History Film / SecondhandLions

In this 2003 film set in the 1960s, Walter Caldwell (Creator/HaleyJoelOsment) is dumped off on his great uncles by his ditzy mom Mae (Creator/KyraSedgwick), who says she needs some time to herself so she can go to court reporting school. The uncles, Hub (Creator/RobertDuvall) and Garth [=McCann=] (Creator/MichaelCaine), don't like having a "kid" around cramping their style, but eventually they warm up to him, and he does to them. The uncles are a little... eccentric (they fish by shooting bass with their shotguns, and spend their days chasing off traveling salesmen... with their shotguns) to say the least, but time proves them to be surprisingly capable foster dads. Walter is awed by Hub's crazy ways, while Garth spins tales of their adventuring days of yore. Are any of the stories true -- including the one about the uncles sitting on a hidden stash of plundered wealth? And how did they afford to buy that lion?

In this 2003 film set in the 1960s, Walter Caldwell (Creator/HaleyJoelOsment) is dumped off on his great uncles by his ditzy mom Mae (Creator/KyraSedgwick), who says she needs some time to herself so she can go to court reporting school. The uncles, Hub (Creator/RobertDuvall) and Garth [=McCann=] (Creator/MichaelCaine), don't like having a "kid" around cramping their style, but eventually warm to him, and he to them. The uncles are a little... eccentric (they fish by shooting bass with their shotguns, and spend their days chasing off traveling salesmen... with their shotguns), but time proves them to be surprisingly capable foster dads. Walter is awed by Hub's crazy ways, while Garth spins tales of their adventuring days of yore. Are any of the stories true -- including the one about the uncles sitting on a hidden stash of plundered wealth? And how did they afford to buy that lion?

* AmbiguousCriminalHistory: The origin of Hub and Garth's fortune is left purposefully ambiguous, but rumors from various people around town and in various deleted scenes imply that they amassed it through BankRobbery.

* AssassinOutclassin: The evil Sheik sends a number of assassins after Hub and Jasmine after their first encounters, and all of them came up short (save one [[spoiler: who was Garth in disguise, playing along so the two could defeat the Sheik once and for all]]).

* TheBadGuyWins: Strangely, the quote from the KarmaHoudini entry below is the page quote for this trope, even though the example is closer to Zigzagged. But in the end, it's technically [[spoiler:{{Averted}}. Hub gets his girl, the Sheik becomes very wealthy due to profits from oil, and is apparently still living large at the end of the film... but as Hub's FriendlyEnemy, if the alternate ending is to be taken as canon. So the bad guy [[SubvertedTrope didn't so much as win]] as he did get a separate HappilyEverAfter, leaving the whole situation as a draw]].
* BankRobbery: Implied by Stan to be how the uncles got their money. A series of deleted scenes gave further hints that the uncles may have been a set of notorious bandits who robbed banks [[BadSanta while wearing Santa suits with fake beards]] to mask their identities.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Jasmine was an old lazy lioness who didn't even bother to attack Hub even though he planned on shooting her for sport. But was really grouchy and didn't like Hub's relatives. However because Walter fed and took care of her, she treated him with near kitten like affection. [[spoiler: She eventually died trying to protect Walter from Stan.]] Hub and Garth also count, because they only gave a damn about Walter for the very same reason.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Walter pulls this [[spoiler:when Mae reveals that her boyfriend, who beat him for the money's location, will be staying with them while he recovers from his injuries.]]

* TheFriendlyTexan: The Brothers McCann reveal themselves to be Friendly Texans as they take care of their great-nephew, Walter. Garth, in particular, is quick to show a friendly, sociable demeanor. His brother, Hub, takes a bit longer to reveal his true colors, but he's nursing some deep emotional sorrows that needed to be worked out, first. When fighting a group of hooligans, he's actually jovial and even gives them sincere advice on how to fight while fighting them. Then he gives them his "What Every Boy Needs to Know About Being a Man" speech.

* PetTheDog: While Hub and Garth are initially less than thrilled about being stuck with Walter for the summer, they take his side against Helen and other vulture relatives (who are clearly just their with the hope of being left in Garth and Hubs' will) who insist that they get rid of Walter by putting him in an orphanage.

-->'''Hub''' : Whether we take him to the orphanage or tie him up and throw him in the lake, that's OUR business

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Though Hub and Garth are rather standoffish to Walter at first, they're never cruel to him. They're mostly sick of relatives always trying to grab their money, which is exactly what Mae intended. They eventually warm up to him and even [[spoiler: take on full custody of him from his greedy and neglectful mother after she showed her intention to still marry Stan, a man who attacked Walter.]]

* BetrayalByInaction: When Mae brings Stan to the [=McCann=] farm in an effort to try and turn Walter against Garth and Hub and find their money, Stan takes him off for a "man-to-man talk". Mae just turns away while Stan takes her son behind the barn and tries to beat information out of him (though it's possible she went back into the house to get Hub and
Garth for help). A later conversation indicates she was aware of his abusive tendencies already but tells Walter she has no choice but to marry him. This is finally the last straw for Walter and he decides to leave his mother for good.

** It can be assumed that Mae went back inside to get Hub and Garth for help after Stan took Walter into the barn to interrogate him.

* It can be assumed that Mae went back inside to get Hub and Garth for help after Stan took Walter into the barn to interrogate him.

* BetrayalByInaction: When Mae brings Stan to the [=McCann=] farm in an effort to try and turn Walter against Garth and Hub and find their money, Stan takes him off for a "man-to-man talk". Mae just turns away while Stan takes her son behind the barn and tries to beat information out of him. A later conversation indicates she was aware of his abusive tendencies already but tells Walter she has no choice but to marry him. This is finally the last straw for Walter and he decides to leave his mother for good.

* EverybodyHasStandards: The Mcann's money grubbing relatives and the hoodlums who tried to assault Hub all pitch in without hesitation when they hear that Walter might be in danger from a wild animal.

In this 2003 film set in the 1960s, Walter (Creator/HaleyJoelOsment) is dumped off on his great uncles by his ditzy mom Mae, who says she needs some time to herself so she can go to court reporting school. The uncles, Hub (Creator/RobertDuvall) and Garth (Creator/MichaelCaine), don't like having a 'kid' around cramping their style, but eventually warm to him, and he to them. The uncles are a little... eccentric (they fish by shooting bass with their shotguns, and spend their days chasing off traveling salesmen... with their shotguns), but time proves them to be surprisingly capable foster dads. Walter is awed by Hub's crazy ways, while Garth spins tales of their adventuring days of yore. Are any of the stories true -- including the one about the uncles sitting on a hidden stash of plundered wealth? And how did they afford to buy that lion?

* KickTheSonOfABitch: After [[spoiler: Jasmine dies]] attacking Stan, Hub and Garth while checking his wounds and waiting for the ambulance start poking and prodding him with the butt of their shotguns. Judging by his groaning, they were hitting his wounded areas. Even after he's wrapped up, they still threaten him and Hub cracks his nose.

* HelpingAbotherSaveFace: WordOfGod is that this is done mutually between the Brothers [=McCann=] and Walter when they try to get him to return to their farm. They tell him that they have better maps than the one he's using at the farm, and since, as Hub notes, Walter irritates the relatives seeking their money to no end, Walter offers to stay long enough to annoy the hangers-on into leaving. This allows Walter to return without it looking like he was upset about his mother, and without the [=McCann=] brothers looking like they missed his company.

** Also enforced during the bar fight with the hoodlums - enforced at gunpoint. After all, Hub just got out of the hospital.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: The brothers [=McCann=] are able to assume control of any situation by being calmly assertive. And armed.

%%* CoolOldGuy: Both uncles, but especially Hub.

* EvilUncle: Briefly implied, subverted, but ultimately averted.

* PlayingGertrude: A curious case - even though Jasmine the Lion is said to be old, Taureg, who "played" her, was actually a young lioness less than two years old.

In this 2003 film set in the 1960s, Walter (Creator/HaleyJoelOsment) is dumped off on his great uncles by his ditzy mom, who says she needs some time to herself so she can go to court reporting school. The uncles, Hub (Creator/RobertDuvall) and Garth (Creator/MichaelCaine), don't like having a 'kid' around cramping their style, but eventually warm to him, and he to them. The uncles are a little... eccentric (they fish by shooting bass with their shotguns, and spend their days chasing off traveling salesmen... with their shotguns), but time proves them to be surprisingly capable foster dads. Walter is awed by Hub's crazy ways, while Garth spins tales of their adventuring days of yore. Are any of the stories true -- including the one about the uncles sitting on a hidden stash of plundered wealth? And how did they afford to buy that lion?

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Walter's mother apparently has a thing for crooks. [[ArmorPiercingQuestion When Walter asks if her new beau Stan has already hit her]], she flat-out ''yells at her son'' that ''it does not matter at all''.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: While telling off his mother about her choice of beaus, Walter asks her: "Has he [Stan] hit you yet?"

* BrainlessBeauty: Walter’s mother is quite beautiful, but sadly, is rather dim-witted.

* TheDitz: Walter’s mom in a nutshell.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Walter thinks this way about his mother loving crooks, and he flat-out tells her so about Stan:

* IronicEcho: Written, not verbal: When Walter is being driven up to his uncles' house he reads a sign warning "Turn Back Now" which is the uncles' warning to trespassers. When he's being driven away towards the end of the film he looks back and sees the sign again, just before begging his mother to let him stay.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Though Hub and Garth are rather standoffish to Walter at first, they're never cruel to him. They're mostly sick of relatives always trying to grab their money, which is exactly what Walter's mother intended. They eventually warm up to him and even [[spoiler: take on full custody of him from his greedy and neglectful mother after she showed her intention to still marry Stan, a man who attacked Walter.]]

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: The whole thing takes place in Texas, and Walter's mom has a pronounced Southern accent. Walter, though, doesn't even show a hint of one.

* ParentalAbandonment: Walter's mother abandons him in pretty much every way possible. First with his uncles, then to a man she knows is likely to interrogate and beat him. [[spoiler:He ultimately ''begs her to leave forever'', and this time she does so for his own good.]]

* UnreliableNarrator: Just about everything said by Stan and Walter's mother is untrustworthy. And while it's played for laughs the first time, [[spoiler: Hub and Garth's stories may not be completely true. Except at the end, Walter finds out that they probably are]].

* [[WickedStepmother Wicked Stepfather]]: Not married yet, so technically not a stepfather yet, but the man Walter's mother brings with her near the end of the film is definitely wicked, [[WouldHurtAChild trying to beat up Walter]] for information on where the uncles' fortune is. It's also heavily implied that he's also [[DomesticAbuse beaten Walter's mother]].

In this 2003 film set in the 1960s, Walter, played by Creator/HaleyJoelOsment, is dumped off on his great uncles by his ditzy mom, who says she needs some time to herself so she can go to court reporting school. The uncles, Hub (Creator/RobertDuvall) and Garth (Creator/MichaelCaine), don't like having a 'kid' around cramping their style, but eventually warm to him, and he to them. The uncles are a little... eccentric (they fish by shooting bass with their shotguns, and spend their days chasing off traveling salesmen... with their shotguns), but time proves them to be surprisingly capable foster dads. Walter is awed by Hub's crazy ways, while Garth spins tales of their adventuring days of yore. Are any of the stories true -- including the one about the uncles sitting on a hidden stash of plundered wealth? And how did they afford to buy that lion?