Secondhand Lions

"The McCann brothers have finally met their match."

2003 1h 51m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 864

FamilyComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The comedic adventures of an introverted boy left on the doorstep of a pair of reluctant, eccentric great-uncles, whose exotic remembrances stir the boy's spirit and re-ignite the men's lives.

“The McCann brothers have finally met their match.”

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Cast

Michael Caine
Garth
Robert Duvall
Hub
Haley Joel Osment
Walter
Josh Lucas
Adult Walter
Kyra Sedgwick
Mae
Christian Kane
Young Hub
Nicky Katt
Stan
Eric Balfour
Sheik's Grandson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tim McCanlies
Writers: Tim McCanlies
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tim McCanlies, shot by Jack N. Green. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Moritz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Michael Caine and Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The McCann brothers have finally met their match.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0327137 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tim McCanlies directs. Jack N. Green behind the camera. Patrick Doyle scores. David Moritz cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 23 years ago.
2Directed by Tim McCanlies, shot by Jack N. Green. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor David Moritz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Michael Caine and Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The McCann brothers have finally met their match.".
7IMDB entry: tt0327137 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "farm", "texas", "lion", "money".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jack N. Green
Original score: Patrick Doyle
Editing: David Moritz
Production design: David J. Bomba
Costume design: Gary Jones
Makeup / hair: Carla Palmer
Stunt coordinator: Walter Scott
Runtime: 111 min · 1h 51m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.78:1 (16:9)
Status: Released
Box office: $48,260,279
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Secondhand Lions (2003)

Also by

Tim McCanlies

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Peter McGinn2020-09-24
★ 7/10
I found Secondhand Lions to be a pleasant and entertaining watch overall. The manner in which the past history was told to the boy reminded me of Peter Falk in the Neverending Story, but I guess there are only so many ways you can have an old man relate an adventure yarn to a youngster. Some of the storyline seemed rather predictable to me, but there were enough surprising little touches to keep me interested. It was well worth the time. It was apparently considered to be a transitional role for the young lead actor, Haley Joel Osmont, from The Sixth Sense and Pay It Forward, to more mature roles. Interestingly, when it showed comic strips drawn by the boy as an adult, it reminded my strongly of Walt Kelly’s Pogo, and the character’s name is also Walt. But it was probably just my perception, for I read the fictional strips were drawn by Berke Breathed, an excellent cartoonist In his own right, who was apparently influenced by the a Doonesbury strip, not Pogo.
Wuchak2021-07-13
★ 7/10
Learning about life from your two eccentric uncles in central Texas In the summer of 1962, a troubled, introverted boy (Haley Joel Osment) is dropped off by his dubious mother (Kyra Sedgwick) at the remote home of his two great-uncles in central Texas (Michael Caine and Robert Duvall). His money-loving mom and other relatives are only interested in their (supposed) hidden cache of wealth while the kid simply needs their acceptance, wisdom and love. "Secondhand Lions" (2003) is a quirky coming-of-age drama that combines elements of “A Perfect World” (1993) and “Sling Blade” (1996) with the amusement of Indiana Jones, “Simon Birch” (1998) and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000). It’s entertaining, enlightening and heartwarming all at the same time. Yet it’s more than just a coming-of-age drama because it effectively addresses one’s usefulness in life after his/her physical prime. It’s also a good animal flick, although they’re peripheral. The film runs 1 hour, 49 minutes, and was shot in the Austin, Texas, area, including Pflugerville, Manor (fight at store) & Lockhart, Texas. GRADE: B