Film

Secondhand Lions

Name: Secondhand Lions
Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama
Released: 2003
Cast: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Josh Lucas, Kyra Sedgwick

Coming-of-age
Light-hearted

A boy abandoned with two gruff, wealthy uncles discovers their lives were wilder than anyone imagined. Funny and tender without being cloying, it's a film about choosing your own mythology—about the stories we tell ourselves and each other to survive. For anyone who's felt like an outsider, and anyone who loves watching great actors be quietly excellent together.

TMDb rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love gentle, old-fashioned family films where a shy kid slowly warms to two crusty, larger-than-life old men and the tall tales they tell, with real heart under the whimsy.

Skip it if you want a brisk story with constant incident, since this one lingers on character and quiet moments, and its sentimentality can feel laid on thick for viewers who bristle at nostalgia.

What it asks of you: Settle in for just under two hours at an unhurried pace, with long stretches of talk and scenery, and let the mood shift between light comedy and wistful, bittersweet reflection.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

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