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Secondhand Lions (2003)
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Reviews Counted:130
Fresh:78
Rotten:52
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: A wholesome but schmaltzy movie.
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Childrens
US Box Office: $41,407,470
Synopsis: For 14-year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment), his great uncles’ farm in rural Texas is the last place on earth he wants to spend the summer. Dumped off by his mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), in the... For 14-year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment), his great uncles’ farm in rural Texas is the last place on earth he wants to spend the summer. Dumped off by his mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), in the middle of nowhere with two crazy old men and the promise that she’ll come back for him, Walter doesn’t know what to believe in. Eccentric and gruff, Hub and Garth McCaan (Robert Duvall and Michael Caine) are rumored to have been bank robbers, mafia hit men and/or war criminals in their younger days. The truth is elusive, although they do seem to have an endless supply of cash. But Walter begins to see a new side to his great uncles when he stumbles on an old photograph of a beautiful woman hidden away in a trunk and asks Garth who she is. Little by little, through stories spun against the backdrop of the dusty Texas night, an amazing story comes to life via Walter’s vivid, colorful imaginings – a tale set in a long-ago exotic, mysterious place where men rode stallions and fought with swords; where beautiful princesses tangled with treacherous sheiks; and where the two unlikely heroes lived an adventure most people only dream of. Whether true or not, the uncles’ tales become a doorway to a staggering new world for the boy to live out their adventures. They also give Walter something true to believe in – a world where honor and valor mean more than money and power, and a place that, real or not, belongs only to him. Likewise, in telling their stories to their nephew, Hub and Garth begin to see their own lives with new eyes. Over one unpredictable Central Texas summer in the early 1960’s, everything in the lives of this new family of strangers is about to change forever. New Line Cinema presents Secondhand Lions, written and directed by Tim McCanlies, who wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed animated film, The Iron Giant. The film stars Academy Award winners Michael Caine and Robert Duvall and Academy Award nominee Haley Joel Osment. Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Christian Kane and Kevin Michael Haberer co-star. A David Kirschner Production in association with Digital Domain Productions, the film is produced by David Kirschner, Scott Ross and Corey Sienega. The executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Mark Kaufman, Janis Rothbard Chaskin, Karen Loop and Kevin Cooper. The co-producer is Amy Sayres. The behind-the-scenes talent includes costume designer Gary Jones, editor David Moritz, production designer David J. Bomba, director of photography Jack Green, ASC and composer Patrick Doyle. Secondhand Lions (rated PG by the M.P.A.A. for “thematic material, language and action violence”) will be released in theaters nationwide on September 19th, 2003. [More]
Starring: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick
Starring: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt
Director: Tim McCanlies
Director: Tim McCanlies
Screenwriter: Tim McCanlies
Producer: David Kirschner, Scott Ross, Corey Sienega
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Secondhand Lions
Two generous helpings of outrageous plot and hammy actors make this a guilty pleasure.
An enjoyable vehicle for its two stars -- and the maturing Haley Joel Osment.
Ridiculous scripting and a geeky, grating performance by the needy, too-old-for-this-role Osment sets the teeth on edge.
'Corn, corn, nothin' but corn,' Duvall complains as he looks at his crops; unsympathetic viewers will feel they can relate...
With such a bang-up cast, this setup could at least elicit some tears, but in its 107 minutes, nary a one welled up in my eyes.
With Caine and Duvall two kings of the acting jungle in top form; more proof why good casting directors are worth their weight in black gold.
With Caine and Duvall two kings of the acting jungle in top form; more proof why good casting directors are worth their weight in black gold.
Despite flaws that are (for the most part) easily overlooked, this film has enough charm and whimsy to capture the attention and imagination of children and parents alike.
Everything about Secondhand Lions seems unlikely, outlandish and larger than life. But director Tim McCanlies ... makes it all work by throwing in charm and likability at just the right moments.
This seen-it-all-before family melodrama gets a fresh coat of paint because of the natural performances by Duvall and Caine . . .
With no baseline 'truth' to be found among the cartoony characters and cheesy twists, the whole production feels like a Texas-size load of secondhand lyin'.
This film may be all over the map, but at least it takes viewers to some interesting places.
Secondhand Lions is an extraordinary coming-of-age movie that salutes the odd ways eccentric individuals can inspire us to become all we are meant to be.
It makes you feel good the way that Forrest Gump made you feel good, as if the filmmakers were seriously trying to make a fun, wholesome, entertaining movie without taking on the industry with a moral agenda.
An adorable, original and thoroughly entertaining film that might just be the best movie for adults and children to see together since…well…since The Iron Giant.
To see Osment react to a door closing is akin to watching someone get defibrillated.
While this unabashedly sweet and sentimental tale is everything I was afraid it would be, I could not help but be affected by it, largely due to Duvall's perfectly pitched performance
Latest News for Secondhand Lions
August 01, 2005:
Haley Joel Osment Plans a "Giant" Comeback
The Hollywood Reporter brings us some news from an old (young) friend: Haley Joel Osment plans to return to the big screen in "Home of the Giants," an indie drama... More...
July 18, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Saw 2 (teaser)
Fans of last year's indie horror hit "Saw" will want to head on over to the sequel's official site and check out the brief but tantalizing look at "Saw 2."... More...
September 19, 2002:
"Had I not known that The Iron Giant and New Line's forthcoming Secondhand Lions shared the same screenwriter in Tim McCanlies, I most likely would have written off Lions as the work of a first-timer still in the process of honing his craft..." ![]()
More...
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