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

The ending was re-shot due to negative test-screening feedback. The re-shot cost $600,000. The original ending will be available on the DVD.

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Goofs

In the beginning we see a bunch of signs such as radioactive signs on the way up the driveway but in later shots the lane isn't that long and the signs aren't there.

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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

Featured in Haley Joel Osment: An Actor Comes of Age (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Let Me In"
Written by Yvonne Baker, Alphonso Howell and George Minor
Performed by The Sensations
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Very Special

I cannot see how anyone would dis this movie unless they especially disliked a particular actor. I thought the casting was great, right down to the secondhand lion and the pig. The flashbacks were hilarious because as we age, the things we did before become more dramatic and are further enhanced. No one thinks about their past in terms of mediocrity, and this was brought out in the flashback scenes. Osment was a superb cast in this movie because of his unchanging facial expression. He has been burnt out with lies and his mother's constant searching for a husband only to find another loser.His comment to his mother said it all. Here was a kid who had met a lot of "uncles", so here were two more uncles that he was being pawned off on.

Robert Duvall and Michael Caine are the only two actors that come to mind who could pull this off. I plan to add this to my collection and would highly recommend it to anyone who has a ever daydreamed about far off places or dares to dream about what might have been.

Hollywood has gone off the deep end in trying to project a certain political ideology and this has hurt the overall film industry. It is no wonder that when a good movie like this comes out, it is not given a second look and is soon forgotten. It's sad.