*** Official SECONDHAND LIONS Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Ricardo C]

I just watched it, since I heard out Haley Joel Osment was in it, and wanted to see how puberty was treating him. The movie looks great, and the fact that Robert Duvall AND Michael Caine star in it means I'm there on opening day. But didn't they pretty much show the film's ending in the trailer? It certainly looks like it to me.

Oh yeah... And what's up with the 4x3 trailer, New Line??

 

[Adam_S]

THat's exactly what it looks like to me, which is really really damn annoying! But that's the horrid state of trailer editing nowadays, idiocy and dumbassness in selling a movie rather than real creativity. Cannot wait to see this film.

Adam

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Yes, they've pretty much given away most of the film in the trailer, although, in all fairness, I think trying to find a way to give a tidy summary in two and a half minutes is difficult in this case. (The trailer doesn't depict events in a linear fashion, so in that sense it doesn't always tip you off to what's coming. The airplane stuff is at the beginning of the film, if that's what you were worried was at the end.)

It's a good film, although not without problems.

 

[Ricardo C]

Mark, what I meant mainly was

The scene in which Walter lectures his uncles about how things will have to change if he's gonna be living there. Given his change in demeanor from the jittery kid he was when he arrived, it's pretty clear this scene takes place after the adventure that's set into motion through his dicovery of his uncles' hidden fortune. So, we know everyone makes it out pretty much unscathed, that Walter ends up moving in with them, and that they learn their lesson and become loving parenrt figures to the kid. Perhaps this kind of movie couldn't end another way, but it'd be nice not to SEE the scene until I go to the theater.

 

[Seth--L]

Does it really matter since most people go into a movie theater expecting that their expectations will be met?

 

[Ricardo C]

Yes, it matters to me, Seth. Even for films with arguably "predictable" endings. I'd rather see the actual performances unfold on the screen, rather than having them given away by a promotional clip.

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Ricardo, yes, that's pretty much the case. I hadn't paid a lot of attention to the trailer before I saw the film a couple weeks ago, but I was a little surprised to catch it after the fact and find how much they revealed.

 

[Seth Paxton]

So Mark, it doesn't sound like this is going to be the potential Oscar sleeper that I had originally thought it might.

Not even something for Duvall or Caine out of it? Or am I overreading your "not bad" level of review?

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

I can't imagine it being a factor at all for the Oscars. It's a nice little family movie but not a whole lot more than that. I suspect that if Duvall is buzzed about at all for a Supporting nom, it will probably be for Open Range. That's not to imply he's bad in Secondhand Lion. He has the more resonant role between him and Caine. They're both good, and I think part of the success of the film can be attributed to them. Osment seems too "actorly" at times. Plus he has the least interesting main character.

I don't want to damn the film with faint praise, but this is a marginal recommendation for me. It all comes together nicely, but there's nothing particularly exceptional about it. McCanlies has a nice feel for small town/country life, which he also demonstraed in Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 He needs to work on timelines--the time between the past and the present day bookends seems off by perhaps as much as twenty years. Family films are rare, and I think this one offers enough for the various age groups. The emotions are earned too.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Secondhand Lions". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "Secondhand Lions" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy

 

[Qui-Gon John]

About the ending:


Do you think that the whole Africa storyline was really true or do you think the uncles paid for that visit by the Eric Balfour character, and in fact, may have planned their own demise to let him know when to show up. When I first viewed the ending I thought it proved it was all true. But then I got to thinking that the coincidence of this guy hearing about it, (so soon after the accident happened) and showing up so soon after the accident happened, started putting doubts in my head. So maybe they were really bank robbers after all. Some of those sacks the money was in seemed to have bank names on them.


I still enjoyed the movie, even though the end does leave you wondering!

 

[Chad A Wright]

Maybe it was just me, but this was one of my favorite movies ever. I aboslutely loved this film. It's one of those that just leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling. I agree that Osment was "acting" a little too much, but I easily overlooked that. I absolutely loved this film. Don't hesitate to go see it.