THE FULL STORY: In My Friend Flicka, young Ken McLaughlin is slight, quiet, creative, daydreamer. When he chooses a horse his father strongly disapproves of, Ken’s mother fiercely backs her son. Boy and horse must surmount that initial disapproval and many other challenges as they struggle and grow together. As Ken begins to mature – in his own way and at his own speed – his father learns some strong lessons about being a man, a father, and a husband. Through these challenges, Ken assumes the responsibilities of growing up and wins his father's acceptance. Penned by Mary O’Hara (1885-1980), who grew up in Brooklyn Heights, New York, My Friend Flicka, became a classic tale appreciated on many levels, by both children and adults for its universal message. O’Hara married and moved to California, where she became a screenwriter. Her second marriage took her to Wyoming where she was inspired to write three novels about the life on Wyoming range – My Friend Flicka (Lippincott, 1941), Thunderhead (Lippincott, 1943), and Green Grass of Wyoming (Lippincott, 1946). Several movies have been produced from these books: "My Friend Flicka" was filmed by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1943; followed by a sequel, "Thunderhead, Son of Flicka," in 1945; and "Green Grass of Wyoming" was filmed by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1948.
|
