The Blind Side

The inspirational story of Michael Oher’s rise from impoverished youth to outstanding NFL player is brought to life in a way that isn’t overly clichéd or watered down, but instead stirs a sense of hope at the kindness still able to be found in mankind.

Sandra Bullock stars as Leigh Anne Touhy, a Mississippi wife and mother that decides to open her home to a struggling young African-American boy nicknamed “Big Mike”(newcomer Quinton Aaron) who attends the same school as her daughter. Michael comes from a difficult place in life where he’s been given very little opportunity to succeed or someone to truly believe in his abilities. Through his time spent with the Touhy family, Michael is able to not only bring up his academic scores, but eventually go out for the high school football team. Initially showing trepidation about making aggressive physical contact with other players, Leigh Anne is able to tap into the protective nature of her new houseguest and brings out in him one of the best offensive lineman for college prospects in recent history.

The majority of the film’s impact doesn’t come from the bone-crushing tackles shown on the field, but rather the unique interactions that occur between Michael and the Touhy family. From a social standpoint, the Touhy’s decision to take Michael in is at first looked at as a strange act of kindness, but it is the genuine nature of their heartfelt affection towards him that solidifies the core of the film. Michael is no longer a poor young man tossed from foster home to foster home, but is instead a part of a family that sees him as one of their own and gives him a permanent place to belong.

Sandra Bullock handles the character of Leigh Anne with a more understated performance than I originally expected. Hearing her Mississippi accent in the trailers, I held a bit of fear that it could easily become a stereotypical southern role with an overblown caricature instead of an honest performance of a woman truly touched by this young man’s entrance into her life. Both Bullock and Tim McGraw as husband Sean Tuohy give down to earth performances that ground the believability in the story and don’t allow it to become a sappy made for TV quality movie. Quinton Aaron’s turn as Michael Oher however is what really drove home the film for me, as his quiet and subdued portrayal hides the explosive nature of an NFL powerhouse just waiting to be unleashed.

The PG-13 rating is in place for a few scenes of mild violence and very limited adult language, but I would encourage parents that have kids able to grasp these things within the context of a film to go see this as the story is exceptional and inspiring, not to mention based on true events.

It’s rare to see true life events translated to film in an honest and quality fashion, but The Blind Side manages to capture both the power and heart of Michael Oher’s tale, while remaining entertaining from a cinematic standpoint.

Grade: A
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