Secondhand Lions (2003)

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.

Director:

Tim McCanlies

Writer:

Tim McCanlies

Stars:

Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

"Secondhand Lions" follows the comedic adventures of an introverted boy left on the doorstep of a pair of reluctant, eccentric great-uncles, whose exotic remembrances stir the boy's spirit and re-ignite the men's lives.

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Plot Keywords:

money | texas | lion | steak on black eye | farm | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material, language and action violence

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema [us] Official Site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Afrikan salaisuudet

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$168,625 (Japan) (9 July 2004)

Gross:

$521,208 (Japan) (16 July 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, David Kirschner Productions, Digital Domain

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Haley Joel Osment was contracted without knowing which studio would make the movie and who were the other main leads. This was against standard Hollywood practice and surprised Eugene Osment (Haley's father and manager) at first, but he agreed to "use" his son to get the remainder of the cast and the studio.

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Goofs

When Stan and Walter are talking about the money on the front porch, he puts his hand on his shoulder twice.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Adult Walter: [answering the phone] Hello?
Sheriff: Walter?
Adult Walter: Yes.
Sheriff: This is Sheriff Brady. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. It's about your uncles.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits, the adult Walter's cartoons depict a variety of adventures.

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Connections

Referenced in 'Secondhand Lions': One Screenplay's Wild Ride in Hollywood (2004)

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Soundtracks

"A Lot of Livin' To Do"
Written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams
Performed by Sammy Davis Jr.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
by arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

Easy To Recommend

It sounds like a cliché, but I don't know anybody who didn't like this film. I recommended it to a number of people, and all were impressed with it as I was.

Excellent acting and an interesting low-key story make this a very enjoyable 110 minutes of entertainment. A story about two old geezers who take in a 14-year- old to their home for a month doesn't sound too exciting but this film will surprise you.

It's tough to find two elder gentlemen as good and appealing as Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, anyway, so you have two winners right there. Add a fine, fine young actor in Haley Joel Osment and now you have three excellent actors who comprise most of the lines of the film.

This is one of those rare "guarantee" movies in which you can safely tell your friends to watch it and not regret the recommendation.