Secondhand Lions Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
13 year old Walter has had a hard life, with his no good floozy of a mother getting together with many equally despicable men. Before going on yet another husband-hunting trip, she drops him off at the house of his great-uncles Hub and Garth. They disappeared for quite a while in their youth, and are rumored to have acquired a great fortune, which Walter's mother hopes to get her hands on if he can ingratiate himself enough to the two cantankerous men. Though reluctant to put up with him at first, Hub and Garth grow to accept Walter, and even tell him fantastic stories of what they were up to while they went missing. When his mother returns, Walter must take charge of his own life, and decide what he's going to do with it.
| 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 |
| Tim McCanlies |
7.50 out of 10 (10138 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Stands out as excellent
posted on 14 Aug 2009Every decade or so, a really special movie comes out, that touches and entertains like few others do. Robert Duvall and Michael Caine are terrific, the story is very good, the flashbacks are also very good. I saw this movie several years after it had come out on a recommendation, and now I recommend it to everyone. It has a special magic. Animal actors are present throughout, and some are important parts of the plot. The animals perform well, and are a delight to see. The movie is funny and poignant. The coming of the boy into the lives of the old curmudgons changes their lives and the boy's, but it's told in a subtle manner. I like the movie, and recommend it to everybody.
Most fun I've ever had sat down.
posted on 12 Aug 2009This film made me laugh and made me cry. The story is a simple one that's been told many times before - mismatched people who end up changing each other. Sure the story is predictable, but it's told in a pleasing way, with a flash-back story unfolding as the main story progresses.Duval and Caine are magnificent - why they weren't nominated for an Oscar beats me. Caine is a much more plausible Texan, than any American that ever tried a cockney accent. Osment is superb, though he struggles a bit to when the part calls for a more adult dialogue.I read that the DVD has the original ending - I hope it's even better than the original - I'm off to buy it in the morning. I so enjoyed this ending, and this was this and the lion attack scene that made me cry - a very, very rare thing in a film.I gave it a 10, and well deserved too.
Best Film Ever
posted on 10 Aug 2009Secondhand Lions was the most outstanding film I have ever seen. It has changed my perspective of the world entirely. Haley Joel Osment deserves an Oscar for his outstanding performance as Walter Caldwell. Caine and Duvall were hilarious and played their roles perfectly. This film is a must-see for everybody. It lifted my spirits and brought my attention to the surface. Highly recommended.
moving, fun, sweetly poignant with such lovable characters
posted on 06 Aug 2009SPOILERS:I did not expect to like this that much at all but I did. I watched it mainly because a friend and I take turns watching movies the other recommends and this was one of her selections. Although I knew the basic plot I simply wouldn't have picked it as my type of thing. I was wrong alright. This movie was lovely. Everything about it is captivating.I won't get into talking about plot specifics but will say this movie is excellent at getting the audience involved in the movie. It's impossible not to adore the uncles almost from the beginning. You know a movie's good when you not only want to meet the characters, but feel sad that they are actually not real. These two uncles are unforgettable.(actually so is the boy and that adorable lion!) and though the movie starts slow it eventually envelops you in the stories and the adventures being talked about.My friend had told me there is a kind of "Narnia" quality about this movie and she is right. People who liked "Chronicles Of Narnia"(a favorite of mine) will probably love this as well. It can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike. It's not unreasonably long, it gets occasionally heavy but never in an unwatchable way, and the Movie has such deep sweetness, that schmaltz lovers better stay away! Seriously, those who don't like sugar sweetness to their films will likely hate this because Second Hand Lions oozes so much of that, it could start a sugar flood! Still, it's a great movie. Dark Edgy films are sometimes great but where would we be without meltingly sweet, heartwarming films such as this as well? This movie is touching and it's message is one of optimism and hope. I loved it and would strongly recommend it to anyone who feels like watching a captivatingly wholesome movie with a very big heart. My vote is 9 of 10.
Straight to the Heart
posted on 29 Jun 2009This is not great moviemaking, but it is a fine move nevertheless. The negatives are matters of construction - it is contrived, lacks realism, and is choppy. The positives are the great actors - especially the old men - and great messages. The film manages to overcome its deficiencies because the messages are so important, and who better to deliver them than Michael Caine and Robert Duvall? I don't think I cried this much since the last time I watched October Sky. Better to watch this than most of what is in the theaters these days.
The sum of the parts = very entertaining
posted on 23 Jun 2009Part fairytale, part tearjerker, part animal movie, generally spells disaster in a film. Not here however, as all of the parts mesh quite nicely and the result is an entertaining movie. Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, and Haley Joel Osment all give believable performances. There is imagination at work and the result is that children 8+ in addition to adults will enjoy "Secondhand Lions". So, if you don't mind breaking out the tissues, I recommend this as an evenings entertainment. For comparison, I would rate another tearjerker "The Three Lives of Thomasina" 6.5., and recommend it as an excellent companion to "Secondhand Lions". - MERK
The forgotten art of story telling
posted on 13 Jun 2009It's 2008 and I have just seen this movie for the first time and my initial reaction is that this movie shows how much Hollywood has forgotten that the movies is visual aspect of story telling. If a movie doesn't have a story line, it's boring...I feel that this movie is one of those few movies coming out of Hollywood these days that doesn't fall back on the "can we get a sequel out of it" genre.The casting has been brilliant in getting the right people for the roles that they play and they bring a lot to the movie. On the whole, I feel that the characters portrayed in this movie have more reality that Rocky or Rambo.
A gentle,almost Fordian,whimsy with revisionist undertones........
posted on 28 May 2009"Second hand lions" sets the received gender wisdom of the last twenty years - gently - on its head.After two decades of movies dominated by strong,brave,loyal,self-reliant and confident women,it dares to show men who have those virtues - once almost their sole prerogative in Hollywood - and a woman who is weak,feckless,vain and stupid.It is set on some barren part of North Texas in 1962 - the date is on a letter opened by young master Osment - but it might as well be 1932.Dusty roads,rusting wire,dilapidated buildings dominate the scenery;you might almost expect to see Bonnie and Clyde bucketing along in the distance hotly pursued by the Law. Two brothers,Mr Michael Caine and Mr Robert Duval own a farm in this benighted part of the land but don't appear to do much farming,spending much of their time sitting on the front porch grumbling at one another with shotguns across their knees.Into this slightly bizarre household comes young master Haley Joe Osment,a boy on the cusp of adolescence who is unceremoniously dumped on them by his mother as she goes in pursuit of her latest beau. Regaled by Mr Caine with tales of the brothers' derring-do thirty years earlier,master Osment might well feel that reports of their adventures had been exaggerated except that he witnesses Mr Duval take on four knife-wielding thugs single-handedly in a bar. Deciding a lion's head might look good mounted in their den,the brothers order one (from Sears Roebuck second hand lions dept?)but when it arrives,old and grizzled as themselves,they are unable to shoot it and let it live in their cornfield,happy in it's own little piece of jungle. Ordered by his mother to search for the fortune she is sure the old men made from robbery in their youth,the boy stumbles upon bags of money hidden in a barn.................. This rites of passage tale feels like a treatment of "To kill a mocking bird" as it might have been envisioned by a late era John Ford with perhaps James Stewart and John Wayne in mind.Not a perhaps rather goody-two-shoes Atticus Finch,but two tough,real men,flawed maybe,but recognisably flesh and blood beings."Tell me how to be a man" implores young Osment,a Fordian sentiment if ever I heard one. Mr Caine,far too often acting with one eye on his bank balance,is superb with an accent spot on for a man who has travelled the world before ending up in Texas.Mr Duval totally believable as the old but bold action man of the pair."Second hand lions",then,is a thoroughly enchanting movie for anybody who has ever been small in a big, confusing world.Has ever listened to fantastic stories and wondered if they could possibly be true before realising that it doesn't actually matter,its the telling that counts.
Amazing movie - one of the best in many years.
posted on 26 May 2009Yes, the ending is corny, but this is a unique, amazing movie. There are so many scenes that have a mythical power to them - the fight scene in the bar, the "what a boy needs to know to be a man" speech and many other scenes are powerful. Every dad should see this movie with his son. I have only watched a few movies more than once - this is one I've watched several times. It hits on many of the themes of a recent book by John Eldgredge called, "Wild at Heart." The values of "some things are worth fighting for," "true love," "a man loving one woman with a passion," "having a purpose in life" and others shine through. Duval is terrific. There's comedy, drama, adventure. Lions has it all. Own this movie. - CB
Good, clean fun!
posted on 16 May 2009POSSIBLE SPOILERSNo sex, booze, little profanity, a little violence, and no nudity make this film a winner in my book. It's a great film for the family, with friends, or by yourself. I saw this on the big screen and it is just wonderful!Robert Duvall and Michael Caine make an excellent pair of old uncles forced to look after and raise a nephew played by Haley Joel Osment. Little kid roles will not come around anymore for Osment due to his age so this film will probably be the last of his "little kid" films. Everytime I saw Osment's character's mom onscreen, I swear, I wanted to slap her soooo bad! The film's ending is a little corny but it shouldn't spoil the entire film.
Good Movie, Disappointed at End (Spoilers)
posted on 12 May 2009S P O I L E R SThis movie was recommended by a friend and I deliberately waited for it to come to the video store. I looked forward to it and was happy with it all the way until the end.I've read the comments about the original ending; however, I don't feel a strong connection with either one. I really don't appreciate the way Hollywood has the "happily ever after" sense of closure to things.The message was "it's okay to believe in things that aren't true." The ending implies that it is possible to always obtain answers to our age old questions. Why did there need to be an answer? Why couldn't he have carried on the lessons his uncle taught him without ever knowing the absolute truth about any of it?I typically don't worry about the little unrealistic items in movies, but this one really went over the top. The sheik's grandson saw the news report, which probably did not include the location; however, his pilot found it within hours after the newscast? It also seems ridiculous to think people could not stay away from there the whole time the uncles lived, but their death makes the news and nobody comes to loot the house looking for the money?Neither ending (original or current) makes the grade for me. Every question simply can't be answered at the end. I can't wait for Hollywood to stop reassuring us that it can.
A refreshing, wholesome movie!
posted on 12 May 2009My wife and I thought this was a wonderful movie. The casting was superb and the story line was nostalgic. With the exception of Secondhand Lions, it's too bad that the movie business has forgotten how to make quality movies. This is the kind of movie grownups can truly enjoy; however, the movie moguls have sought, for the most part, to attract mindless children and childish adults. But, Secondhand Lions provides a moving, emotional experience seldom seen on the big screen anymore. Robert Duvall is clearly one of the finest actors to ever appear in film--he was delightful, and Michael Caine excelled. The return of Halley Joel Osment to the big screen is welcomed. After watching his performance in this film, one can easily conclude that he's not a child actor who won't make the transition to acting as an adult. He's going to be around for a very long time. My personal test of a movie is the answer to the following question. Would I go see it a second time? The answer is a resounding YES!
Fun especially if you paid attention to comic books
posted on 08 May 2009No one seems to be picking up on the 50's comic books and pulp fiction aspects of this film. Look at the sword fights; look at the dungeon... some of this film is about real and unreal and what it does to human imagination.I talked to 8 or so of the women who had just seen the pre-release filming, and we all were bubbling over about how much we liked it and wanted to talk about it...a great omen for word-of-mouth advertising.This film works on a lot of levels....I really really liked it and I want to go see it again, a reaction I don't often have.
Wonderful
posted on 08 May 2009How those two furrin actors played the part of my great-uncles so that all (20 odd) cousins recognized them right down to the combination of brutality and compassion I'll never know. But I am grateful. I love this movie.The part Haley Joe Osment played reminded me of so many kids I've seen in the last 30 years. I would that they would all be so lucky. As with, of course, Mr. Miyagi the difficulty is that there is a dearth of the real life chars.May my own life be so enjoyable and may you allcontinue to live yours so fully. This is, obviously again, the real message.
Great movie for the family if the kids are teen agers
posted on 02 May 2009My wife and I enjoyed this movie. The 2 uncles reminded my wife and I of her father and his brother to a tee. Robert Duvall and Michael Caine are excellent and so is Haley. It is a very enjoyable movie for the family if the kids are 12 or older. It just goes to show you that great movies can be made without sex,violence,and/or swearing.
Gentle yet more substantial than a first viewing offers
posted on 26 Apr 2009This is a very gentle film - not as gripping as Big Fish but in a similar genre - which is worth a second look and therefore a reappraisal.Ostensibly a coming-of-age film, I saw it more as an abandoned child's (surely Walter is such) search for belonging: a search for affirmation that life is more than being cast-off as worthless by the person she/he loves, and therefore worth living. At one point Walter indicates that he is sick of being lied to by his mother, Mae, apparently always dumping him for the "new boyfriend" in her life. And thus we come to the crux of the movie."Secondhand Lions" refers as much to the curmudgeonly uncles, Garth and Hub, (eccentric characters wonderfully understated/underplayed by Michael Caine and Robert Duvall) as it does to the "used" lion that the brothers purchase. Walter first becomes fascinated by Garth's fantastical tales of Africa, but when Garth "misremembers" the rescue of Jasmine, the only love of his brother's life, Walter starts to question the truth behind their past. Indeed, having witnessed Hub's (apparent) sleepwalking, Walter doubts the sanity of his uncles.Earlier, however, on arrival at their decaying home, the child has discovered a well-traveled cabin trunk; and, upon opening it, discovers sand covering a portrait of whom he later learns is Jasmine - the love of Hub's life. Later, in a show of bravado when he names the ageing "secondhand" lion "Jasmine", the threads of Hub's story come together and, intriguingly enough, when Walter appears to be leaving, it is Hub whom he fiercely hugs. In a sense, Hub's loss of Jasmine mirrors his own emptiness.OK. It's gentle, but I offer that the constant (I would argue not intrusive) symbolism and allegories work. Walter exposes a pointless existence in as much as the brothers are waiting to die - and gives them a reason to live. And, of course, they live beyond his and their wildest dreams. But those dreams are shown, finally, as truth. The denouement, twee as it might seem, fits the script. The treasure/money which Walter's mother Mae told him to seek becomes the love/relationship which he needed.(By the way, it's OK to cry. Big boys do that too. I did.)
I wanted to stand up and applaud!
posted on 14 Aug 2009It is rare that I want to respond to a movie with applause, but this one just hit all the right notes along the way. A VERY enjoyable movie - one that we look forward to owning when the DVD arrives.It was great to see a movie that was intelligent, entertaining, and emotional without being sappy. It was wonderful to see a movie where we weren't being cursed at every other phrase, where people's innards were not being graphically blown out and where vehicles were not jumped, smashed, rolled or exploded on a rapid fire basis.What don't they make more movies like this?*** Very mild spoiler***As a teacher who sees children everyday whose parents need to grow up and put their children's needs first, I wanted to shout "AMEN" when Walter asks his mom, "Can't you please, just once, do what is best for me?"Great movie, great acting, great story, Must see...