The Blind Side Review
By David Kempler
Blinding Love
Is there any film genre more overridden with terrible moments than the "Sports Movie"? There are exceptions, of course; "Raging Bull", "Slap Shot" and a limited number of others allow enjoyment for non-sports fans. While "The Blind Side" is not in the class of a "Raging Bull", it is an experience that the whole family can enjoy. It is well-made, has a smart script, solid acting, is cleverly directed and, perhaps most importantly, is based on a true story.
An African-American teenager, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is homeless, but a friend gets him into a private high school. The school's motive is far from pure; they see a possibility of having a sports star. A well-to-do family that has a daughter at the school sees him wandering aimlessly through the rain and the mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), steps forward and brings him home to live. What follows is not surprising. The trailer for "The Blind Side" gives away the entire story and at no time is it hard to guess how things will go. Yet, even though it is incredibly easy to predict the film's direction, it still works.
There are some very minor obstacles in the way of Michael's success. Actually they are not minor in real life but, as presented here, they seem to be. The message is that anything can be overcome with good feelings and intentions. Normally, this is the sort of sentiment that would send me running for the door, but with a very powerful tale and the knowledge that it really did happen, it all comes together. "The Blind Side" is not something that I ever envisioned enjoying or valuing, but I did. And I'm pretty sure that most of you will feel similarly.
