The Blind Side is Opening Eyes
The Blind Side is perhaps one of the most American films ever made. It encompasses many of the things we, Americans, hold dear to our hearts like: football, rising from nothing to something, Sandra Bullock, and football again. This film has something for the whole family and will make even the coldest hearts, warm.
Released in 2009, The Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Ohr, played by Quinton Aaron, a teenage African-American boy who finds himself homeless and then saved by the Tuohys. Michael Ohr is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks that somehow manages to get into a private school. Once Leigh Anne Tuohy takes him in, he immediately becomes one of the family. With the help of many teachers, Michael gets his grades high enough to play football for the school, this was perhaps the door that will open all of the other doors in his life. His new-found talent would even take him on to college on a scholarship and later to play for the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.
Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne Tuohy, a strong, independent, bull-headed, Christian, Southern woman, who will listen to no one who tells her taking in Michael Ohr is the wrong move. She is the person most people aspire to be; kind, with a good heart, but not someone who will be pushed around by anyone. For example, at one point in the movie she says this to her friends “Look, here’s the deal, I don’t need y’all to approve my choices alright, but I do ask that you respect them”, in that quote she tells them that she won’t stand for anyone to tell her what she should do with her life. This role is a bit different from the usual roles that Sandra Bullock would take on, but it won her an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 2010 and I must say her performance was very deserving of an Oscar.
The Blind Side was directed by John Lee Hancock, who is known for directing Saving Mr. Banks and The Rookie. The Blind Side was written by Michael Lewis, who is known for writing The Big Short and Moneyball. The Blind Side also stars Tim McGraw, a country superstar that is also known for his performances in Friday Night Lights (another football movie), Flicka, and Tomorrowland. With stars like these and Sandra Bullock, it really isn’t that surprising that the film turned out to be, so great.
One of my favorite quotes from the film is when someone tells Leigh Anne Tuohy that she is changing Michaels life and she responds, “No. He’s changing mine.” This is true, but she really did change his life for the better. Without the help of Leigh Anne Tuohy, Michael Ohr would not have been as successful as he was. Michael faced many challenges on his way to becoming the football star. He faced challenges of poverty and racism. The film tackled the issues of poverty in the United States and the racism many people still face today in the United States, but still manages to be a film for the whole family and a film that makes you feel good.
If you are looking for a film for your whole family or a film that will make you feel good on the inside, then I would highly recommend that you watch The Blind Side. This is truly a film meant for everyone and you will not regret that you took 2 hours out of your time to watch this film.
