EFL Movie Study Guide for:
Secondhand Lions
Story: Two old and odd bachelors (Hub and Garth) end up taking care
of a deserted nephew (Walter) and a “used” lion. Little by little the
stories of their amazing lives (and endless supply of cash) unfold—filled
with adventure, romance, exotic lands and treasure. But is it all true? Like
all of us, young Walter discovers that part of growing up is deciding who to
believe. (starring
Robert Duvall-Hub, Michael Caine-Garth, Haley Joel Osment-Walt; a Tim McCanlies film,
New Line Cinema, ©2003; 2 hours; comedy, drama)
Setting: It starts and ends in the 1990s, but most of the movie is a
flashback to the early 1960s, with stories being told about things that
happened between 1919 and 1960. A lot of the music is from the 1950s.
Helpful background information: Walt (the boy) does not have a
father. His mom also lies to him a lot. One summer she decides to leave her
son with two rich uncles (whom she hardly knows). She wants to be free to
date a man, and hopes that the uncles will “like Walt so that when they die
they will give him money.” During the summer, Walt hears unbelievable
stories about his great-uncles' lives in Africa. They also tell him some of
the things “a boy needs to know in order to become a man.” Some common
guesses about where the uncles' money came from are: (1) in the 1920s they
were hit men for the Al Capone and the Mob; (2) they were bank robbers in
the 1920s; (3) they got rich by fighting a rich Arab, after rescuing a
beautiful woman from his castle (in defeat, he gave them lots of gold); (4)
they lived in a mental hospital for many years, and got the money from a law
suit.
Note:
The movie frequently used hyperbole to add humor (i.e., exaggerations
of movement or activity). For example, when the lion escapes, everyone in
the family gets a gun and goes after it (including the children!). In “real
life” you would not give a gun to a child, and two bachelors would not own
about 10 hunting guns, so these are both examples of hyperbole.
A few terms
(vocabulary):
credits: the list of names
telling who did what, both in the film and behind the scenes
French
Foreign Legion: a famous part of the French colonial army made of foreign
volunteers
hyperbole: exaggerated
statement not meant to be taken literally.
hit man: someone paid
to kill someone else (the Mafia has many “hit men,” so fear is one of
their tools)
Mafia: a secret
Italian criminal organization that is also active in the US, involved in
drug-dealing, gambling and other crimes
traveling salesmen:
people who came to your door to sell you things (this was particularly
common in the 1950s and 1960s)
second-hand (or secondhand): [adj] used; a way to describe
sth that has had more than one owner
sissy: (noun or adj)
an offensive term referring to a boy who does not act in a masculine way
(a boy who is timid, weak, unwilling to fight, etc.)
skeet shooting: a
sport where contestants try to shoot a clay plate as it flies through the
air
sleepwalking: to walk
while you are asleep, often acting out what you are dreaming about
state nuthouse: a
government-run hospital for crazy people
Uncle Sam: a synonym
for “the US Government”
virtue: the personal
quality of being morally good or righteous
a will: a legal
document that says what should happen to your property & money after you
die
A few
verbs
(more vocabulary):
to stash (money somewhere): to hide money in a secret place for storage
to do chores: to help a parent by cleaning, doing housework, taking care of
pets, gardening, etc.
to kick off: to die, to pass away
to shanghai (someone): to trick someone into going somewhere; esp. to get
someone drunk, put them on a ship, and make them work on the ship until it
reaches the next port
to need stitches: to have deep wounds that will require a doctor who can sew
them up
Phrases & sentences from the film:
“If you stay, our other relatives will leave us alone.” In the movie, the
old men liked to be alone, but their relatives acted friendly in the hope of
getting some of the money when the men died. They asked Walt to stay, in the
hope that the other relatives would stop visiting them.
“That’s not very sporting.” That is not fair; if you do that, you lack
integrity.
“It’s a defective, used lion.” This indicated that the lion was not what
they expected; it was too old to provide a sporting challenge.
“Why does the bad guy get filthy rich?”
The "bad guy” is the villain or enemy in a
story, and he usually gets punished, so Walt thinks it is strange that the
“bad guy” in his uncle's story gets very, very rich (when oil is discovered
on his property)
“You want to say something? Well, spit it out.” “Spit is out” is a command
to stop hesitating and say what is on your mind.
“I see what you’re trying to pull.” I see through your deception; I know
what you are trying to trick me into doing.
“If I’m going to stay, there’s gonna be some conditions.” You will be
required to do some things or stop doing some things, if you want me to
stay.
“the works” means “and everything else” or “etc.”
“They went out with their boots on.” A common phrase from cowboy movies,
meaning that someone died while doing what they wanted to be doing,
instead of just sitting around and waiting for death.
“He really lived.” He was not just alive/breathing; his life was
really full of life and activity.
My favorite dialog (part of Hub’s “What every boy needs to know to be
a Man” speech). It was a response to Walt saying: “I don’t know what to
believe in.”
“If you want to believe in something, then believe in it. Just because
something isn’t true, there’s no reason you can’t believe in it. Sometimes
the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to
believe in the most: that people are basically good; that honor, courage and
virtue mean everything; that power and money mean nothing; that good always
triumphs over evil; that true love never dies. It doesn’t matter if they are
true or not. A man should believe in those things, because those are the
things worth believing in.”
Discussion:
(A) Walt’s mom was a widow, and in the 1960s there were not many jobs open
to women. It was particularly difficult to be a “single mom.” In what ways
does this excuse or explain her behavior?
(B) If she HAD been going to a school to learn “court reporting,” do you
think she should have taken her son along, or found someone (like the
uncles) to watch her son for a few weeks? Explain your answer.
(C) In what ways has life gotten easier for women since the 1960s (in
China)? In what ways is life still more difficult for women than for men?
(D) The UK, India, and many other countries have had a female Prime Minister
or President. Do you think your country will
ever have a female "top" leader? Why or why not?
(E) Talk about the older men or women in your life (those who are at least
35 years older than you). What did you learn from them? In what ways was it
difficult to be around them (how were they “odd” or “strange”). Why is it
important for children to be around older people?
(F) At first, Walt believed that he was going to have a miserable summer
with his uncles, but by the end of the movie he loved them and chose to live
with them. Tell your small group about a time when your belief about
something changed.
(G) Re-read "My favorite dialog" above. Where do our beliefs and values come
from? Most people experience a change in “what they believe” over time
throughout their lives. In what ways is this good or bad?
(H) Are there things that ALL people in the world should believe in, or does
there have to be a difference because of culture? Explain your answer.
(I) What might “universal beliefs” be?
(J) How many of the following do you think most of the people in the world
would agree on as being “good rules” for all people:
1. Do not crave or long for someone else’s wife, house, or possessions.
2. Do not lie in court or say untrue things if that will bring harm to your
neighbor.
3. Do not steal.
4. If you are married, do not sleep with anyone except your husband or wife.
5. Do not murder.
6. Honor your father and your mother.
7. One day per week, take a rest from your normal work
8. Do not curse or swear. Do not abuse God’s name or use it carelessly.
9. Do not worship images or statues, because the Heavenly Father does not
look like anything you can make with your hands.
10. There is only one true God, who created the world and who revealed
himself through the Bible. Do not worship anyone or anything else.
(K) Do you know where the list above came from? It is called “the ten
commandments,” recorded 4000 years ago as the "basic laws for humanity."
These commandments also provided the foundation for law in Europe, America
and the Middle East.
(L) It is said: “If you don’t have something to die for, you don’t have
anything to live for.” What do YOU believe in so strongly that you might
risk everything for it?
(M) At the end of the movie, Walt said his uncles had “really lived;” that
is, they had really led full and meaningful lives. What do you think Walt
was talking about—what had his uncles done that was “really living”? When
you reach 70 or 80, what do you hope to look back on?
