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Secondhand Lions

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Secondhand Lions (2003)

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Reviews Counted:130

Fresh:78

Rotten:52

Average Rating:6.1/10

Consensus: A wholesome but schmaltzy movie.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic material, language and action violence

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:Sep 19, 2003 Wide

Box Office: $41,407,470

Synopsis: For 14-year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment), his great uncles’ farm in rural Texas is the last place on earth he wants to spend the summer. Dumped off by his mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), in the... For 14-year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment), his great uncles’ farm in rural Texas is the last place on earth he wants to spend the summer. Dumped off by his mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), in the middle of nowhere with two crazy old men and the promise that she’ll come back for him, Walter doesn’t know what to believe in. Eccentric and gruff, Hub and Garth McCaan (Robert Duvall and Michael Caine) are rumored to have been bank robbers, mafia hit men and/or war criminals in their younger days. The truth is elusive, although they do seem to have an endless supply of cash. But Walter begins to see a new side to his great uncles when he stumbles on an old photograph of a beautiful woman hidden away in a trunk and asks Garth who she is. Little by little, through stories spun against the backdrop of the dusty Texas night, an amazing story comes to life via Walter’s vivid, colorful imaginings – a tale set in a long-ago exotic, mysterious place where men rode stallions and fought with swords; where beautiful princesses tangled with treacherous sheiks; and where the two unlikely heroes lived an adventure most people only dream of. Whether true or not, the uncles’ tales become a doorway to a staggering new world for the boy to live out their adventures. They also give Walter something true to believe in – a world where honor and valor mean more than money and power, and a place that, real or not, belongs only to him. Likewise, in telling their stories to their nephew, Hub and Garth begin to see their own lives with new eyes. Over one unpredictable Central Texas summer in the early 1960’s, everything in the lives of this new family of strangers is about to change forever. New Line Cinema presents Secondhand Lions, written and directed by Tim McCanlies, who wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed animated film, The Iron Giant. The film stars Academy Award winners Michael Caine and Robert Duvall and Academy Award nominee Haley Joel Osment. Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Christian Kane and Kevin Michael Haberer co-star. A David Kirschner Production in association with Digital Domain Productions, the film is produced by David Kirschner, Scott Ross and Corey Sienega. The executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Mark Kaufman, Janis Rothbard Chaskin, Karen Loop and Kevin Cooper. The co-producer is Amy Sayres. The behind-the-scenes talent includes costume designer Gary Jones, editor David Moritz, production designer David J. Bomba, director of photography Jack Green, ASC and composer Patrick Doyle. Secondhand Lions (rated PG by the M.P.A.A. for “thematic material, language and action violence”) will be released in theaters nationwide on September 19th, 2003. [More]

Starring: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick

Starring: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt

Director: Tim McCanlies

Director: Tim McCanlies
Screenwriter: Tim McCanlies
Producer: David Kirschner, Scott Ross, Corey Sienega
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Release:

Dec 1, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

Blu-ray Disc Features:

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Reviews for Secondhand Lions

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1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
N/R

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Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
09/28/03
Boston Phoenix
N/R

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Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
09/20/03
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Ronnie Scheib
Ronnie Scheib
Variety
N/R

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Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/01/03
Todd R. Ramlow
Todd R. Ramlow
PopMatters
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

With such a bang-up cast, this setup could at least elicit some tears, but in its 107 minutes, nary a one welled up in my eyes.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
09/18/03
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune

A saccharine, inoffensive kids movie, which might seem more at home as a made-for-cable affair.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
09/18/03
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Maybe you should let the grandparents take the kids to this one.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
09/18/03
Bill Pearis
Bill Pearis
Citysearch

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
09/27/03
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
Modamag.com

Tries so hard to be quirky and loveable that it hurts to watch.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
09/18/03
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Don't allow the ending to ruin the film. Ignore it.

Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
09/18/03
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

Lions' iron whimsy is a jackhammer on the heart.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
09/19/03
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's attitude toward female characters is so relentlessly cruel and dismissive, that it's impossible to pay attention to all the supposedly sweet stuff that surrounds Lions' hard-hearted center.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
09/19/03
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

There are too many leaden moments and odd shifts in tone to keep Lions from winning us over.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
09/18/03
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

Duval and Caine make the film watchable, but there's too much gunplay for the movie to truly be the child-friendly entertainment that it pretends.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
06/13/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

A gooey, syrupy mess.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
09/16/03
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

[T]he real lesson here may be for Haley Joel Osment, who could well have Dickie Roberts II in his future.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
01/01/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
 
 
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Latest News for Secondhand Lions

August 01, 2005: Haley Joel Osment Plans a "Giant" Comeback
The Hollywood Reporter brings us some news from an old (young) friend: Haley Joel Osment plans to return to the big screen in "Home of the Giants," an indie drama... More...

July 18, 2005: Trailer Bulletin: Saw 2 (teaser)
Fans of last year's indie horror hit "Saw" will want to head on over to the sequel's official site and check out the brief but tantalizing look at "Saw 2."... More...

September 19, 2002: "Had I not known that The Iron Giant and New Line's forthcoming Secondhand Lions shared the same screenwriter in Tim McCanlies, I most likely would have written off Lions as the work of a first-timer still in the process of honing his craft..." Opens in new window
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