Secondhand Lions

Secondhand Lions

     Although this film is a little too sweet, Secondhand Lions is a funny, heart-warming, and charming movie that the entire family can enjoy. Haley Joel Osment stars in this film about truth and coming of age. Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Kyra Sedgwick round out the star-studded cast necessary to pull off this interesting if not eccentric movie.

     Secondhand Lions starts off with a phone call to Walter to let him know that both of his uncles have passed away. The story quickly shifts to his flashback of how he met and got to know these two interesting characters during a summer of self-reflection and discovery. Walter recalls the awkward trip to his great uncles’ farm with his unstable mother.

     When Walter and his mother, Mae (Sedgwick), arrive at the farm she informs her son that their visit is a surprise. The duo find Hub (Duvall) and Garth (Caine) shotgun-fishing in the pond. After explaining her situation, the two brothers seem reluctant about keeping Walter; however, Mae is unfazed by their lack of interest and just instructs her son to be on the look out for a rumored stash of cash that her uncles have amassed over time. Once she has given her final instructions, our Mother-Of-The-Year drives out of her child’s life and does not look back.

     As the movie progresses, we get a glimpse into each character and what makes them tick. Hub represents the strong alpha male who is coming to grips with his age and feelings of uselessness. Garth, on the other hand, is the glue that keeps the brothers together and grounded. Walter begins to bond with Garth and becomes concerned with Hub’s well-being. In order to help explain Hub’s state of mind, Garth reveals the story of their 40-year disappearance.

     So, where does the name of the movie come from? Well, since the two brothers do not have a phone, radio, or television they have to entertain themselves in some way. They have a lion delivered to their farm so that they can enjoy some big game hunting. However, when the aged circus lion arrives the brothers do not have the heart to shoot the beast. Osment befriends the lion and allows it to live in the closest thing to a jungle available, which is the corn field. Not surprisingly, the lion and Osment take on a mother and cub role, which culminates in the lion, Jasmine, giving up her life to save Walter.

     Ultimately, this movie delivered some great performances by some very good actors. Some have said that Osment was a distraction to this movie and I could not disagree more, I think he did a great job in relating to each and every character. There may have been a scene or two that were over-acted a bit, but it did not detract from the movie. I would rate this movie 3.5 stars. The only reason it was not a solid 4 was because the ongoing story about the brothers disappearance was a bit cheesy, which in retrospect was probably intentional. If you are looking for an exceptional family movie, I would highly recommend Secondhand Lions. It’s a roaring good time!

That's How Matt Sees It!