Secondhand Lions

I cannot see how anyone would dis this movie unless they especially disliked a particular actor. I thought the casting was great, right down to the secondhand lion and the pig. The flashbacks were hilarious because as we age, the things we did before become more dramatic and are further enhanced. No one thinks about their past in terms of mediocrity, and this was brought out in the flashback scenes. Osment was a superb cast in this movie because of his unchanging facial expression. He has been burnt out with lies and his mother's constant searching for a husband only to find another loser.His comment to his mother said it all. Here was a kid who had met a lot of "uncles", so here were two more uncles that he was being pawned off on.

Robert Duvall and Michael Caine are the only two actors that come to mind who could pull this off. I plan to add this to my collection and would highly recommend it to anyone who has a ever daydreamed about far off places or dares to dream about what might have been.

Hollywood has gone off the deep end in trying to project a certain political ideology and this has hurt the overall film industry. It is no wonder that when a good movie like this comes out, it is not given a second look and is soon forgotten. It's sad.

Who would have ever thought that Michael Caine and Robert Duvall would ever be in a movie together? These two actors have played such opposite characters in their acting careers that putting them together in a movie would be a major task...however, this movie not only succeeds in the pairing but also excels in it. The two actors support each other magnificently, making the movie such a treat to watch. The movie is uplifting and such a blast, masterfully combining comic relief with more serious themes. (I nearly died laughing when Michael Caine said the word "ain't," never dreaming in a thousand I would hear the British actor go country.) The movie is a perfect "coming of age" story, with good morals and lessons. I don't want to go into too much detail with the movie, less I ruin some truly amazing scenes, but I recommend it for any family movie night.

I have been told by many people this was a great movie and one I needed to watch. Well finally I watched it today and it didn't disappoint me. It has so many great elements to it. I laughed in some parts and cried my eyes out in others. I loved the line "...died with his (or her) boots on." It's a great statement about living your life to the fullest and believing in the things that really matter like love and honor. The actors were fabulous. I think young Haley Joel Osment has a lot to offer films and I hope we see much more of him in the future. Michael Caine never disappoints me and I love his Texas accent in the film. Overall, this is truly one movie fit for all ages. A true heartwarming film with a great message for anyone who will hear it.

Plot

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.

Cast

Haley Joel Osment, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall with support from Christian Kane, Emmanuelle Vaugier and brief appearance by Eric Balfour.

Verdict

When it comes to entertainment my dad is a hard man to please, he doesn't really like music (No really), and when it comes to movies and television he's so picky it's intolerable. Secondhand Lions is one of the few films he's enjoyed and perhaps the only thing he's ever recommended me. I didn't rush to watch it, based on what I'd seen and read it didn't appeal but I'm a man of my word and eventually got round to it.

To my surprise, it was not what I expected at all. And to be clear what I mean by that is that it's a remarkably good film, endearing, heartfelt, well constructed and had me unable to look away.

It's not exactly a new tale, we've seen it before and is ultimately a coming of age story but I'm not sure I've ever seen it done quite this well.

Serious when it needs to be serious, funny when it needs to be funny and positively whimsical when it needs to be whimsical.

Rants

A lot of people moan that there simply aren't enough "Innocent" films out there. No sex, little to no violence, just focusing on character development and a wholesome story. I'd agree that there aren't enough but disagree that's the only thing we need. Secondhand Lions is an "Innocent" film but it does have violence yet I'm not corrupted nor more violent as a result from watching it. Each to his/her own.

Breakdown

Great performances (Even Caine is passable) Fantastic story Constructed perfectly A film that sticks with you Sad moment that I didn't appreciate.

I see just about every movie that comes out in the theatre and this was by far, one of the best films of the year. I really enjoyed the story and the interaction with Haley, Robert, and Michael. I'm no prude, but -- it is refreshing to see a movie that doesn't have to rely on language, nudity, violence and sex to be good. After seeing Robert Duval's standout performance in this film and OPEN RANGE (along with his various other films) I can say that he is fast becoming one of my favorite actors next to Robert De Niro. Go see this movie!!