Secondhand Lions (2003)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Tim McCanlies

Writer (WGA):

Tim McCanlies (written by)

Release Date:

19 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Plot:

A coming-of-age story about a shy, young boy sent by his irresponsible mother to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles in Texas.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Teenage Boy | Grave | 1910s | 1960s

Awards:

5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Oct. 23	12:30 AM	TBS
Thur. Oct. 23	2:30 AM	TBS

Cast

Michael Caine	...	Garth
Robert Duvall	...	Hub
Haley Joel Osment	...	Walter
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Mae
Nicky Katt	...	Stan
Josh Lucas	...	Adult Walter
Michael O'Neill	...	Ralph
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Helen
Eric Balfour	...	Sheik's Grandson
Christian Kane	...	Young Hub
Kevin Haberer	...	Young Garth
Emmanuelle Vaugier	...	Jasmine
Adam Ozturk	...	The Sheik
Jennifer Stone	...	Martha
Mitchel Musso	...	Boy

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material, language and action violence.

Runtime:

111 min | USA:109 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:LH | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:12 | Germany:o.Al. | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | UK:12 (video rating) | UK:PG (theatrical rating) (cut) | USA:PG (certificate #40021) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Berkeley Breathed (Bloom County) drew the cartoons you see on the adult Walter's desk.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The sections of the biplane have obviously been carefully inserted into precut holes made into the barn.

Quotes:

[Hub and Garth are getting ready to shoot at a traveling salesman]
Walter: Why not see what he's sellin'?
Hub: What the hell for?
Walter: Well what's the good of having all that money if you're never gonna spend it?
Garth: Could be the kid has a point.
Hub: Well. We'll see what the man's sellin'. THEN we'll shoot him.
Garth: Good plan.

Movie Connections:

Featured in On the Set with 'Secondhand Lions' (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Let Me In

And Now For Something Completely Different...

For a VERY long time I've been disgusted with most of the stuff coming out of Hollywood... too many movies with huge budgets and absolutely NO imagination or talent involved. Lately tho, the Hollywood system has slipped a bit, and a few films by SMART people working with nonformula scripts have been falling through the cracks. And they're a refreshing breeze for those of us that don't bother with "One Weekend Wonders" that generate monster box office receipts for two or three weeks, that involve the latest orgasm generator "stars" and a ton of explosives and guns... just to sink into oblivion afterwards, like TITANIC or PEARL HARBOR.

The LAST intelligent movie I saw was A MIGHTY WIND. Right on it's heels, we get SECONDHAND LIONS.

I've been a Robert Duval fan for a LONG time... there's more than a little bit of Sonny from THE APOSTLE, and a taste of Colonel "Bull" Meecham from THE GREAT SANTINI thrown into the character of Hub. He's done a Tour De Force job with the performance. WONDERFUL!!!

The biggest surprise in all of this tho was Michael Caine's take on playing a Texas redneck! It's hard to imagine that the impeccably English Spitfire squadron commander from BATTLE OF BRITAIN could pull off a crusty, aging Texan, but he DOES it beautifully. He even gets the accent down quite well!

This is a film that's a TON of fun from beginning to end. IMHO it's destined to become a classic, very much like Jean Sheppard's A CHRISTMAS STORY.

It's worth the trip. Pick it up, and you won't be sorry.

Gavno