The Blind Side (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'The Blind Side', directed by John Lee Hancock, tells the story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless, traumatized African-American teen from a broken home who is taken in by the Tuohy family; who eventually help him to realize & fulfill his potential as a football player. In real life, Michael was selected in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. And this film conventionally chronicles the events which brought him to that point. When the movie begins, Michael is a sad, lost young man who's been accepted (barely) to a private religious school because his massive physicality could prove beneficial on a football team. The coach is desperate for Michael to fulfill that potential, but the teen's academic abilities are so awful that he is deemed ineligible to play. With no home to call his own (the State tore him away from his druggy mother when he was a boy), Michael wanders the streets in the cold rain. That is until Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) spots him along the road. She & her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), recognize him since their daughter & son go to his school.
Impulsively, Leigh Anne invites the lumbering Michael to spend the night in their gorgeous upper-middle class home. One day leads to two, then to weeks & months. And before long, Michael becomes a permanent fixture. After some initial challenges, he bonds with the Tuohys (especially their young son S.J., played well by Jae Head), his grades improve drastically (with help from a tutor, played by Kathy Bates), & he is finally able to conquer his hesitancies, his fears, & make it happen out on the football field. Drama ensues when various college football recruiters accuse Michael & his new family of favoring (with ulterior motives) a certain school over others. And he is also forced to face his checkered past. Overall, while Michael Oher may be the focal point of this (true) story, the film chooses to stick (mostly) with Leigh Anne's side of the story; & how Michael's presence in her life leads both her & her family to some self-discoveries of their own.
'The Blind Side' is that safe, feel-good, crowd-pleasing melodrama that rakes in the $$ at the box office every Holiday season. And with The Proposal also a bonafide hit with Sandra Bullock (earlier this year), this makes quite the successful turn for the 45 yr. old actress. You know, there is a lot to like in this movie. It's an inspirational extravaganza of heartfelt emotion. It's based on a real rags-to-riches tale. We get to cheer for Bullock's Leigh Anne for taking Michael in, loving him, & helping him attain his dreams. There are plenty of nice, humorous touches sprinkled throughout the film; my theater chuckled, cheered, & clapped fairly often. I was not one of them, but I'm just stating the facts. Sandra Bullock is very good in this juicy role. She gets to be strong-willed (which she excels at), but also shows fear, & a soft side; some vulnerability. But I still prefer her spunkiness. It kept the film from toppling over the edge of mawkish sentiment, at times. I wouldn't say it's a great nuance performance, but it's VERY steady. Tim McGraw gets some laughs as her incredibly supportive & easy-going hubby. And Quinton Aaron plays the 'gentle giant' role perfectly. But the movie is more about Leigh Anne than Michael; which I'm not sure was the early intent.
The reason I'm not gung-ho about 'The Blind Side' is that there's nothing to go gung-ho about. It's a nice, sweet movie (nothing rivets). You'll enjoy it just as much on your television set as you would in the theater; which isn't always preferable. And it almost seems as if the main conflict(s) in the film are bolstered up to provide a more cinematic experience. The positive/happy aspects of the film are amplified to make us go 'awww'. And the negative/sad aspects (which aren't that sad) are amplified to make us go 'awww'. Even though this is a true story, I wasn't moved to tears because I felt some emotional manipulation at work. Overall though, the 'goods' slightly outweigh the 'bads'. I wish that the character of Michael Oher was more developed (he's merely defined by his meekness & gratitude). But we want everyone onscreen to triumph over adversity. And where 'The Blind Side' lacks in subtlety & richness, it makes up for in energy & heart.
Impulsively, Leigh Anne invites the lumbering Michael to spend the night in their gorgeous upper-middle class home. One day leads to two, then to weeks & months. And before long, Michael becomes a permanent fixture. After some initial challenges, he bonds with the Tuohys (especially their young son S.J., played well by Jae Head), his grades improve drastically (with help from a tutor, played by Kathy Bates), & he is finally able to conquer his hesitancies, his fears, & make it happen out on the football field. Drama ensues when various college football recruiters accuse Michael & his new family of favoring (with ulterior motives) a certain school over others. And he is also forced to face his checkered past. Overall, while Michael Oher may be the focal point of this (true) story, the film chooses to stick (mostly) with Leigh Anne's side of the story; & how Michael's presence in her life leads both her & her family to some self-discoveries of their own.
'The Blind Side' is that safe, feel-good, crowd-pleasing melodrama that rakes in the $$ at the box office every Holiday season. And with The Proposal also a bonafide hit with Sandra Bullock (earlier this year), this makes quite the successful turn for the 45 yr. old actress. You know, there is a lot to like in this movie. It's an inspirational extravaganza of heartfelt emotion. It's based on a real rags-to-riches tale. We get to cheer for Bullock's Leigh Anne for taking Michael in, loving him, & helping him attain his dreams. There are plenty of nice, humorous touches sprinkled throughout the film; my theater chuckled, cheered, & clapped fairly often. I was not one of them, but I'm just stating the facts. Sandra Bullock is very good in this juicy role. She gets to be strong-willed (which she excels at), but also shows fear, & a soft side; some vulnerability. But I still prefer her spunkiness. It kept the film from toppling over the edge of mawkish sentiment, at times. I wouldn't say it's a great nuance performance, but it's VERY steady. Tim McGraw gets some laughs as her incredibly supportive & easy-going hubby. And Quinton Aaron plays the 'gentle giant' role perfectly. But the movie is more about Leigh Anne than Michael; which I'm not sure was the early intent.
The reason I'm not gung-ho about 'The Blind Side' is that there's nothing to go gung-ho about. It's a nice, sweet movie (nothing rivets). You'll enjoy it just as much on your television set as you would in the theater; which isn't always preferable. And it almost seems as if the main conflict(s) in the film are bolstered up to provide a more cinematic experience. The positive/happy aspects of the film are amplified to make us go 'awww'. And the negative/sad aspects (which aren't that sad) are amplified to make us go 'awww'. Even though this is a true story, I wasn't moved to tears because I felt some emotional manipulation at work. Overall though, the 'goods' slightly outweigh the 'bads'. I wish that the character of Michael Oher was more developed (he's merely defined by his meekness & gratitude). But we want everyone onscreen to triumph over adversity. And where 'The Blind Side' lacks in subtlety & richness, it makes up for in energy & heart.