Secondhand Lions: Heartwarming, Hilarious and Fun

Plot Summary:
Secondhand Lions is about a young boy named Walter whose irresponsible mother dumps him at the rural home of his great uncles, who just want to be left alone.  Having disappeared for 40 years, rumors abound that they have a huge sum of money hidden somewhere on the property. While Walter keeps an eye open for the money, he unexpectedly finds a far greater treasure.  

Why It Makes My List:
Unlike many of the blockbuster films of our day, this is a small story about a young boy and his uncles - there are no alien invasions, it is fairly realistic and the focus is on developing character relationships and storytelling.  The lead characters are fun and there are lots of quirky elements like a pig that joins a dog pack, a lion that lives in a cornfield, and a sleepwalking old man with a plunger-sword! Will this movie blow you away? Probably not. Will you feel good and be glad you watched it? I sure was.

Other Reasons to Watch:
  1. Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously: The frequent flashbacks to their 40 years of adventures are fun and almost everything about them is intentionally over-the-top. 
  2. Imperfect Characters: This is not a story of perfect and noble people making utterly altruistic and selfless decisions. It is a story of real people, rough around the edges, who live together, grow together and come to love and depend upon each other. They learn what is truly important, so none of the rest really matters.
  3. Michael Caine & Robert Duvall: Great actors who, in their old age, are obviously having fun and have great chemistry with the young Haley Joel Osment.
Reason to Pass:
  1. Some Language: While the language isn't loud or abrasive, there are some mild expletives as the crotchety old Texans vent their frustration with various aspects of daily life. 
  2. Some Mild Violence: While this is definitely still in the realm of a PG film, there are several light, no gore fight scenes. I wouldn't worry about my five-year old seeing them, but that's up to each parent.
Secondhand Lions is available on Amazon Prime Video here
As always, I recommend checking out the IMDB.com Parents Guide just so that you are aware of any potentially objectionable material before deciding whether to watch it.