As the quintessential family film, Secondhand Lions works on all cylinders from humor to heart to action to the appropriate mix of furry animals. Hollywood routinely fails in producing family fare that panders to kids, but has adult sensibilities. Secondhand Lions is the rare exception to the sub par movies you’re likely to see on the Nickelodeon or Disney channels these days.
In spite of its levity, there’s a serious story afoot in this film and with Michael Caine‘s and Robert Duvall‘s pitch perfect performances we are more than happy to follow. I could tell that these actors were having fun playing their characters and that alone is reason enough to see this film.
Now, having said this, I feel it only right not to intentionally mislead you into thinking this film is a first-rate piece of cinematic art. It is not. It’s a sweet movie that, even with some good performances, cannot rise above its goofy plot. Some of the dialogue feels extremely forced and while the main culprit here could very well be the script, I think the fault lies more with Haley Joel Osment. Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Osment has given some brilliant performances in his short film career (e.g., The Sixth Sense), but this is not one of them. He pushes too hard and responds too quickly to other dialogue resulting in a performance that, to me, lacked genuineness.
Even with its few minor drawbacks, Secondhand Lions tells a touching story that will warm your soul and make you smile. In my book that makes it a successful enterprise worthy of your family’s time.
