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 and Garth, Walter's great-uncles, have stolen a lot of gold and 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 | held at swordpoint | foreign legion | foreign legionaire | jarhead | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Haley Joel Osment was attacked by the pig during filming. The lion had numerous trainers and handlers, but no one thought the pig might be a menace.

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Goofs

When Walter is drinking a root beer on the porch, Hub asks him if he is enjoying his root beer. The pronunciation he uses is that of a midwesterner (ruit or r'it) as opposed to that of a southerner (root like rute).

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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 Be Kind Rewind (2008)

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Soundtracks

Help Me
Written by Ralph Bass, Sonny Boy Williamson (as Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson) and Willie Dixon
Performed by Sonny Boy Williamson
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A Perfect Family Film

A classic. This is one of those male bonding movies one tends to cringe at nowadays, but there's no cringing here. Due to the wonderful script, direction and acting by all the principals, this one unfolds like a rose in bloom. Before you know it the movie has you in its grasp and the characters become 3-dimensional and their battles become yours as well. The plot is simple...a teenager is dumped on his great-uncles by his scheming mother who wants the kid to find where the uncles have hidden their fortune. The uncles, played by Michael Caine, sans British accent, and Robert Duvall, work well together as brothers slow to warm to the boy, played by Haley Joel Osment. Eventually the layers peel away and the boy learns about the earlier thrilling adventures of the uncles and begins to see them as role models. But then, are the stories true? Should the boy return to his mother? Should the uncles fight to keep him around? The ending had me in tears. Tears of happiness. A perfect film for the entire family.

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema [United States] Official Site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Secondhand Lions

Filming Locations:

Cele Store - 18726 Cameron Road, Manor, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,900,000, 21 September 2003

Gross USA:

$42,070,939

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,260,279

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