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Movies / On DVD / Secondhand Lions
Secondhand Lions

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Secondhand Lions (2003)

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Reviews Counted:131

Fresh:79

Rotten:52

Average Rating:6.1/10

Consensus: A wholesome but schmaltzy movie.

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Childrens

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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Reviews for Secondhand Lions

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121 - 139 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Osment’s the weak link in the movie and because of the substantial amount of time he spends on screen, his weak link status is highly noticeable and very distracting.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
09/18/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

A bit clumsy for a film that too often tries to jump from slapstick to drama to action thriller.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
09/17/03
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

With no baseline 'truth' to be found among the cartoony characters and cheesy twists, the whole production feels like a Texas-size load of secondhand lyin'.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
09/17/03
Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Entertainment Weekly

Just silly and sappy enough that it might appeal to preteens, but I can't see many outside of that age group embracing it.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
09/17/03
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

Ridiculous scripting and a geeky, grating performance by the needy, too-old-for-this-role Osment sets the teeth on edge.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
09/17/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: www.susangranger.com | comment Comment
09/17/03
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

A movie the whole family can enjoy.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
09/17/03
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like Hub, [writer-director] McCanlies’s heart is in the right place, but his head could use a little straightening out… a decent but flawed film that had the potential to be a very good one.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
09/17/03
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

Attempts many different things and succeeds in all of them. It’s like the ambitions of Gigli were met with the success of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
09/16/03
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
About.com

A gooey, syrupy mess.

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

Despite flaws that are (for the most part) easily overlooked, this film has enough charm and whimsy to capture the attention and imagination of children and parents alike.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
09/16/03
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

A thirdhand lark.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
09/16/03
Ed Park
Ed Park
Village Voice

A waste of three fine actors.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
09/16/03
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

It’s scary to think of how much better this king of the jungle could’ve been had it possessed the sharp teeth of its animal namesake and took a serious bite out of the plump themes of family greed, lost love and misspent youth.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
09/16/03
Sean O'Connell
Sean O'Connell
Filmcritic.com

Schmaltzy? Absolutely. But in the hands of three exceptional actors, Secondhand Lions is totally entertaining and heartwarming. I'm adding it to my best-of-year list.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
09/16/03
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Awash in nostalgia, Lions combines a gentle coming-of-age story with swashbuckling fantasy.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
09/12/03
Sheri Linden
Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Secondhand Lions is too great a film to be completely destroyed by the fading abilities of an awkward man-child.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
09/06/03
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com

I came out of Secondhand Lions feeling manipulated but not minding.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
09/05/03
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

While this unabashedly sweet and sentimental tale is everything I was afraid it would be, I could not help but be affected by it, largely due to Duvall's perfectly pitched performance

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
09/03/03
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews
 
 
121 - 139 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
all

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
More...

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