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:

Haley Joel Osment, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall

1 win & 6 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

A boy named Walter is dropped by his mother Mae at his great-uncles' house. Later,Walter will find out his great-uncles' big secret. And rumors say that Hub & Garth, Walter's great uncles, have stolen much gold & money. (some say they stole it from Al Capone) Did they really steal that money or not?

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Plot Keywords:

male protagonist | money | texas | animal in title | no opening credits | 

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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 [United States] Official Site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Afrikas hemligheter

Filming Locations:

Cele Store, Manor, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,139,832, 21 September 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$41,407,470, 9 November 2003

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

EASTER EGG: On the DVD Special Features menu, go to "On The Set with Secondhand Lions" and then press left. A short bloopers reel is shown with Haley Joel Osment and Nicky Katt in the barn.

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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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Alternate Versions

For the UK cinema release, the distributors requested a PG certificate from the BBFC and 21 secs of footage was cut to remove shots of flick knives and violence. DVD releases were upgraded to a 12 certificate and the cuts were reinstated.

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Connections

Referenced in Unbearables: The Rules of the Game: Serena Williams and the Dark Art of the Rhetorical Question (2018)

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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.