The Blind Side

Not knowing or caring much about the world of sports, sports movies always give me the same agonizing feeling of having to endure over-extended “field” clips and an overuse of jargon that I don’t understand. Though I didn’t have high expectations for the newest addition to the vast collection of “feel good” sports dramas, I was actually surprised that I liked this one. It seems that all sports films have the exact same plot line: there is an underdog who reaches their potential through coaching and development of skill and ultimately prevails over the opposing team creating the largest obstacle to victory (which is more often than not, the most prestigious team in whatever sports league they are playing in). And yea, “The Blind Side” did have those predictable characteristics, but I think the fact that the aspects of the game of football were downplayed and the story line was more predominant, focusing more on the compassion of human beings made the film much more enjoyable and entertaining.

“The Blind Side” is based on the true story of how Michael Oher climbed from the bottom of the ghetto to the top of the NFL through what began as a random act of kindness. The story begins when Michael Oher, played by Quinton Aaron, gets accepted into a private Christian school when he shows ample skills in the sports arena. Oher’s size and stature double the average kids’ and would be an asset on basically any sports field. This fact alone made the coach of the high school football team salivate at the opportunity for Oher to help him win the championship. Though he had scant records from his previous schools and barely even had a GPA, Oher was admitted on special circumstances via the coach’s excellent persuasion to the school board. However, Oher’s admittance into this prestigious school did not change the fact that he was living on the streets with no home, had only one change of clothes and no money to buy food.

One night as Oher was walking to the gym for the sole reason that it is a warm location that he could spend a few hours, Leigh Anne Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock, found it odd that this boy would be walking in the middle of the night to the gym that was soon going to be closed. Out of both curiosity and kindness, Leigh Anne asks if Michael has a place to stay. With hesitation, Michael admits that he disn’t have a place to sleep to which Leigh Anne insists that he stay with her and her family for the night. This kindness extends to her buying Michael a few extra clothes, providing meals and eventually integrating Michael as a member of the family by adopting him as her own child. With their kindness, Michael begins to come out of his introverted shell and trust that someone in the world actually cares about him.

Because of the strong football background of the Tuohy family, they encourage Michael to try out for the high school football team. Much to the coach’s disappointment, Michael has never played football and does not grasp the point of the game. Thinking that Michael will flourish in a blocking position, the coach makes Michael the offensive left tackle. But, much to his disappointment, Michael doesn’t seem to fathom his duty of protecting the quarterback. After several months of living with Michael and getting to know him, Leigh Anne approaches Michael with a solution. She gave Michael the scenario of thinking of the football team like a family and his job was to protect the quarterback and the other members of the team as if they were Leigh Anne, her husband or one of Michael’s new siblings. With a new perspective, Michael let nothing come between him and the quarterback. Baffled, the coach asked Leigh Anne what she said to Michael to make him change. She retorted, “You should really get to know your players. Michael scored in the 98th percentile in protective instincts.” From that first day on the field, Michael began finding his niche in football.

I would have to say that the cast for “The Blind Side” was really well chosen. Sandra Bullock did a beautiful job of depicting a woman who has a heart of gold but has difficulty being vulnerable in front of others. Tim McGraw played Leigh Anne Tuohy’s husband, Sean, and did a really great job at being the understanding, patient husband who made the best of his family’s situation. His sarcastic, but loving comments toward Leigh Anne were comical and well-received, making him a very likeable character. The favorite character of the film though had to be Leigh Anne and Sean’s little boy, S.J. who adopted his mother’s heart and his father’s wit. These characteristics combined with his own spunk and love for attention made S.J. the most fun part of the film. At the beginning of the film, all of the kids at the Christian school stare at Michael because not only is he an African-American student in a predominantly white school, but he also towers over everyone else he comes in contact with. Though Michael did well to keep to himself and avoid showing his emotions, his feelings of alienation and isolation were evident on his face. To no avail, S.J. took it upon himself to befriend Michael and talk freely to him when no one else would. Courage and compassion are qualities that ran deep within the Tuohy family.

Overall, I’d have to say that, even though it was a sports movie, it was definitely one of the warmest, most heart-felt movies I’ve seen in a long time. The compassion that one human being reaching out to another in need is an amazing thing to see. Because we live in a world full of untrustworthy people that thrive on either deceiving others or embodying a complete sense of apathy, movies like “The Blind Side” are pivotal to keeping the hope alive that people can retain their humanity and offer what they have to those in need. Without the help of the Tuohy family, Michael Oher would not be the famous all-American football player that he is today. Because of movies like this one, perhaps more people will be inspired to offer a helping hand to someone who truly needs it. I would have to say that whether you are a sports fanatic or not, this movie is for everyone and I would strongly recommend it.