whom he names Flicka, but the high-spirited animal comes from a "bad" bloodline that's considered to be hopelessly wild. To prove Flicka is worth keeping, and prove himself as a person, Ken sets his heart on winning the horse's confidence and ultimately taming her. Along the way, ken begins to grow up a little and everyone learns some important lessons, in this poignant tale of love, patience, faith, and "hope beyond hope".This gorgeous 1943 family film stars Roddy McDowell as a Colorado rancher's son who takes a shine to a colt named Flicka and chooses to train her. The boy's father (Preston Foster) isn't happy about the idea: the horse is an offspring of a stormy mare who may not be right in the head. For a while, Flicka seems determined to prove the rancher's point, fiercely resisting young McDowell's efforts at domestication. But persistence and love win the day, and Flicka grows up to be a magnificent animal and friend. The film was shot by director Harold Schuster and cinematographer Dewey Wrigley as if for the ages, marrying such perfect elements as a Technicolor sweep of the beautiful Rocky Mountains setting with a wonderful story, plus McDowell's charismatic earnestness. Based on the Mary O'Hara novel, this film was popular enough in its time to inspire a couple of sequels, though the original best stands up as a perennially worthy adventure tale for kids ages 5 and up. --Tom Keogh
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