I have been told by many people this was a great movie and one I needed to watch. Well finally I watched it today and it didn't disappoint me. It has so many great elements to it. I laughed in some parts and cried my eyes out in others. I loved the line "...died with his (or her) boots on." It's a great statement about living your life to the fullest and believing in the things that really matter like love and honor. The actors were fabulous. I think young Haley Joel Osment has a lot to offer films and I hope we see much more of him in the future. Michael Caine never disappoints me and I love his Texas accent in the film. Overall, this is truly one movie fit for all ages. A true heartwarming film with a great message for anyone who will hear it.

Plot

A coming-of-age story about a shy young boy sent by his irresponsible mother to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles in Texas.

Cast

Haley Joel Osment, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall with support from Christian Kane, Emmanuelle Vaugier and brief appearance by Eric Balfour.

Verdict

When it comes to entertainment my dad is a hard man to please, he doesn't really like music (No really), and when it comes to movies and television he's so picky it's intolerable. Secondhand Lions is one of the few films he's enjoyed and perhaps the only thing he's ever recommended me. I didn't rush to watch it, based on what I'd seen and read it didn't appeal but I'm a man of my word and eventually got round to it.

To my surprise, it was not what I expected at all. And to be clear what I mean by that is that it's a remarkably good film, endearing, heartfelt, well constructed and had me unable to look away.

It's not exactly a new tale, we've seen it before and is ultimately a coming of age story but I'm not sure I've ever seen it done quite this well.

Serious when it needs to be serious, funny when it needs to be funny and positively whimsical when it needs to be whimsical.

Rants

A lot of people moan that there simply aren't enough "Innocent" films out there. No sex, little to no violence, just focusing on character development and a wholesome story. I'd agree that there aren't enough but disagree that's the only thing we need. Secondhand Lions is an "Innocent" film but it does have violence yet I'm not corrupted nor more violent as a result from watching it. Each to his/her own.

Breakdown

Great performances (Even Caine is passable) Fantastic story Constructed perfectly A film that sticks with you Sad moment that I didn't appreciate.

It sounds like a cliché, but I don't know anybody who didn't like this film. I recommended it to a number of people, and all were impressed with it as I was.

Excellent acting and an interesting low-key story make this a very enjoyable 110 minutes of entertainment. A story about two old geezers who take in a 14-year- old to their home for a month doesn't sound too exciting but this film will surprise you.

It's tough to find two elder gentlemen as good and appealing as Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, anyway, so you have two winners right there. Add a fine, fine young actor in Haley Joel Osment and now you have three excellent actors who comprise most of the lines of the film.

This is one of those rare "guarantee" movies in which you can safely tell your friends to watch it and not regret the recommendation.