Secondhand Lions (2003)

Good concept, poorly executed.

best movie i've ever seen.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Usually, in this formula of coming-of-age films, it's a troubled young girl who gets sent to her grandmother's house, ultimately learns the errors of her ways, and becomes a better person. In Secondhand Lions, Haley Joel Osment gets sent to his great-uncles' farm. This type of squeaky-clean, goody-goody story is usually watched by women, which is why they usually star women. The added testosterone of three men in the lead roles made the film feel a little strange. Tim McCanlies's script tried to add a masculine plot line about finding a hidden stash of gold, but it was a storyline that didn't really appeal to women. All in all, the film doesn't really work.Michael Caine and Robert Duvall play Haley's great-uncles, and the real problem with the film is spoken by the latter's character. He says, in teaching a life lesson to his nephew, that he believes all people are genuinely good. The reason this line of dialogue doesn't resonate is the same reason the rest of the film doesn't work: it's not speaking to the right audience. If a grandmother character said that line to her granddaughter, the women in the audience would feel warm and fuzzy inside and the movie would have been a hit. Women, especially in this genre of films, have a special close-knit circle of "girl power" that would make that line believable. Men face disappointments as soon as they are old enough to chase after their dreams; they live through daily struggles, internal frustrations, and never-ending regrets. I can't imagine a man of Robert Duvall's age truly believing that all people are good.

Michael Caine and Robert Duvall are the "Secondhand Lions" in this 2003 film featuring Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick and Josh Lucas.Set in 1962, Caine and Duvall are brothers Garth and Hub, in their fifties when the film begins. They live an isolated life with five dogs and a pig on a farm. They mostly sit on the porch with rifles and shoot at salespeople -- the word is out that Garth and Hub have amassed a fortune.This knowledge attracts unwelcome relatives to the farm as well. One day their floozie niece (Sedgwick) drops off her quiet, sad son Walter and heads for a courtroom transcriber school. So she says. What she wants is for Walter to find their uncles' money while she's away.Garth and Hub don't want Walter, but soon, the boy begins to enjoy himself. One day a salesman comes to offer Garth and Hub a skeet shooter. They're about to pull their guns when Walter says, What good is money if you don't spend it? Soon the men are buying all kinds of things, including new clothes for yard work for themselves and Walter, seeds for planting, and a lion they plan on shooting. The lion they get is female and old - and they don't end up shooting it.Walter finds a photo of a beautiful woman in his room and asks Garth about it. Garth tells Walter stories about the mens' adventures when they were young, which include fighting off a sheikh in a distant land and saving the fair Jasmine, whom Hub marries and is the woman in the photo. But she's not there now, and Walter wonders what happened to her.What a beautiful film that shows the power of love and connection as these two grouches, considering their lives over, save this boy, bounced around while his mother finds new boyfriends, and how he enriches theirs. There is a great deal of humor and poignancy here. This is so much more than a family film. You have two stellar actors, Caine and Duval, for one thing, a beautiful performance by Osment, and excellent supporting players, particularly Sedgwick, a favorite of mine.I've probably seen about 4500 films in my life, most of which are reviewed by me on IMDb. Discounting the classics of the Golden Era and just taking the post-1960 films, I think some of the best were Road to Perdition, Phoenix, No Country for Old Men, Interiors, Remember, Divided We Fall, Run Lola Run -- in the end, maybe 25 stick out as being special. This is one.I think today with so much turmoil around us, we need to get in touch with some simpler values and take a break from all of the dark films and the CGI technique once in a while. There is nothing hokey about this film, and I highly recommend it.

When Robert Duval finishes his speech about what all young men should hear, I was truly touched..."(true) love never dies" plus the fact that honesty, truth, loyalty and honor are the most important thins in life. This is what I have been looking for, in anyone running for high office in 2016. What a heart breaker this year has been. As for Robert Duvall, is their no role he is unable to play? Michael Caine's attempt at a West Texas accent was a great attempt one, but not nearly as good as, perhaps, Damian Lewis would have done it. I was thoroughly engaged by this movie. No profanity, no nudity or violence, not later vitiated. it can done Hollywood, without artificiality and lab conjured nonsense

Secondhand Lions is a heartwarming film suitable for both children and adults alike. It is entertaining superficially for children, yet contains a complex plot and in-depth emotional development that most adults will find entertaining. This film skillfully mixes emotions, action and an interesting character development scenario that definitely makes it worth a watch. The acting in Secondhand Lions has mostly good quality acting throughout the film, however I felt that Walter, played by Haley Joel Osment, was overdone in a few scenes. Nevertheless, any scene that was flawed was amply compensated for by Michael Caine and Robert Duvall playing Garth and Hub. The combined experience and comedy of these two men is invaluable. In addition to the main characters, the secondary characters were also all well played, although in some circumstances the acting appeared slightly 'cheesy'. The overall storyline and plot were well laid out and written in an easy to understand way. As I mentioned earlier, Secondhand Lions is easy to understand, but still contains in-depth material that will leave you thinking for days after your first viewing of the film. The plot contains many common concepts such as multiple conflicts between good and evil in which good triumphs, love and hate, and adventurous youth. But this film also has some less common plot concepts, such as coming of age, which is interestingly paired with an 'ageing past your prime' concept. Throughout the film, we see how Walter slowly learns how to be a man, and how Garth an especially Hub, learn how to find usefulness in their old age. Secondhand Lions makes use of several techniques which include flashbacks, proper use (and style) of music, as well as believable characters and storyline. The proper integration of these qualities into the film make it comprehensibly and logical, while still stirring emotions and feelings. Very rarely does a movie achieve both logical and emotion ends at the same time. Overall, Secondhand Lions is a quality film that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. The combination of all the factors I mentioned previously, whether they be negative or positive, turn this film into a completely unique experience rivaled by no other. I can only hope that newer films with large budgets do not eclipse this film from the minds of the continent wide film community. Either way, Secondhand Lions has a spot on my favorites list, and it is there to stay. Travis Langendoen