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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 date; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

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

...may wander near and far, mixing down-home hokum with gushy sentiment, yet it generally succeeds in winning us over.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
11/29/09
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

Duval and Caine make the film watchable, but there's too much gunplay for the movie to truly be the child-friendly entertainment that it pretends.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
06/13/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Ronnie Scheib
Ronnie Scheib
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Most 'family films' aim too low. Perhaps there should be hearty applause for one that tries to do too much good in its small space of time.

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
12/06/04
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer

My only reservation about Caine is his less than credible Texas accent, especially since his brother's is so pronounced.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Kansan | comment Comment
10/15/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

To see Osment react to a door closing is akin to watching someone get defibrillated.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment 2 Comments
03/26/04
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

An unpretentiously sweet home-is-where-the-heart-is fantasy.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
02/01/04
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[T]he real lesson here may be for Haley Joel Osment, who could well have Dickie Roberts II in his future.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
01/01/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

This film may be all over the map, but at least it takes viewers to some interesting places.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
11/10/03
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/01/03
Todd R. Ramlow
Todd R. Ramlow
PopMatters

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

'There is something to be said for reminding audiences of simple truths found amidst complex circumstances. But here, the film becomes a series of hokey contrivances and the simple truth it illustrates is so reductive it is almost insulting.'

Full Review Source: Star Newspapers (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
10/22/03
Michael Drakulich
Michael Drakulich
Star Newspapers (Chicago, IL)

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.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
10/12/03
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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all

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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