This is what family films are supposed to be like.
Secondhand Lions (2003)
Tomatometer
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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
Effectively proves that senior citizens are not dull--provided that they'd spent time in the French Foreign Legion and rescued princesses.
There is no shortage of ham-fisted metaphors, no paucity of windy speeches, no lack of moments that tug at the heart like a newborn clumsily grabbing for its mother.
A wholly unique family film that can moisten your eyes even while it quickens your pulse.
Because it never quite reaches its enormous potential, Secondhand Lions feels like a disappointment even though there's much to praise.
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?
There's a deep, sad yearning that permeates through the fantastical optimism of Secondhand Lions that gives it the cold, harsh edge of reality.
Duvall and Caine have more fun with shotguns than anyone this side of Phil Gramm.
The movie is fun, but thinking about it afterwards reveals just how sloppy it is
In the end there may not quite be enough here to make the film a classic, but it's enjoyable and lively and warm while it lasts.
Two generous helpings of outrageous plot and hammy actors make this a guilty pleasure.
In the wrong hands, this would have been a maudlin, embarrassing story, but in McCanlies' hands, it feels like a cozy friend.
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.
Where McCanlies eventually almost succeeds in demolishing his laid-back little embassy of wonder and good will is his refusal to practice what his characters preach.
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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