A(nother) review of two films

Rating: 8/10 (20 August 2008)

This review is of both "Secondhand Lions" and "Big Fish". Both films share common themes, but develop them in different ways. Although both have been out long enough to be seen on TV and DVD, still this review does contain minor spoilers for both.
Both films deal with boys growing into manhood with male parent figures who are notable for telling tall tales. Both are feel good movies with bittersweet endings where the children have grown up and the parents die at the end. But the devil is in the details and despite such similar plot synopses, these films could hardly be more different.
In "Secondhand Lions", which I consider to be the superior film of the two, the father figures are two uncles of the protagonist with a secret related to their seemingly endless supply of money. In "Big Fish", the father figure is the biological father of the protagonist.
The essential difference in the two is honesty. In "Big Fish", the tall tales are just that - stories with a grain of truth (which is revealed at the end), but which the dad exaggerates into fantastic lies. The dad, a big-mouthed salesman, spouts his tales as naturally as breathing - and just about as often. In "Secondhand Lions", the uncles are quite taciturn and only tell their stories to the boy after being prodded, and then over a period of time. Not surprisingly, by the end of the film, you learn that the tales were essentially all true.
"Secondhand Lions" has a lot of heart and is based on characters you can believe in and admire. "Big Fish" is nothing more than a film which preaches tolerance of lies if they make someone feel good.
The performances in both films are first-rate, but "Big Fish" is handicapped by the fact that it is ultimately a fantasy. The cast of "Big Fish" also lacks the depth of talent on display in "Secondhand Lions". While "Big Fish" contains some standout performances, "Secondhand Lions" features Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, Halley Joel Osment, and Kyra Sedgwick at the top of their games. I really liked all the principle characters in "Secondhand Lions", but the characters in "Big Fish" were either not particularly likable or were fantasy caricatures so it was hard to feel much of anything for them.
I own both DVDs and enjoy both films from time to time, but "Secondhand Lions" is a personal favorite. I watch it about three times as often as "Big Fish".