One of the most interesting special features on the Secondhand Lions DVD is the Script to Screen feature. Only playable on DVD Rom drives on Windows ( not available on standalone DVD players or Macs ) , this cool feature allows you to watch the film side by side with the original screenplay for comparison !

By comparing the final version of the film with the original screenplay , you can clearly see how Tim McCanlies has translated his original vision onto film .... many scenes originally written have been changed slightly or dropped altogether, and some scenes although filmed, have also been edited out of the final version of the film. It is always interesting to see how different or similar the final version of Secondhand Lions is from Tim McCanlies' 10 year old screenplay.

Best of all, by comparing the film and the screenplay , you will learn to appreciate the actors' craft and skill even more. Dialogue which looked ordinary in the screenplay has been transformed into beautifully nuanced performances by the various actors , and one just has to appreciate the skill of the actors all the more.

Take the scene at the bridge between Walter and his mother . Here's what it looks like in the Script to Screen feature :

Click on image to supersize it

In this powerful scene, Haley Joel Osment and Kyra Sedwick took the simple words of the screenplay as they were written , and created a moment on screen filled with pathos, tenderness and bitter-sweet emotion . To read the scene as it was written and to see it transformed into such a beautiful moment on screen is just astonishing !

The entire screenplay is also printable , either in chapters, or completely, and just for this feature alone, the Secondhand Lions DVD is a must-have for film students, writers and all those who love the film alike !