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Movies / Upcoming / Secondhand Lions
Secondhand Lions

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Secondhand Lions (2003)

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Reviews Counted:131

Fresh:79

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

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Reviews for Secondhand Lions

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Attempts many different things and succeeds in all of them. It’s like the ambitions of Gigli were met with the success of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
09/16/03
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
About.com

Osment’s the weak link in the movie and because of the substantial amount of time he spends on screen, his weak link status is highly noticeable and very distracting.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
09/18/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

Don't allow the ending to ruin the film. Ignore it.

Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
09/18/03
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

Filled with so many moments of eccentricity that I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to take it all seriously or just laugh. Is the movie a heartwarming coming-of-age film or a parody of one?

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
09/28/03
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

Tries so hard to be quirky and loveable that it hurts to watch.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
09/18/03
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

You begin to sit trembling in your seat, terrified of the next puppy shot. They will haunt your dreams and torment your soul.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
09/18/03
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

A saccharine, inoffensive kids movie, which might seem more at home as a made-for-cable affair.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
09/18/03
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

First-rate performances by Robert Duvall and Michael Caine.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
09/19/03
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A wholly unique family film that can moisten your eyes even while it quickens your pulse.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/01/03
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Schmaltzed up, dumbed down, bombastically-scored family drama of touchy-feely life lessons.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/28/03
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

Secondhand Lions is made from a child's perspective, but its point of view has a glass eye.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
09/19/03
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
09/28/03
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a real pleasure to watch these two old lions circle each other onscreen.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
09/19/03
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine

Pardon the cliche, but it really is that rare film that will appeal to all ages.

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
09/18/03
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

[Caine and Duvall] lift this button-pushing blob of faux folksiness to a higher plane than it deserves.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
09/19/03
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

A gentle and sweet whimsy.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
09/19/03
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
09/18/03
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune

A movie that's smart and entertaining almost every step of the way.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
09/18/03
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Lions will appeal to a more mature audience because of the solid acting duo of Caine and Duvall. It will also appeal to children because of its almost mythological feel.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
10/11/06
Mary Lasse
Mary Lasse
Christianity Today
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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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..." Opens in new window
More...

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