Secondhand Lions
Release Date:
September 19, 2003
Set in 1960s Texas, this is the story of a timid teenager, Walter (Osment), forced to spend the summer by his irresponsible mother (Sedgwick) with his eccentric and recently rich great-uncles (Caine and Duvall) on their farm, as he learns more about their mysterious and dangerous pasts, which we see as flashbacks.
The world is watching Haley Joel Osment grow up before its very eyes. From his early stint as a child suing God on Ally McBeal to his precocious and award-nominated performance in The Sixth Sense to the spectacular “he really is good” role as a robot in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, this young man has proven to be one of the most solidly consistent young performers working today (we’ll disregard Country Bears since it was his voice only).
This fall, Osment will again have the opportunity to work with some of the best actors in the business in the New Line release Secondhand Lions. In this 1960s-era film, the teenager will play a timid boy whose flighty mother (Kyra Sedgwick) makes him spend the summer with his off-center and recently rich great uncles (Michael Caine and Robert Duvall) on their farm in Texas. As he gets to know the men, he garners snippets and bits and pieces about their mysterious and perilous pasts. In the movie, these stories from the past will be portrayed in flashback form, and the stuff that happens is so fantastic that special effects company Digital Domain is onboard for their expertise.
The story doesn’t sound like much, but there is hope. Director/screenwriter Tim McCanlies is responsible for the script for one of the best animated films of all time in The Iron Giant. He’s also chosen very accomplished performers to take on the various roles in the film, which at one point had been discussed as potential Oscar bait but looks to have fallen from favor somewhat. The movie may have one big positive going for it: the trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is rumored to be attached to the prints for Secondhand Lions. While unlikely to provide any substantial boost, it might help the debut weekend numbers just a bit. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Comparison films for Secondhand Lions |
Title |
Date |
Opening |
Adjusted Opening |
Screens |
PSA |
Adj PSA |
Total BO |
Adjusted Total |
Mult |
| A.I. Artificial Intelligence |
6/29/01 | 29.35 |
31.32 |
3242 |
9054.00 |
9294.4 |
78.56 |
83.84 |
2.68 |
| Sixth Sense, The |
8/6/99 | 26.68 |
31.79 |
2161 |
12346.00 |
14095.8 |
293.50 |
349.76 |
11.00 |
| Frailty |
4/12/02 | 4.21 |
4.37 |
1497 |
2806.00 |
2806.0 |
13.08 |
13.59 |
3.11 |
| Cider House Rules, The |
1/7/00 | 3.08 |
3.44 |
816 |
3775.00 |
4062.2 |
57.54 |
64.36 |
17.01 |
| Quiet American, The |
2/14/03 | 1.24 |
1.24 |
157 |
7881.00 |
7881.0 |
12.99 |
12.99 |
9.12 |
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