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Secondhand Lions

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Secondhand Lions (2003)

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Reviews Counted:30

Fresh:11

Rotten:19

Average Rating:5.3/10

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 - 10 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Ronnie Scheib
Ronnie Scheib
Variety
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]
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... Michael Caine is badly miscast in this movie. I didn't believe him for one second in that role.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
09/22/03
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
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Of little interest to anyone except those who thought Air Bud was too smutty.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/19/03
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
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It's pretty appalling, and it's boring.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/19/03
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
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A gentle and sweet whimsy.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
09/19/03
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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May be pure hokum, but at least it knows how to spin a yarn.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
09/18/03
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
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A mild family film with an excellent cast that never develops traction.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
09/18/03
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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There are too many leaden moments and odd shifts in tone to keep Lions from winning us over.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
09/18/03
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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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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