“Secondhand Lions” follows the story of Hub (Duvall) and Garth McCaan (Caine), elderly brothers spending their retirement years in solitude on a farm in Texas. The only significant intrusions on their peace are the traveling salesmen who show up uninvited and leave hastily when shotgun rounds answer their requests for money.
A flurry of rumors - believed by everyone from long-lost relatives to pushy insurance salesmen - have circulated that speculate the two old guys are loaded with dough, though the actual source of the money, and its current whereabouts, are shrouded in mystery. One such long-lost relative, flighty single mom Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), decides to unload her 14 year-old son Walter (Haley Joel Osment) onto Hub and Garth, dropping him on their doorstep with the task of finding out where they’ve hidden all their money. Walter’s never met his great-uncles before and has no idea what to make of these two eccentric strangers who don’t even own a television. Likewise, Hub and Garth aren’t used to having a teenager invade their home, even a teen as introverted and respectful as Walter.
With nothing much to do but to get to know each other, Walter soon finds himself entranced by Garth’s remembrances of past adventures shared by the brothers. Their wild youth is recounted in all its exotic glory. From sword fighting to riding with the French Foreign Legion, from rescuing beautiful princesses to a showdown with a sheik, Hub and Garth’s glorious past comes to life as Garth provides the story and Walter fills in the details using his imagination. The stories help bring the two generations together and help Walter understand the truth that lies at the heart of all the rumors.
Duvall and Caine aren’t breaking new ground with these characters; the crusty old men stereotype has been done numerous times before (see “Grumpy Old Men”). But what these Oscar-winning actors bring to these characters is a fresh approach. Equally appealing is getting the opportunity to watch two film legends have a good time mixing it up on screen.
While Duvall and Caine positively shine as the grumpy old men, Haley Joel Osment seems lost and out of place. Osment’s the weak link in the movie and because of the substantial amount of time he spends on screen, his ‘weak link’ status is highly noticeable and very distracting. He doesn’t appear to relate to his character, his facial expressions are very mechanical, and even his lines are said more in keeping with his robotic “A.I.” character than with the intonations and emotions of a real teen.
Nicky Katt and Christian Kane are excellent in their supporting roles. Katt plays Mae’s latest romantic conquest, an angry, money-grubbing jerk who eventually gets what’s coming to him. Kane gets the honor of playing a young Robert Duvall and lights up the screen as a dashing, heroic, man of action.
Despite the glaring bit of miscasting, “Secondhand Lions” is still a joy to watch. While it would have been even better if the filmmakers had cut out the kid (or found someone who could relate more to the script) and just had the old guys sitting around on the porch recalling their past glories, “Secondhand Lions” is still a touching story that’ll enchant audiences of all ages.
GRADE: B
"Secondhand Lions" was directed by Tim McCanlies (full cast and crew list) and is rated PG for thematic material, language and action violence.
