The Blind Side

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, Jae Head, Lily Collins
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Sport
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A wealthy southern couple (Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw) decide to help out an athletically gifted but homeless young African-American teen, Michael (Quinton Aaron). Michael and the family quickly bond, and he moves in with them. When he shows superior talent on the football field, the family goes to extraordinary lengths to help him succeed on the field and in life.

Review:

Tim: Inspirational sports movies have it pretty easy. From their very subject matter, they have a leg up on many other movies. Everyone loves an underdog story. While inspirational sports movies are nothing new, The Blind Side takes this subgenre to new levels. This is a football movie, but the sports side really takes a backseat to the amazing drama. This movie succeeds beyond all expectations, and I was surprised by how much I liked this film.

This movie surprised me in a few ways. First of all, I was surprised that Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy. I am not saying she is bad- in fact, she is wonderful in the role. However, this is not the type of film or the type of role that usually wins Oscars. However, I have to admit that Bullock is terrific in the role, and very much deserved the Academy Award. She is truly the heart of this movie. The rest of the cast is decent, but there is truly only star of this film, and that is Bullock. She isn't flashy in the least, but she quietly gives a powerful, emotional, beautiful performance. I love that the Academy recognized her for this performance, because it often overlooks similar great performances.

The second thing that surprised me was that this inspirational sports movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. This is stunning. The film was nominated for only two Oscars, and one of them was Best Picture. That is shocking, and really just shows how much people loved Bullock in this movie. Despite the fact that the Best Picture nomination came when the Academy expanded the field to 10, this is still a testament to how great this movie truly is.

I do want to spend some more time on the cast. As I mentioned, I loved Sandra Bullock's performnce. This is all the more amazing because the rest of the cast is only decent. Quinton Aaron was probably the right choice to play the real life Michael Oher. He looks like a potential NFL player, and his quiet but strong demeanor was perfect for the role. However, let's be honest- he is not exactly a strong actor. His performance was fairly weak, but it almost didn't matter because Bullock was drawing all the attention to herself (in an appropriate, subtle way). Tim McGraw is fine, but not an outstanding actor, either. I also enjoyed seeing Kathy Bates, but she wasn't in the movie enough to make a huge difference. This movie succeeds because Bullock is so outstanding.

I also really enjoyed the direction of John Lee Hancock. He creates a very dramatic, unbelievably emotional movie. This exchange-Oher- "I never had one before." Leigh Anne- "What, a room to yourself?" Oher- "A bed." was about as emotional an exchange as you will ever seen. I can't even describe how powerful this moment was- and Bullock's reaction was truly stunning.

The Blide Side is a movie that far surpasses any expectations placed upon it. It is a terrific true story (although I do wish they had portrayed Oher a bit more realistically- he was a pretty good football player before he started playing in high school) and I loved the emotional impact it had. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this movie, and I was ecstatic to see Bullock rewarded for her amazing performance.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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