Secondhand Lions facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Secondhand Lions
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tim McCanlies
Produced by	David Kirschner Scott Ross Corey Sienega
Written by	Tim McCanlies
Starring	Michael Caine Robert Duvall Haley Joel Osment Nicky Katt Kyra Sedgwick
Music by	Patrick Doyle
Cinematography	Jack N. Green
Editing by	David Moritz
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date(s)	September 19, 2003 (2003-09-19)
Running time	111 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$30 million
Money made	$48.3 million

Secondhand Lions is a 2003 American comedy-drama film. It was written and directed by Tim McCanlies. The movie tells the story of a shy young boy named Walter. He is sent to live with his two unique great-uncles on a farm in Texas.

The Story of Secondhand Lions

Walter Meets His Uncles

The film begins with 14-year-old Walter. His mother, Mae, leaves him to spend the summer with his great-uncles, Hub and Garth. They live on an old farm in Texas. People say the uncles have a secret fortune from their past adventures. Because of this, many traveling salespeople try to sell them things. But Hub and Garth just sit on their porch with shotguns, scaring the salespeople away.

Walter gets a room in the attic. At first, his uncles do not seem happy to have him. But then they realize Walter's presence bothers other relatives who are only interested in their money. Walter then convinces his uncles to try spending some of their fortune. They order seeds to plant a garden, but all the seeds turn out to be corn!

A Lion Joins the Family

Next, the uncles decide to buy a lion for hunting practice. Instead, they end up with a gentle, retired circus lioness. She quickly becomes Walter's special pet. One day, while carrying heavy bags of lion food, Hub faints. He has to go to the hospital for a short time.

Later, at a diner, some tough guys try to cause trouble for Hub. But Hub easily handles them. Hub and Garth bring the teens back to the farm to help them. They find that the old lioness has escaped her cage. She has made the cornfield her new "jungle" home. Hub gives the teens a speech about growing up before sending them home.

Uncles' Mysterious Past

Walter finds a photo of a beautiful woman in the attic. Garth then tells Walter a fascinating story about their past. Hub and Garth were part of the French Foreign Legion. Hub married an Arab princess named Jasmine. She was supposed to marry a powerful sheikh. Because of this, Hub and Jasmine were always in danger from assassins.

Hub eventually fought the sheikh in a duel. He spared the sheikh's life. In return, the sheikh agreed to stop hunting them. Sadly, Jasmine later passed away. Hub returned to the French Foreign Legion. Eventually, he and Garth retired to their farm. They seemed to be waiting for their lives to end.

Protecting the Secret

One night, Walter follows Garth. He discovers that his uncles have a secret room filled with money under the barn. Another night, Walter's mother, Mae, arrives with her new boyfriend, Stan. Stan claims the uncles were involved in something illegal. He demands to know where the money is hidden.

Walter chooses to believe Garth's stories instead of Stan. Stan gets rough with Walter. Suddenly, the old lioness comes out of the cornfield and attacks Stan. Hub and Garth wake up from the noise. They find that the old lioness has died while protecting Walter.

Walter's Choice

The next day, Walter leaves with his mother. As they drive, Mae explains that Stan will be staying with them to get better. Walter tells her he needs her to make a good choice for him. He then decides to go back to his uncles. Hub and Garth are very happy to see him return. Walter tells them that things need to change. He wants his uncles to be part of his education. He also wants them to live carefully so they can live a long life.

Seventeen years later, Walter learns that his uncles have passed away. They died after an adventurous stunt in their biplane. Walter returns to the farm. He receives his uncles' will, which leaves everything to him. A helicopter lands near the farm. A man steps out with his young son. He explains that he heard about Hub and Garth's deaths on the radio. He recognized their names from stories his grandfather, a very wealthy sheikh, used to tell him. The man's son asks Walter if his uncles really lived. Walter smiles and says, "Yeah. They really lived."

Main Characters

Fun Facts About the Film

The director, Tim McCanlies, really liked the cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. He asked Breathed to create some drawings for the movie. Breathed sent drawings for a comic strip called Walter and Jasmine. These drawings are shown as the work of the grown-up Walter. They also appear during the final credits of the film.

See also

In Spanish: Secondhand Lions para niños