“The Blind Side” Review

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Maybe it was because of the heartwarming feeling I get around the holidays or the fact that I liked Sandra Bullock’s take on a southern accent, but for some reason this year, I decided to give “The Blind Side” a chance. This movie opened in theatres everywhere on November 20^th 2009, and is based on the true story of NFL legend and offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, Michael Oher. Usually not a big fan of sports movies, I found this film to be surprisingly heartwarming, and an eye opener to the everyday miracles and Cinderella stories we often neglect.

In this movie, Sandra Bullock played the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, who is a mother of two, and a wife to her husband, Sean (played by Tim McGraw). Out of Christian hospitality, Leigh Anne adopts a homeless black teenager, Michael Oher or “Big Mike” (played by Quinton Aaron), into their lavish home, and becomes a mother figure to him. Through the support of his new family and hard work, Oher rises in his academic standings and becomes a highly coveted college football player.

The film focuses not so much on the actual sports of football, though there are segments where they discuss drills and strategies of the game. Instead, the movie strives to bring the struggles and Oher’s personal Cinderella story to life. “The Blind Side” accomplishes just that through its directing and the commendable acting of its star-studded cast.

There are particular moments in the film where we as audiences cannot help but sigh, and realize just how much we have in comparison to the young Michael Oher. The first of which is when we follow Oher on his after school journey. Homeless and alone, Oher goes to the only place he knows—the local Laundromat. Once there, with his black plastic bag filled with only one change of clothes, he sits on the floor and waits for daylight to come. In another instance, when Leigh Anne decides to give Oher a permanent stay in the house, she goes to clean the guest room and clears a space for him. Oher, in disbelieve and gratitude, smiles and asks, “Is this for me?” Subsequently, Leigh Anne replies, “Why? You never had your own room?” At this moment, she has no idea just how rough a past Oher has gone through. When Oher says, “No, a bed,” Leigh Anne takes in the full impact of this child’s impoverished history. We as audiences are also saddened by this awful truth, but at the same time, are forced to reflect on how much we take everything we have for granted.

The acting in this movie also helps make the film more believable and the struggles real. Quinton Aaron, who plays Michael Oher, successfully creates sympathy from the viewers with his lost, confused, and innocent expressions. Throughout the movie, he says little and his brows are always furrowed. When at last, he is received into the home of this new family, he begins to smile—and even that smile is shy and delicate. Sandra Bullock, who played the role of Leigh Anne, comes off both strong and caring. She in essence, reflects us, as what she learns from Oher, we learn, and we feel what she feels when she sees this innocent child who is full of potential, but is lost because of his broken past.

After two hours, the movie ends, and it is at this time that the credits roll and audience members dab their eyes of their tears. It is also here that the director chooses to incorporate a picture montage of the real Michael Oher with his family, the Tuohy’s. It brings the movie home as we witness the images and know that the inspirational story we just saw was real, and that Cinderella miracles like this happen not only in fairy tales, but also in reality.