Secondhand Lions (2003)
Directed by Tim McCanlies
Written by Tim McCanlies
Starring Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall
Release Date September 19th, 2003
Published September 18th, 2003
Director Tim McCanlies may be best known for his terrific script for the animated film Iron Giant. Now for his latest effort he remains a little animated with a story rumored to be cribbed from the background of comic strip writer Bill Watterson and his comic Calvin & Hobbes, about a young boy and his friendly lion. In Secondhand Lions, however, the lion is just a metaphor for a pair of aging adventurers who find a new adventure, life raising their ten-year-old nephew and adjusting to old age.
Secondhand Lions stars Haley Joel Osment as Walter, who is being dumped by his irresponsible mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), with his heretofore unknown great uncles. Hub (Robert Duvall) and Garth (Michael Caine) have been missing for some forty years. The rumors of their exploits are innumerous, working for the mob, roaming around Europe, fighting with the foreign legion in Africa, etc. Whatever they were doing they are said to have become quite wealthy because of their adventures.
That's one reason why Mae leaves Walter with his great uncles, to try and get them into the will or at least into their wallets. Hub and Garth aren't stupid and are in fact used to this sort of invasion from other family members who make their greed much more obvious. Young Walter however isn't interested in their money, he would prefer to stay with his mom, but eventually he begins to bond with his uncles and their many eccentricities. Much to the dismay of his money-grubbing relatives.
As Hub and Garth become more comfortable with Walter, Garth opens up about their past and their fortunes. In the best scenes of the film Garth weaves a tale of romance and adventure that Director McCanlies films in the style of classic Hollywood serials. Fabulous foreign locales, grand heroic battles and grand romance. Christian Kane, well known as a bad guy on the WB's Angel, plays young Hub in flashback and is a terrific hero.
Duvall and Caine are terrific in roles they could have performed in their sleep. It is not at all hard to believe that Duvall and Caine once had grand adventures in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Duvall is especially terrific in the slightly more difficult role of the aging hero who has returned home without a purpose. Until Walter arrives, Hub is simply waiting out his life. He takes longer to come around to the kid because he's still wrapped in his past and searching for some reason to stay alive.
Walter helps his uncles by convincing them to spend their fortune, as seen in the trailer of the film they don't take kindly to salesmen. Once Walter convinces them to talk to them instead of shooting at them, they find new ways to enjoy life and their treasure.
The Calvin & Hobbes connection comes when Hub & Garth buy a lion to hunt and kill like they did years ago. Instead, they get an aged zoo-dweller that's too tired for a hunt. Making its home in their cornfield, the lion becomes Walter's pet. The lion is one among many obvious metaphors for the two old men who come to terms with their age and as obvious as they are, they do work in context.
Tim McCanlies directed and wrote the script for Secondhand Lions and along with his obvious metaphors there are some family movie cliches and some sappy sentimentalism. But there is also a terrific story. The flashback scenes, which in many movies are the weakest points, are really strong in this film. Shot in the fashion of a silent movie with Garth narrating everything, it is a wonderful adventure and a mystery. Walter's greatest conflict in the film is whether or not he can believe these terrific tales.
Few non-animated family films are worth the ticket price, which makes Secondhand Lions that much more impressive. It's a rare family movie that won't put adults to sleep. Watching legendary actors like Robert Duvall and Michael Caine in roles that are perfectly crafted to them is a real joy and the two veterans elevate the movie above its genre and story.
