I've been reading lot of horrible comments that are based solely on the issues surrounding the movie rather than the movie itself. I wasn't excited to see this movie, I'm not interested in sports at all. The movie kept my attention though and well. It moved along quickly and pulled me into the story and left me feeling inspired. I wasn't excited to see a blonde sandy bullock in a sports movie, I think that's what might have turned me off the most, but she did really good job! It's rare to see a movie where there's a really strong lead female character. Whether you like Leigh Anne Touhy or not in the end, she is certainly entertaining and Sandra Bullock does a great job of bringing her onto the screen. The youngest son did an amazing job! So much talent in him. The character of Mike I think could have used a few more lines, even if he's supposed to be shy and reserved. All the actors really did a great job though for the most part. No it's not an epic Oscar winning film, although I wouldn't be surprised if Bullock got nominated for something for her acting. It is NOT loaded with propaganda as the other reviews might suggest. It's a light entertaining pick me up film that would be an excellent choice to bring the family to, most likely the reason why they released it over the Holidays.
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momomomomo21 November 2009
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tinanwoods1 November 2009I have just returned from seeing the blind side. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, particularly it's more poignant moments. Yes, this is a sports story, yes this is a biopic, but it is also in large part an interpersonal drama. It is rare to see a movie these days that relies on drama to carry it-not special effects, lush historically accurate wardrobe, or astounding make up- just a story that resonates with the viewer. That this story is based on contemporary facts makes it all the more resonant. Events that might have been handled superficially, predictably or exploited for dramatic purposes were instead presented in a nuanced and profound manner. Michael's biological mother was portrayed with dignity and compassion. In short, the aspects of Michael's story that make it moving and inspiring were captured with skill and integrity. As for the negative feedback regarding this movie that began when the only the trailers were available - I think the comments might be more a reflection of the world view of the authors rather than a reflection of the quality of the movie or the reality of Michael's story. Some people think the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a story about racism in the south, or that "The Crying Game" was a movie about the IRA - to me those were the settings for the drama, and not the drama itself. John Lee Hancock really bit off a lot when he took on this project-but as it turned out, it was not more than he could chew. Remember when Attorney General Eric Holder commented on how we were a nation of cowards when it came to openly discussing race? With this movie, Hancock has demonstrated he is not one of those cowards. He did not ignore the racial or class differences of the characters in this movie, and he avoided using the movie to make a social statement with the movie. He allowed these character attributes to be what they were in reality, and told the human drama in an effective and sensitive manner.
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Chris-53815 November 2009I'm a sports snob. I strongly believe there's only a handful of truly great sports movies. It's just too difficult for filmmakers to recreate the drama that takes place on the field. So when the Creative Loafers at sportschump.net asked me to review The Blind Side, a sports movie I would never see,starring an actress I really don't like, I was skeptical. But they promised me Jujubees, so I agreed to attend the premiere.
I fell into my comfy leather chair at the Cobb Theater Cinebistro in Wesley Chapel, fully expecting to pan everything about the movie. Then a strange thing happened. The film turned out to be pretty good.
Blind Side is adapted from Michael Lewis' novel of the same name. Just like the book, the film begins with a narrative of the game in which Lawrence Taylor broke Joe Theismann's leg. According to Lewis, that hit more than any other moment in football history, heightened the need for a strong, left tackle to protect the quarterback's blind side.
Enter the Michael Oher story.
Oher (Quinton Aaron) is an over-sized, high school kid from Memphis' inner city with no academic records and a crack addict for a mother. He is accepted into a local Christian high school when the football coach recognizes his potential.
Early scenes at Wingate Christian High School depict Oher as uncomfortable and intimidated in his new, mostly white surroundings. One teacher describes him as 'a fly in the milk.' Oher never says much, most of his expressions portrayed through mopey, facial gestures. Aaron's performance isn't groundbreaking, unless of course Oher didn't say much in real life. If that's the case, his performance is dead on.
After their youngest son (Jae Head) befriends Oher, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw), stumble upon Oher one afternoon roaming the streets, avoiding return to his crime-ridden projects. They welcome him into their home to sleep on their sofa for a night, which becomes a week, which ultimately becomes a legal adoption.
Despite Oher's poor grades, school administrators find that he excels in one capacity. He scores a 98% in protective instincts on a high school aptitude test.
The Tuohy's, a well-to-do, Southern Republican family with a strong allegiance to Ole Miss, hire a private tutor (Kathy Bates) to help Oher with his academic troubles. Once getting good enough grades to make the football team, Oher has trouble adjusting to the brutality of the sport. It's not until Bullock compares protecting his quarterback to the affection he feels for his new family that Oher finally understands his purpose on the field.
The word gets out about Oher eventually when a top scout is sent a DVD of his skills. Suddenly, major college coaches flock to recruit him. Sports fans will enjoy cameos from Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Phillip Fulmer, Lou Holtz and Houston Nutt, although LSU fans will cringe seeing Saban wearing purple once again.
The only problem is Oher is failing English, which makes him academically ineligible to receive a football scholarship. It's not until McGraw recites "The Charge of the Light Brigade" that Oher learns about courage, honor and ultimately passes another difficult test: his final English essay.
Oher decides to enroll at Ole Miss, which draws an NCAA investigation to ensure the Tuohy family did not tamper with his decision. Oher buys into it, then lashes out at Bullock, accusing her of taking him in just to get him to go to their alma mater. A resentful and confused Oher returns to the projects in search of his real mom, then busts up the local gangster's home, a scene which probably warrants the film's PG-13 rating.
Little by little, the audience is allowed a peek into Oher's upbringing, not a pretty picture, probably less so in real life. The film features several touching moments such as when the Tuohy's drop Oher off at college or when Bullock confronts Oher's real mother, who can barely remember which man was his biological father.
The film has its share of trite, Hollywood moments including McGraw and Bullock's designer marriage in which they never argue, Bullock telling off her country club friends in a moment of racial enlightenment, phoning the football coach from the sidelines to call in plays and Oher getting flagged in his opening game for 'excessive blocking.' Blind Side also glosses over several racial and class stereotypes, careful to equally bash Democrats, rednecks and Southerners. The film also provides several moments of comic relief in the form of McGraw's occasional one-liners that help to break up the film's drama.
Without reading Lewis' book or knowing the complete Oher history, one might think the film is overdramatized, until the closing credits which show a sequence of real pictures of Oher being raised by Tuohy family. They remind us that Blind Side is not only based on a true story, it is a true story.
Blind Side won't go down in the annals as the greatest sports movie ever made but it does have its moments. It's a touching depiction of what can result when some, give others, a fighting chance.
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jeremyscates20 November 2009I don't usually feel the need to leave comments, but this movie was just to well done not to. I went in expecting more football, more hits & highlights & as a huge football fan that was one of the main draws of the movie. The football actually takes a back seat to a wonderful story that is well executed by everyone involved. I've always thought Sandra Bulluck has been over-rated, but she nails this role & deserves some recognition down the road. The movie is so fantastic that anyone and everyone can relate and feel connected to the characters. The ideal target audience for this movie is children and adults alike. This movie should be an Oscar contender but I know these types of movies rarely ever win. Definitely deserves my vote!
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dbutrfli21 November 2009I just saw The Blind Side last night. As I have read even if you are not a football fan you'll like this movie. I am not a football fan (baseball is my sport) but I loved it!!! So many great performances by the actors. A charming story with laughs and tears. How nice to have a positive movie this time of the year especially. Everybody MUST see this movie. Quinton Aaron does a fantastic job of playing Michael Oher. In the early scenes he has no dialog, but expresses so much just with is eyes and facial expressions. Jae Head is charming as the young "brother" S.J. Camped up I am sure, but I go to the movies to entertained which the movie does in spades! Sandra Bullock as I have never seen her before, does a wonderful job, so different that the other roles she has had in the past. And Ray McKinnon as the coach has some expressions that John Lee Hancock should be awarded for his direction.
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howard.schumann28 March 2010In the fact-based film The Blind Side, a burly homeless black teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is taken in by the family of Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), a spunky white Christian mother of two and assisted through school until he achieves success as a football player in high school and college, eventually being drafted in the first round by the professional Baltimore Ravens. The film, written and directed by John Lee Hancock and adapted from a book by Michael Lewis, is undemanding entertainment that lacks a great deal of subtlety but is continuously entertaining and emotionally involving and redefines the true meaning of family values.
Michael who is known initially as "Big Mike" has been abandoned by his drug-addicted mother and survives in the slums of Memphis, Tennessee only by his wits. He sleeps where he can find a warm place -- a friend's couch, a Laundromat, a school gym -- when a family friend intervenes and helps him enroll in a private Christian high school. Sensing the boys' potential, football coach Cotton (Ray McKinnon) convinces the administrators of the school to admit him although he knows that he will not be eligible to play football unless he can keep up his grades. Seeing Michael alone wandering the streets, he is given a lift and taken home and made a member of the family by Leigh Anne, an interior designer who lives with her husband Sean (Tim McGraw), teenage daughter Collins (Lily Collins), and SJ (Jae Head) an expressive little boy who provides most of the film's comic moments.
Living with the Tuohy family allows Michael to learn to trust and to begin to express some of his feelings from a life of poverty and neglect. Michael who is so big that Leigh Anne can hardly find any clothes to buy for him is also gentle and lacks the killer instinct required of a football tackle. Tutored by the adorable SJ and counseled by Leigh Anne to view the team as a family he has to protect, Michael begins to develop his aggressiveness as a left tackle and develops his skills, eventually turning the team into winners. To raise his grades to be eligible for a college scholarship, the Tuohys hire Miss Sue, remarkably performed by Kathy Bates, who admits to the Republican family that she is a Democrat, prompting Sean to remark that he "never thought they would have a black son before they met a Democrat." Besides his grades, however, Michael must overcome several more obstacles that stand in his way before he can enter college.
The Blind Side shows Michael Oher achieving a transformation in his life based on his relationship with the family who took him and nurtured him to independence and self-respect. Sandra Bullock delivers an emotionally resonant performance as a woman whose life is enriched by her simple act of kindness and courage to act from her values. While the film breaks no new ground stylistically, it also resists genre clichés, has no movie villains, avoids cheap sentiment, and, in spite of patronizing images in its trailers and advertising posters, is a humorous, heartwarming, and satisfying experience. Ultimately, The Blind Side is not a film about sports but about the rewards of showing love and support when it is not always accepted or understood by the community. -
I must confess I was weeping 5 minutes into the movie and that's unusual for me. I had read the book and in the book nothing is that black or that white for that matter, but this is as movie and as a movie it works. I was expecting commercial interruptions every few minutes, the film felt so much like a TV movie. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Michael Oher story had to be told even with the poetic licenses that the film takes, shamelessly. Sandra Bullock plays herself beautifully as always and her character with all her saintly stern, southern modern American woman could not move away too far from "Miss Congeniality". But it works and at the end of the day, after paying the prices one pays at the box office, it's almost enough. Why they had to ruin it with an Oscar nomination? The nomination makes you look for something in her performance that clearly isn't there. If you go to a Sandra Bullock movie, the quality of the movie may vary but she is always terrific, playing that Sandra Bullock character. Good for her.
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cokiwa18 November 2009I saw this last night at a screening and found it to be a very inspiring movie. I love sports movies as well as movies based on true stories, so this film hit multiple buttons for me personally, but reactions of others leaving the theater seemed equally positive.
As with any sports movie, you must have an underdog to cheer for, and Michael Oher is that underdog. Having been removed by CPS from his crack-addicted mother's home as a child and bounced from foster home to foster home, Oher has been staying on a friend's couch. He is reluctantly accepted to a private school when the football coach sees potential in him and pressures the school's admissions board to give him a chance.
Unfortunately, being an undereducated black youth in a predominantly white private school doesn't magically turn his life around, and in addition to struggling to understand his classes, he finds himself sleeping in an all night laundromat after the stay at the friend's house ends. While walking on a cold, rainy night , Oher is offered a ride and then a place to sleep for the night by the Leigh Anne Tuohy, whose children attend the same school Michael does. It's this single act of kindness that begins a chain of events that will change this underdog's life, eventually resulting in his being a top 2009 NFL draft pick and signing with the Baltimore Ravens.
The actors brought plenty of life to the characters they were playing. It was a pleasure to watch Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy, making a somewhat minor character in the film memorable. Sandra Bullock's portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy was fascinating--I'd really love to meet Mrs. Tuohy in person. Jae Head as SJ became my favorite character in the movie, practically stealing the show as it were. Quinton Aaron's portrayal of Oher leans heavily to the strong, silent type, but there is a quiet grace and gentleness that comes through.
Obviously, nothing is quite as slick and clean as Hollywood plays it in movies like this, and there were issues and controversies surrounding the Tuohy family and the assistance they offered Michael Oher. Some of it is depicted in the movie, though not all, and there are many who will decry this film for that. It's a given that there is more to a story than what you see on the screen...condensing years into a two hour presentation requires some compromise...and it is meant to be entertainment after all.
I only had a couple criticisms. One, at 126 minutes, the movie was a little too long. I think 8-10 minutes of editing would have really tightened it up and eliminated a couple slower moments. Second, Sandra Bullock's accent seemed a little too forced at times. And finally, what happened to Steve Hamilton, the boy whose family Michael was staying with when he started attending Briarwood? Once introduced as his father pressures the coach for scholarships for Steve and Michael, he disappears from the movie. Minor issues that didn't keep this from being an extremely enjoyable movie, but did help keep it from being a perfect 10. -
A few months after the Academy Awards we decided to see this movie since it was nominated as one of the 10 best pictures of year and of course Sandra Bullock was named Best Actress. While it was a good performance by Bullock who had a fine southern accent for her character, we decided that she probably was given the Oscar for "her body of work". The movie was a predictable "feel good" story that in our opinion was not in the same league as the other nominees for best picture. It is based on a true story of Michael Oher, an over-sized black teenager from the wrong side of the tracks ( Quinton Aaron), who gets "adopted" by a rich Memphis couple ( Sandra Bullock and country music star Tim McGraw) with two kids of their own. The school football coach drools over his potential as a offensive lineman but it is not until his new Mother knowing that he has tested to have high aptitude in the "protectiveness" scale encourages him to "protect" the quarterback or the running back as he would protect his own new found family does he show his stuff. He now is able to use his size and power and become a great football player who is recruited by many colleges including his new parents alma mater "Ole Miss". In order to play football and stay in the game he had to be tutored by a teacher who also went to Ole Missplayed by Kathy Bates. There are a few mild twists and subplots in the story line but no big surprises. You come away from the movie with a warm feeling, especially as you look at the closing credits interspersed with photos of the real Michael Oher and the family that adopted him, as well as confirmation that he eventually made the NFL.
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J_Trex27 November 2009I don't think I've seen a Bullock movie since "Speed" that didn't leave me watching my cell phone for the time. Her movies have been pretty awful and worth skipping. Not this one. The story received a lot of press and one has to give her much credit for snapping up the rights to it. She also did a fabulous job as the heroine. I was simply amazed. It was really one of the most amazing career rehabilitations since Travolta in "Pulp Fiction".
I loved the story. It is a genuinely heartwarming tale of an abandoned teenager adopted by a wealthy family and guided to success. And it's all true. This is what make me love movies. What a great film! Go see this movie. I loved it and so will you. -
jgregg4220 November 2009OK, OK, so I was your typical reviewer who saw the trailers to "The Blind Side" and expected another football movie where a "one-in-a-million shot" with a lot of heart goes on to win the Super Bowl or national championship. And, when everything was said and done I would come home and write a review using the words "tear jerker" or "uplifting" or "scores a touchdown." Then I started to write this review and realized that it was all of those things plus a lot more.
"The Blind Side" is the story of Michael Oher, (played by Quinton Aaron), a teenager from a broken home with a troubled past who goes onto become an NFL draft pick. His story, as portrayed in this particular film, is not about how he laid awake every night dreaming of someday playing in the NFL. In fact, the NFL was only mentioned at the end of the movie where it actually showed the real Michael Oher being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. This movie was all about the journey.
It starts with Sandra Bullock's character, Leigh Anne Touhy, narrating and describing the importance of an offensive tackle (something I knew very little about) and moves into Michael being allowed a shot to go to a private school in Memphis. The young man does have a rough life, pretty much homeless, no family, no friends and extremely introverted. By fate, Leigh and her family take Michael in for a night and they become his surrogate parents for a while. They clothe him and shelter him and help him bring his grades up in school.
All along, Michael isn't saying more than a few words at a time. I think this was the strong area of the movie. This gentle giant brought out the best intentions around a lot of the characters in the story. We've all seen the football movies where the gifted athlete comes in and says a lot of smart-ass lines then butts heads with the coach and realizes he needs to listen in order to learn. Well, this movie takes a different approach (and since it was based on a true story I think this was the only approach he had to work with). Michael kept quiet most of the time and the people around him learned a lot about helping another human being.
Should you see this movie? Definitely. Yes. Even if you think you have seen this football formula before, you haven't. The movie used comedy to bring it to life. It used Michael's silence at the right times to make it stick. They thought this movie through before they started filming. Why else should you see it? Because it was an uplifting, tearjerker that will score a touchdown. (There, I typed the words and I enjoyed doing it). -
kazutoasuna9 May 2017I loved it it was amazing i felt that (spoiler alert) he finally stood up to those other people and showed them he's not a push over I felt that more school should do all around student's because everyone can learn from it no one is stupid no one is dumb everyone have there own talent's and his happened to be protection and you know what that's a great skill to have in my opinion
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The inspirational story of Michael Oher, the performance from Sandra Bullock, and the good camera work, so why did it not come together? I think the blame is on the screenplay. The overall portrayal of Michael Oher seems stylized in a way that never really shows the true grit or sentiment of the character. It is all so glamored up. Yet the messages of the movie still stay true and the performances are finely tuned, especially Bullock's. The racism displayed is reflective and correct. Ther are lots of things the filmmakers got right, but there are plenty they got wrong as well. The results are a serviceable portrait of a very honest and fortunate man that never adds up the way it should have.
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First of all, Quinton did a fine job in the lead role. Let's get that out of the way. Great acting job. He took the material he was given and played the role very well.
However, this film is pure Hollywood sap, a "feel good" movie that picks and chooses factual elements and builds a fictional tale around them. The film loves the character of Leigh Ann (who is really not that interesting, although she is kind hearted and generous), and as a result, Oher is relegated to a shy over-sized charity case with no clue and no skills of any sort, other than his natural kindness and resilient character. That strengthens the focus on Leigh Ann's rescue actions, how she "saved" this poor aimless kid and gave him all the life skills he needed to succeed on and off the football field. It resonates with white suburban do-gooder audiences, but it's just not accurate.
In truth, Michael Oher was already a very good football player when the Tuohy family took him in. And he had a bold, confident personality that rubbed off on everyone and made him a natural leader. He was a motivated, focused kid who knew what he wanted, but came from an environment where no one really cared or provided support. He was NOT a shy, introverted pathetic case. He just came from a terrible domestic environment and found stability with a nice rich family. The real story of Michael Oher is how he caught the luckiest of breaks and escaped the ghetto jungle and was able to leave all that soul crushing crap behind, and focus on academics and athletics in a completely different upper middle class environment. It's a study in how important environment is in the life of kids and teenagers, and how it can make a huge difference.
But what we, the audience, receive is a Hallmark channel film that is nothing more than a lazy, formulaic, fictionalized "warm your heart" chick flick couched in a football world. Sassy dialogue, woman-takes-charge scenes, tender moments, etc -- all the usual stuff is there. The film would have been FAR better had it focused on Oher as the lead character, instead of Bullock. No offense to Bullock, who is a fine actor.
It is well known that real life Michael Oher was very displeased with this film, and how it portrayed him. -
leavel8 February 2016*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Michael Oher, performed by Quinton Aaron, a displaced adolescent, pending the acquaintance of Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), her husband Sean (Tim McGraw) and kids Collins (Lily Collins) and S.J. (Jae Head), the Tuohy's invite Michael into their lives and household equally as their own. Michael comes from a drug-addict mother and no recognized dad. Bounced around from numerous foster care homes, Michael kept running away searching for what he was missing, a home. Mrs. Tuohy recognizes Michael has no place to call home, therefore inviting him into their home. Although the Tuohy's are assisting Michael, Michael is in turn preparing them for their own changes. The Blind Side shows the theme within this film is that people are able to exceed circumstances amongst them. Upon expressing an interest in football, Mrs. Tuohy exerts her every being to see he is on the field and given the opportunity to learn and play the game. During a scene of the film, Leigh Anne gives pointers to the coach about Michael scoring high in protective instincts, which causes him to protect his team, as well as his family. Not only did the Tuohy's provide Michael with a devoted home, they also employed a tutor to aid the improvement of his grades. With help and encouragement from Leigh Anne and family, Michael overcomes the economic challenges he had faced. Leigh Anne ensures Michael has a chance for a brighter future and the opportunity to succeed in all his endeavors. The motif of the film is the scenes concluding thru black and white calms. The scene when Michael is dispirited while trying to make friends with two little girls that ran away from him. Another when Leigh Anne's torn once Michael questions her about why she helped him. The close-up angles used in the film, with a focus on the face, shows the definition of hurt and sadness in their eyes. The movie Miracle has a relevant theme as The Blind Side. Michael holds true to the morals and beliefs that are effective and profound of a perceptive individual. All through the movie, Michael exceeds the circumstances once against him. Equally, on and off the football field the environments that envelop him no longer surround him. The ability to exceed negative environments proves that people do not have to be restricted by the settings that frame them. -
Cassandramork22 November 2009This movie was amazing and it gives you so much. Sandra bullock's performance was great, I would actually go so far as saying it was her best ever. I really think she might get an Oscar for it this year. The real Leigh Anne was born just so that Sandra Bullock could play her in this movie. She was dead on throughout the whole movie. If you haven't seen it you have to. I usually get really bored watching true life stories but this one kept me interested thru out the whole movie. If there was such a thing as a perfect movie, this would be it. Great plot, Amazing actors, Talented directors, etc. Go and see it. And I really think both men and women will like this one. It has a very sensitive touch but still it has a lot of funny moments and it has football in it. 10 out of 10.
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JurijFedorov21 January 2022I rewatched it as I read the book days ago.
It's pretty watchable a single time. I watched it again and man it hasn't aged well whatsoever. This is such a "cheap" movie. Everything feels melodramatic and lazy. The scenes are all set up as in any Christian B tier movie. Just direct camera work. Not bad at all. It's just... boring. I'm glad it's not shaky-cam, but at least add creativity and some shots from the air. Here we just see faces. It's people talking and the director is not focused enough to make it visually engaging. It feels like watching a cheap documentary.
The acting is overall good. The small son is a horrible actor here. A damn shame. His scenes are very cringe. Overall the scenes are cringe as they always try to play up any conflict to level 9000. Even small conflicts are in your face. Compare this to The Wire that also had similar scenes in the ghetto. There we see the culture and the dangers. Here everything is a movie scene made to shock and awe and all scenes end the same way: people being overly emotional. Nothing is calm. The first 15 minutes were actually great as we didn't get flat characters. Then after that it became lazy filmmaking. They really didn't care about this story whatsoever. They just wanted to make a movie to earn some quick bucks.
Now, I also do see some great issues about the story not really being the real story. The book has quite a few differences. The overall storyline is similar, but some changes are so Hollywood that it's cringe. Also, the book overall is likely 25% spin too so the movie just adds on top of that.
In the book Michael visits his mom regularly. Here we don't see him visit her a single time. The whole point is that he ran away from foster care as a kid to return to his mom to sleep in a bed with 6-8 other siblings while his mom spent all her welfare on drugs the first few days. She didn't give them food or clothes and often didn't come home. But foster care was not great either as you have a bunch of violent kids, cheap beds, cheap houses, people who just want to make state money by taking in kids. So overall the situation was bad. In such families the dad goes away right as the child is born or you don't even know who the dad is. It's crime and drugs. This movie used the scene where the children were taken from their druggie mom. But it's a flashback scene we see about 5 times. It's never clearly explained. His mom looks healthy and young here. That's not really how a drug abuser lives or acts. She also says she doesn't want to see her son in her condition and that she used to do drugs. In real life she wasn't really clean. And here they should have showed that a bit more clearly. Also, in real life his mom and family members were extremely eager to see him as often as possible. He was on the way to making millions. What do you think happens in such a case? The brothers and mom just stay away? In the book his step-parents even talk about how it's a good thing that his dad died as that means he won't be coming after him for money. And his mom calls him SO MUCH that he stops taking the phone. Obviously they wanted his money. Here he's just by himself.
We also didn't meet his Black friend here. We didn't see him talk about how he would send money to his family in the ghetto as the first thing and get them out of there. NFL players make millions a year and plan for all of this.
How he was discovered was also changed. It's made into a gag where 2 different events are combined. That's actually done a lot in this movie. 2 different events are combined so that one causes the other while in real life there could even be a year between the events. In reality people just saw he was a huge guy and therefore considered him a gigantic talent even before he started playing football. NFL is eager to get big dudes. Even athletes who, like Michael, are terrible at football initially. The size will do the talking. Here we didn't even see how he played basketball regularly. Here he sorta just starts playing football later on while being extremely out of shape. He moves like a fat guy not an athlete and he barely trains for anything here. In real life he always wanted to be a professional basketball player and get to NBA. He is actually quite arrogant that way. When he made it big he proclaimed that he just worked his way up and that he wouldn't give money to others like him as they should just work their way up too. I'm not saying it's morally wrong. I'm just saying the movie doesn't show that. Here he's acting like a little kid. In real life he was quite focused on athletics and arrogant about his abilities. He is just very low IQ, like many Black people and Black athletes, so he didn't really talk much when teachers talked about complicated matters. And as his mom was a drug addict there is not much he wants to say about his personal life either. He didn't speak much at all, true, but the movie totally missed the arrogance aspect that was his personality once you uncover his true character. It's not a bad personality as such. It would be interesting to see it.
We also don't learn about his great memory that made him pass exams. It's not "love and care" or whatever that made him pass them. It's a great memory while having low IQ - and then tricks and cheats. His family in the movie talks about "doing something" to make him pass his exams so that he could get to college and then NFL. But in the movie they don't do anything close to cheating. We just see his teachers give him verbal exams as he can't read or write well. In real life his new family paid for a new IQ test that put his IQ at a White person's level. Which is quite clearly a fake result. That way they could claim he had a learning disability and not low IQ. And hence just needed extra tools in college instead of not being allowed in. They also gave him a ton of substitute exams to replace his low school grades. For example, you can take a new language exam to replace some Spanish exam you studied a year for. These were the exams done verbally 1-to-1 where one assumes adults could "help him" get to the answer like in the IQ test. Hence we don't know how much he actually knew or passed. They had money to make it all work. In the movie all of that is replaced with teachers just claiming that "he is actually smart we just need to teach him a different way!". Riiiiiight. He raised his IQ 20 points and just needed "a new way" to become really smart. It's a movie I guess. It's curious they have Sandra Bullock allude to something only found in the book. I guess it's a way for the director to claim it's a true story.
The fight in college where he by accident made a small child bleed from his head here happens in his ghetto before he attends college. With all the other changes this smaller stuff adds up even though it's quite similar to what happened in real life. The lesson was that if you as a Black man break the law in a White setting you will be kicked out. This lesson disappears when you just making him act like a small puppy among White people. In reality it's a learning experience. He's a huge talent so he wasn't kicked out from college. And he wasn't kicked out for being too stupid. It's money privilege, but also talent privilege. A regular Black kid who didn't pass any exams and got into a fight would not really get all these passes. Which the movie also doesn't illustrate in any way. He just is this good guy with a talent. The book expands on all of this.
It's also a shame we don't see a bit more about the Black coach who helped him at the start and let him stay over. I feel like these good Black guys helping out in the community need more recognition. Reminds me of the Black boxing coach from The Wire. This movie is 50% about Sandra Bullock. She's in most scenes and doing most of the work so they couldn't fit in much other stuff. The White dad was actually the one who got Michael close to the family. He gave him free stuff, paid for his food, helped out athletes overall. Here there is a scene where he sees Michael scavenge food yet does nothing. The guy in real life walked up to Michael and then, without even telling him anything about it, paid for his school lunches. Before his wife even knew about Michael. They totally erase his story to make Sandra Bullock do 80% of what he did in the book. I get why, it's her movie. But it just feels wrong. These 2 men in his life made a huge difference and became his father figures to make it all work for him in the sport. They cared. They are nice guys here too, but Sandra Bullock does the coaching and gets him to NFL here. Keep in mind she's just a former cheerleader. Her husband was a basketball player who is a booster for kids, meaning he helps young kids get into sports. So it's weird his role is removed here. But he's still a nice guy in the movie.
Overall it's not quite the real story. But it's fairly close. The movie is just lazy. The emotional scenes are so extremely in your face that I couldn't handle it. Like, there are maybe 3 scenes where his step-sister high fives him and says "good job bro". The scenes are clearly added to illustrate that Michael is not sexually attracted to her. They have a goal, it's still bad film making. We also linger on people for too long. They want us to reaaaaaally feel what they are feeling. So when someone says something offensive the camera will linger on the person who heard it. We have a close up of a face for 4 seconds. It's unbearable. The lazy camera work makes everything linger seconds too long in an unnatural way where everyone looks like they are about to cry or kiss. It's creepy. You are supposed to make it feel like real social interactions not some extremely emotional stuff where you feel like everyone is constantly ready for hugs every second scene. It's so much feel good that it's fake. So eh, fine enough movie I guess. Something interesting scenes. It's just so lazy that I'm offended. -
DarkVulcan2929 November 2009Nice to see Sandra Bullock come back after the cinematic travesty, called All About Steve(2009). This was a well made film, perfectly filmed,and great performances by everybody.
Leigh Ann Tuohy(Sandra Bullock), seems to have the life most women would envy, a wonderful supporting husband(Tim Mcgraw), and two great kids(Lily Collins and Jae Head). But one day while driving home, she sees, a larger then life teenager which everybody calls Big Mike(Quinton Aaron), when she tries to talk to him, he comes across as a little withdrawn, and is nearly homeless, she decides to take him in, with her supporting family behind her. Leigh finds out his name is Michael Oher, and tries to dig up things about his past, in hopes of helping him, but the question is will she?
I really liked this film, it manages to balance humor and drama perfectly. Sandra Bullock gave quite a strong performance, so Quinton Aaron, Lyn Collin, but Jae Head is quite the scene stealer. It also has a good football scene as well. And Kathy Bates is good in her supporting role also. I say see The Blind Side. -
MeVanita12 July 2019Entertaining, fun, and a great message about love, compassion and excellence. I watched this movie several times over the years, and it is always great
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willia-1638815 June 2017If I had a theme, I would just say truly compassionate. Let me start out by saying I am a very masculine male who is big into sports, spent the first have of my childhood growing up in the projects, I can relate to Michael's(Quinton Aaron) upbringing. Though not to his extent. With that being said, this movie brought a tear (one tear) to my eyes seeing the compassion that Leigh (Sandra Bullock) and her husband Sean (TimMcGraw) showed this young man who had been abandoned my his drug addicted mother. The way Mike bonded with Leigh's children, S.J (Jae Head) and Collins (Lily Collins) was great. Although Mike was a big kid, he was very gentle. Remember the scene where he told Leigh that he did not like being called Big Mike. Also, the movie had religion in it as the school accepted Michael based on their religion principles. Also, the way Sandra reached out to find Michael mother was very impressive. This movie had it all, compassion,drama, sports and religion. It made me appreciate the good in people and I truly want to pass this on. Maybe if more people felt this way, the world would be better.
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nultyerin6 October 2015A Touchdown for All
Whether or not you have ever watched a football game, this movie will tug at your heart and have you rooting for Michael Oher right from the start. Through the use of it's dynamic actors, Michael Lewis' The Blind Side shows the importance of family and compassion which grabs the attention of both sports and non sports enthusiasts.
The Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Oher's life. At the start of the movie Michael doesn't have a home and is staying at a friend's house in a little part of Tennessee called "Hurt Village. I'll let the name of the village speak for itself. Both he and his friend are able to begin attending a Christian school on the other side of town with the help of his friend's desperate father. Michael feels out of place right from the start. He is referred to as "Big Mike", and is treated as an outcast by not only students but by the teachers as well. It isn't until he runs into Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) that things start turning around for him. Leigh Anne immediately reaches out to Michael and invites him to stay for the night. One night turns into a few more nights and pretty soon Michael has his own room in the Tuohy household. A lot changes during his time starts at the Tuohy's and he goes from being a reserved, "Big Mike" to a confident, "Michael".
The acting in this movie is altogether fantastic. From Tim McGraw who plays Sean Tuohy, to Michael's tutor, Miss Sue played by Kathy Bates, everyone of the actors and actresses deserve a standing ovation. In my opinion, Leigh Anne Tuohy who is played by Sandra Bullock steals the show. The audience can really connect to her empathetic character. Sandra Bullock gives all women a sense of empowerment and shows people that a little compassion can go a long way. Both Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, who plays Michael in the movie help one another to realize how much they need each other. One of the things I love about this movie is that it is not only about how The Tuohy family took Michael in and completely turned his life around, but how Michael became a member of the Tuohy family and gives them all a whole new outlook on life.
After seeing this movie, there is one actor who cannot go unnoticed. That would be Jae Head, who plays the role of S.J. Tuohy, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy's (Tim McGraw) youngest child. Jae has such a big role for such a young child and does it in a way that makes you wonder how someone so young could be so wise. He gives the movie a very lighthearted feel, and keeps people sitting on the edge of their seat wondering "what will he say next" whenever he is in a scene. It is clear right away that he and Michael will be close. They hit it off right away when S.J. gives Michael a little advice to "Smile at them. It will let them know you're their friend" after he watches Michael scare away two little girls from the swing at the park. It's very heartwarming to see how much Michael listens to what advice S.J. has for him throughout the movie.
The Blind Side has something for everyone. This may seem like another cliché sports movie, but it has so much more within it. The fact that it is a true story makes it one that has and will inspire many. The Blind Side is one for all to see and will leave you with a feeling of the utmost compassion towards the people in this movie. -
LiterallyCantEven14 August 2023I feel it needs to be heard that this entire movie is based on a lie. As it is now known, the Tuohys never adopted Michael Oher. They instead tricked him into thinking he was signing adoption papers, and instead had him sign conservatorship papers, as Oher found out in February 2023. The Tuohys profited 300m dollars off this film and Michael Oher had not received a single dime from it. Not only this, Michael Oher was never dumb, he knew the game of football and was a current player when the Tuohys took him in.
While the performances of the actors may have been great, it is hard to justify supporting this movie any longer. Hopefully Michael Oher can get the justice he deserves. -
courtneyr9014 December 2015The Blind Side directed by John Lee Hancock is a film based off of a true story of the famous NFL football player Michael Oher, played by Quinton Aaron. The plot of this film is about a young underprivileged black boy that has an amazing talent playing football, but is extremely uneducated. He ends up going to a school where, the Tuohy's, a wealthy white Christian family take him in and become his legal guardians. Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) her husband Sean (Tim McGraw) and their family face many challenges with adopting Michael.
Throughout this movie Michael and the Tuohy's are faced with many different obstacles, from social acceptance to overcoming emotional hardships. From watching this film a common theme has presented itself through the storyline. The main theme in this movie would be to not judge a book by its cover.
The first major indicator of the theme in this film would be Michael being judged from his appearance that he is good at sports. Burt Cotton (Ray McKinnon) pushes for Michael's application to be accepted into Wingate Christian School because he assumes because of Michael's appearance he will be good at sports. While Michael has the physical ability to play the sports, he lacks the emotional and mental ability. Throughout this film Michael is coached to become a better football player.
A second indicator of the theme in this film would be Michael being judged from all of his teachers in the school. They assume that he is worthless and unable to learn because he hasn't had a stable upbringing to where he had the opportunity to become educated. One of the instructors Mrs. Boswell (Kim Dickens) can see the potential in him, so she works closely with him to get his grades up to be able to play sports in school.
Lastly Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy being accused of taking Michael in for their own benefits. On the outside it may seem like they took him in to build him up to be a good football player to benefit their college, but throughout the film it shows the emotional bond that the Tuohy's and Michael have created. From an outside perspective it may look like the Touhy's adopted Michael for their personal gain, but the film shows the whole story of the emotional bond that they have created.
In this film there are a few techniques that contribute to the theme. The first being when Burt is talking to the man that brought Michael to the school there are parallel cuts between that conversation and Michael playing basketball. This gives the viewer the indication that Michael is good at sports and that he will fit in at Wingate. Going back to the theme this scene strongly identifies with the theme that you can't judge a book by its cover.
A second indication of the theme through techniques would be in the scene that Michael is being interrogated by Investigator Granger (Sharon Morris). The technique that is being used in this scene would be the high angle shots and low angle shots. In the clips with Michael it was filmed with high angle shots and Investigator Granger was filmed with low angle shots. The high angle shot dwarfs Michael and makes him appear smaller and more like a victim, while the low angle shot makes Investigator Granger seem larger and extremely intimidating. In this scene she is trying to bully Michael into saying that the Tuohy's adopted him for their benefits, which ties back into the theme that you can't judge a book by its cover. Overall this movie is a good film with a strong theme.
I would recommend to watch if you like sports movies with a little more emotion behind them, such as Remember the Titans. Judging a book by its cover is very strong in both of these films and it is prominent throughout the films. -
slyvella-241-33168821 March 2015The Blind Side was an enjoyable movie. Although, the movie was based on a true story it was delivered in a very appealing manner. The movie cast really brought the movie to life. Sandra Bullock played the role of Leigh Ann Tuoly, Quinton Aaron played the role of Michael Oher also known as Big Mike and Jay Head played the role of Sean Jr. Tuoly also known as S.J. The cast made me forget I was watching a film that was based on a true story. It was as if the storyline was playing out for the very first time. Big Mike was a high-school age teen, who played football. He lives in poverty, going home to home, school to school, without much family support or stability. Big Mike, is ultimately befriended by S.J. who is much younger than he and they develop of friendship. The interactions of Big Mike and S.J. caught the attention of S.J's mom, Leigh Ann Tuoly; Big Mike, did not go unnoticed from Leigh Ann from that point on.
The complexity of Human relationships and Coming of Age were two of the most prevalent themes throughout the movie. Most people that came in contact with Big Mike, were intimidated by him because of his size. No one took the time to get to know him or understand his plight; until Leigh Ann did. Even when Leigh Ann, decided she wanted to take Big Mike in, her family and people around her weren't very supportive initially. People simply did not understand and most people are afraid of what they don't know. Big Mike dealt with the complexity of human relationships in several facets. Once Leigh Ann, took him in, he went from living in poverty to living very comfortably. It wasn't until he began living with Leigh Ann, did he have a bed of his own for the very first time; which was a big difference from how he was accustomed to living. Big Mike was also as a large black man, now living in a community that was primarily white. He had to adapt to the stares, glares and some people just not liking him.
Another film that comes to mind with a similar theme is Precious, only it's more intensified. While the main character Precious played by Gabourey Sidibe, also dealt with the complexity of human relationships; the complexity was with someone really close to her; her mother. The person we seek love from the most, naturally. Fortunately for Precious, she encountered someone at school who saw past her flaws; her teacher; Ms. Rain played by Paula Patton. Ms. Rain, seen something good in Precious, just as Leigh Ann, seen in Big Mike.
The techniques in "The Blind Side" seemed to be the coolest at night, on the football field. The view of the stadium lights gave for such a great illusion, gearing our attention to the football field and the football players. There were many other people and objects in those scenes but we were drawn to the football field. I also really appreciated the slow motion effects, it made you anticipate what was going to happen next. It really pulled you into the scene, you felt as if you were there.
The movie was definitely one that dealt with the complexity of Human Relationships and it was interesting to see some of the complexities overcome the throughout the movie. By the end of the movie Big Mike did not deal with as many complexities, nor conflicts, which made for a great movie. -
tieman647 June 2010"The Blind Side" finds a wealthy, white and paternalistic Christian family deciding to civilise a helpless, slow-witted, African American kid. The kid doesn't speak, is a kind, gentle bear, and spends the film literally doing whatever the white characters tell him to do, never once expression an opinion, thought or exhibiting any agency or free will.
As the film unfolds, we are shown black people who are unable to help themselves, learn that the white man's way is best, that blacks should be grateful of white aid and that success comes to those who "are good" and "don't do drugs". The film tries to say that privileged whites should help downtrodden blacks, but of course this is easy to say when the black kid being helped turns out to be a star sportsman who effortlessly succeeds on the field.
Strangely, "The Blind Side's" central character - Big Mike (Quinton Aaron) - is largely a non-entity. A giant mute kid, passive but obedient, Mike bumbles about like a tamed grizzly bear in a polo shirt. Elsewhere the film employs racist stereotypes, is condescending and has absolutely no concern for its black character, who plays second fiddle to actress Sandra Bullock, who plays a kindly matriarch with a hot-line to God. Through Bullock, white audiences pat themselves on the back, able to do what's right and decent by proxy.
During flashbacks, Big Mike is shown to have come from a supremely depressing black community. Drug addicts, prostitutes, gangsters, junkies with hopeless lives....the kid's past is but an amalgamation of clichés, a one-dimensional horror-show cynically designed to make his transition into white-hood smooth and frictionless. A better film would have perhaps shown the troubles the kid has fitting into his new white life. Would have really examined the causes of poverty and abandonment. Would show how Bullock's very privilege relies on an unspoken social agreement which essentially perpetuates and sanctions an underclass. Would show how Big Mike feels being the only black kid in school. Would have given him a personality. Would have examined the way sports exploits impoverished black kids. Would have examined the downsides of the white family's Christian fundamentalism. Would have portrayed its characters in a less one-dimensional light (though the Aryan Brotherhood must be pleased to see the black mute gentle giant stereotype making a return).
But perhaps such a film would have made no money. Afterall, "Blind" made a staggering 400 million dollars and counting at the box office, proving that people love its very Christian world-view. This is the wholesome view of smiley-faced missionaries who go out to Africa to help god's impoverished children with an open heart. A view which ignores the church's brutal history, its continuing negative effect on the continent (see the rise of brutal church sanctioned homophobia), ignores that for every dollar of western "aid" sent to Africa a dollar fifty and more comes back in debt repayment, ignores the way western "Christian" nations control trade policies and the lives of peoples in the developing world, never-mind how privilege at home in America relies upon a class system. And all the while, with demented irony, Jesus Christ's supposed home land of Israel, the site every crazy politician believes the Second Coming will occur, receives more western aid than all of Latin America, Africa and the West Indies combined. Hooray for a little Christian compassion.
A more moral film would have probably had Big Mike beat the crap out of Bullock, embrace every racist cliché, get their daughter pregnant, rob their house and steal their car. I'm sure there's something in the Bible which advocates that. Thou shall enact vengeance on hypocritical women or something. Proverbs 21:19 I think. Or maybe not.
7/10 – The always likable Sandra Bullock would win an Oscar for her performance in this film.