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258 of 265 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(4 1/2) A Delightful Time with Duvall, Caine and Osment, October 7, 2003
As this film opens, a sullen fourteen year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment) is about to be deposited with his two gruff and irascible old uncles against his will by his mother Mae (Kyra Sedgwick) while she supposedly pursues her education and a career. Hub and Garth McCann, played respectively by Robert Duvall and Michael Caine, are no more enamored of the arrangement than is Walter, but an uneasy truce occurs between them as Walter comes to understand their eccentricities and in fact serves as somewhat of an outlet for Garth's desire to settle down somewhat in his final years. One of the elements twhich makes the film a true delight is the extreme nature of the antics of these "old men", whether it is shooting at traveling salesmen for fun or alienating their relatives to maintain their solitude. The backdrop to the story is that Hub and Garth are rumored to be quite wealthy; and in fact Walter's mother instructs him to attempt to locate the source and location of their supposed wealth. (Perhaps the mafia, or bank robberies, or the foreign legion?) As Walter settles in with them and their numerous dogs (and a pig who thinks he's a dog), the "plot suddenly thickens" as Hub acts strangely and Walter discovers mysterious evidence of a beautiful young woman somewhere in their history. Garth tells Walter a fantastic tale of foreign adventure and intrigue involving Hub and the enchanting princess Jasmine, and the story is actually incorporated into the movie in the form of the adventure epics of fifty years ago with Emanuelle Vaugier playing the role of Hub's lost love. Meanwhile, some "used" circus animals arrive, including a tired and sick old lion who Walter nurses back to health as he enjoys the "jungle" habitat provided by the corn field that has emerged from their failed attempt to grow a vegetable garden. The movie reaches a wonderful climax as the forces of good confront the forces of evil (true comic book style) and Walter is forced to confront the fact that life is full of surprises, not all of which include happy endings, and that we have to be strong enough to accept unpleasant truths and move on. But, of course, any description of the plot doesn't convey the appeal of this film; the storyline is simply the backdrop for the life which is infused into this movie by the superb performances of the stars, the excellent directing, and the way in which the story unfolds. It is fun yet touching, with enough elements of the unexpected interspersed with truly laugh out loud humorous incidents to make the almost two hours fly by. It's hard to know who is more appealing, those old second hand lions Robert Duvall and Michael Caine (who put their superb talents to use in a film they have stated that they really enjoyed making) or Jasmine, the circus lion who late in life was destined for her moment of glory. And the story has a marvelous symmetry, both in the juxtaposition of the opening and closing scenes and in the brief appearance of Josh Lucas as the adult Walter. Finally, the climatic moment is followed by a gradual conclusion to the story which incorporates a truly wonderful finale. In some aspects this is a far from perfect film; in some respects it would be easy to write a critical review detailing the fact that the plot was pure fantasy and that no attempt was made to seriously address many of the issues which the movie raises. But such criticisms would not be consistent with the mood which the movie evoked for me and the remainder of the audience. This movie is about life, about its surprises and its enjoyment, and as corny as it is it is also great fun. I enjoyed it so much that I have chosen to ignore one of my personal reviewing rules; I decided to round up my rating to five stars in spite of the fact that I haven't decided if it is good enough so that I will want to own the DVD. I know that I'll enjoy watching it several more times and decided that was good enough. So, go see this lighthearted film when you want to smile and laugh and feel good about life and it will confirm that whether you're old or a teenager it's still possible to learn and grow and have a good time. Tucker Andersen
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73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Firstrate Lionhearted, April 1, 2004
It occurs to me as I sit here pondering my review of "Secondhand Lions" that I must somehow cloak the first words that come to mind. Words, phrases, such as "a feel-good movie" or "good family fun" or "heart-warming." As if it were, well, "uncool" to label a movie such things these days, almost like a movie kiss of death. Isn't this a time of Hollywood special effects? Of hot babes and pyrotechnics? Of gratuitous violence and sensationalism? So it is. And so this movie is not. And oh, we are a glad audience for it! Haley Joel Osment, to whom many of us in the movie audience were introduced in "Sixth Sense," plays Walter, a young boy whose mother (Kyra Sedgewick) pursues everything in life but motherhood. He finds himself dumped like excess baggage on the well weathered front stoop of his two uncles' country house. The uncles, played with wonderful eccentricity by Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, resist but later embrace their young nephew. How the three bond into a true family is a tale that does indeed warm the heart, lighten the spirit, and perhaps even restore a faded belief in today's cynical world that goodness, yes, goodness, still has a place on the silver screen. Osment is absolutely first rate in this movie, and the two vintage stars, Caine and Duvall, still shine as brightly as ever, if not more so. It may be that the popularity of movies such as this could send Hollywood a message. Good is still good on the movie screen.
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114 of 122 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful family film! Rare these days., October 10, 2003
This was a great movie. I just saw it last night -- for the second time. With Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Haley Joel Osment, how could they go wrong? But there's many a film out there that boasts a multi-talented all-star cast and yet still fails to deliver the goods. SECONDHAND LIONS is not one of them. The story is about young Walter who is just barely in his teens and is sent to live with his two great uncles. He constantly hears rumors of their hidden treasure that they stole from Al Capone, or took from a wealthy Arab, or obtained through a lawsuit, or...whatever you want to believe. Throughout the movie, Walter learns from his uncles, Hub and Garth, how to grow into a man and what the truly important things are in life; and Garth and Hub learn from Walter how to enjoy life to the fullest. The drama here is fantastic, and only once does the emotionalism get a little over-the-top (which is why I gave it four stars instead of five). The acting is fantastic. In this adventurous film you'll be reminded of images of INDIANA JONES, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, among many others. ... I wish every goofball (i.e. summer blockbuster) filmmaker in Hollywood -- you know, the ones that think creative filmmaking means having alot of CGI characters jumping around on skyscrapers and fighting villains in Power Ranger suits -- would simply sit down and watch SECONDHAND LIONS. Then they would know how to make a good movie.
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