Secondhand Lions

Secondhand Lions

Production design in Secondhand Lions was a critical element in the story line throughout the movie Secondhand Lions.  When Garth and Hub are on their adventures the costumes and locations are perfect in setting the scene of all their adventures even their adventure with Walter and 1950s Texas.

Costumes
Costumes were a critical element in the movie as we better understood the characters throughout the movie based on their costumes.  The boy as he came to live with his Uncles he had one setoff clothes.  One of my favorite things about this movie was when the Uncles were on an adventure they had the costume to fit the adventure.  When they were going fishing in their pond they had the hip waders on and of course their shotguns.  When they were going to go on a safari they had their safari outfits to hunt the lion they had purchased from the circus.  They get their overalls when it is time to farm.  Garth and Hub love the relaxed but adventurous life of living on the rural farm.  As family comes to visit like Mae, Walters’s mom is always dressed like a city person and really wants nothing to do with the farm other than the money everyone assumes that the uncles have.  They only come around to see if they will give them some although the do not know for sure.  As we see the development of Walter from a shy boy into a strong young man.  The greatest adventure the uncles have is raising this boy and giving them purpose and feel young again.

Location

This movie being representative of 1950’s Texas was a perfect backdrop for the establishing of the characters.  Uncle Garth and Hub having lived a full life of adventure around the world.  Being in the Foreign Legion; and having all of these adventures play out in Walters head.  At times throughout the movie it seems that the adventures of the Uncles may just be a part of Walters’s imagination from stories his uncles are telling him are they real or just tall tales from old men.  Then settling down in Texas was the perfect backdrop for two unruly misfits to find a new adventure to pursue to give them purpose and hope.  They find that in Walter their unexpected surprise guest.  Rural Texas provided the perfect scenes as the Uncles lived up to every stereotype people would imagine for 1950’s Texans.  Men running a farm with a clapboard farm house barn and small pond/lake.  The scene of them sitting on the porch in their rockers and shotguns across their laps is something most people can picture in small town Texas.  Going fishing with their shotguns and purchasing the lion to go on a safari in their back yard.  When the Lion gets out and is in the corn and Walter goes after him everyone goes and gets a gun even the little kids.  For sure that is a stereotype of Texans which brings the plot of the movie and the location together perfectly.  What other location could a couple of rough old men learn to love a boy like their own and a young boy learn the life lessons to grow up to be a good man!  As the move wraps up and the young sheik gets out of the helicopter all of the doubts are erased about his uncle’s adventures!