A quick note from k-bro: Hi! I know The Blind Side is a football movie, and this is supposed to be a baseball blog. But I'm in the mood to write something, and since have nothing else to talk about, and I just went to this movie (which is an incredibly rare treat for me -- you have no idea), I thought, what the heck.
My older son spent most of his high school games playing left tackle -- the guy who protects the quarterback's blind side. So, any movie that explains that offensive linemen need some love is of interest to me. And I was happy that Hollywood finally released a movie that I knew my whole family would enjoy.
The Blind Side (rated PG-13), directed by John Lee Hancock, is based on the true story of now Baltimore Ravens rookie offensive lineman Michael Oher. It stars Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a well-to-do white woman who takes in the young, homeless Oher (Quinton Aaron). Together with her husband (Tim McGraw), Leigh Anne guides Oher to learn football, get decent grades in school, and earn a scholarship.
Bullock is outstanding. It would be so easy to portray a rich, strong woman who speaks her mind as bitchy and spoiled, but her depiction is terrific. She's a smart, powerful, yet very human, woman who is easy to respect and love.
Aaron's performance was hollow. The acting seemed forced and contrived. There is some much potential for this character that goes unexplored. I also would have liked to see more of how hard he must have worked to succeed, not just how hard everyone else worked to get him there.
Kathy Bates as the tutor and Jae Head as S.J. Tuohy, the little brother, are adorable and fun.
The film is a bit too pat and doesn't dig into Michael's story enough. I left wanting to know so much more about his struggles and his transformation. However, there were plenty of humorous moments sprinkled in that I enjoyed. As a feel-good movie that you can bring older kids to (there is a scene of violence of drug use), I recommend you see it. Just don't expect a lot of depth. I give it a B.
I do want to read the book now. I've heard many good things about it.
Additional fun: be sure to listen to this awesome interview of Leigh Anne Tuohy from GoGameFace.com. She really is a great inspiration.
2 comments:
It's a great film. Thought it was going to be a tear jerker for sure, but I ended up not bawling my eyes out. Instead, it inspired me to do great things for the holidays. It's an emotional movie and sends out a great message overall.
I went and saw that movie last Monday, well worth the money! I'm actually considering going to see it again because I loved it so much!
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