Mark Kaufman
Occupation
Filmmaker
Secondhand Lions Review
OK
Like a similar creature that patrols a certain Yellow Brick Road, Tim McCanlies' Secondhand Lions is in dire need of a shot of courage. It's scary to think of how much better this king of the jungle could've been had it possessed the sharp teeth of its animal namesake and took a serious bite out of the plump themes of family greed, lost love and misspent youth. What we're left with are recycled kitten swipes taken by a family-friendly charmer that's content to coast by on the casting coup of landing Michael Caine and Robert Duvall under one cinematic roof.
Shy, bookish, and firmly implanted in his social shell, young Walter (Haley Joel Osment) receives a wake-up call when he's unceremoniously dumped off with his two great uncles Garth (Caine) and Hub (Duvall). It could be for a few days but might be for a few months, his mother (Kyra Sedgwick) tells him. Oh, and the two eccentric curmudgeons reportedly are millionaires, so if Walter can figure out where they're stashing their money before mom returns, all the better.
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