The Blind Side

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is born into a life of poverty and desperation on the bad side of Memphis. His mother is a drug addict. He is surrounded by gangs and criminals. One of the reasons he manages to survive is he's a BIG guy. He also has a big heart and tries to do the right things and stay out of trouble. Despite his GPA of less than 1 he's not a dumb kid.

Oher gets taken in as a charity case at a Christian private school where the coach (Ray McKinnon) dreams of getting the big guy eligible to play football. But "Big Mike" has a lot of problems. He can't read very well so his grades suffer. He doesn't have decent clothes or a place to sleep. He goes through the gym after a volleyball tournament and picks up whatever food is left behind.

Enter the Tuohy family. The wealthy owners of a chain of fast food restaurants, the family is run by Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock, wearing a number of tight outfits that will take most men's breath away). She is happily married to Sean (Tim McGraw) and they have two terrific kids, Collin (Lilly Collins) and AJ (played by a great find, a terrific kid actor named Jae Head). They take Michael in, give him the support he needs which eventually leads to the NFL and happiness.

Based on the book by Michael Lewis

Written and Directed by John Lee Hancock

I really liked this movie a lot. Quinton Aaron's subtle underplaying made the character of Michael believable from start to finish. He's easily someone you can pull for. Young Jae Head could easily have destroyed this film as so many bad child actors have in the past, but instead he's a highlight. The relationship between Michael and his "little brother" AJ is great. Both Tim McGraw and Lilly Collins have quieter roles and as such don't get as much of a chance to shine, but they do. They create a terrific on screen family.

At the head of the family is Leigh Anne, played by Sandra Bullock. She's never been better and seldom looked finer. She plays Leigh Anne as strong yet vulnerable at moments, but someone who sees the field clearly and knows how to seperate right from wrong. This is a excellent portrait of a strong, smart Christian woman that is rarely seen in anything from Hollywood, which usually mocks and belittles women like Leigh Anne rather than celebrate them.

The rest of the cast includes Kathy Bates as Miss Sue Michael's tutor, Tom Nowicki as Lit teacher, and real life college coaches including Lou Holtz, Tom Lemming, Nick Saban as themselves.

Michael Oher currently plays football for the Baltimore Ravens.

Bravo to John Lee Hancock for his fine direction and excellent casting. With a different cast and different director this film might not have risen above a typical made for TV movie. With the book as a map, Hancock does a pretty good job on the script and only falls down on occasion. Perhaps to make up for all the pro-Christian portrayals, he takes a out of left field swipe at George Bush that is gratuitous, inaccurate and unfunny. Later there is a gag about Miss Sue confessing she's a (gasp!) Democrat! See, she's smart... The Tuohys of course "have never met a democrat before!" All of a sudden Hancock lowers the level of dialogue to a bad "Beverly Hillbillies" parody.

But other than that, the film is solid. Even if you're not a football fan, you should enjoy the comedy and heart of this film.

Me, I would have enjoyed it just for the tight outfits Bullock was wearing. YOW!