CheekyChicago

The Blind Side felt like a fantastic after school special for Christian TV. It could have been incredibly inspiring if it wasn’t so cheesy and maybe had taken some risks.

This is a true story about wealthy white Southerners who take in a homeless black teenager and encourage him to play football. I guess what’s really inspiring is that in 2009, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. However, The Blind Side makes this true story seem so unbelievably wholesome and righteous, I found myself trying to figure out what was true and what was completely embellished.

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is homeless. His mother is addicted to drugs and has at least a dozen children. The movie eludes to this with really vague and safe montage-esque flashbacks. Michael ends up being accepted to a private Christian school on the rich side of Memphis to play football…but his grades need to improve before he can step foot on the field. Here comes the tough talkin’, no B.S. Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). She’s an interior designer who lives in a mansion with her husband Sean (Tim McGraw) and their two children. One night, Michael is walking alone in the cold rain, the Tuohy’s see him and take him in. Michael eventually moves in permanently and is soon referred to as their “son.” You guessed it, Michael improves his grades, plays football, becomes the star, and gets a scholarship to college before getting drafted to the NFL.

So here’s the problem I had with the movie. First, Sandra Bullock channeled Tommy Lee Jones a la The Fugitive. Second, Michael is the only African-American on the “right side” of town and the only scene that broaches the subject of socioeconomics is Leigh Ann asking her blood family how they feel having a black man in their home. Third, Leigh Anne must go to the projects where Michael grew up and has a run in with several drug dealers. They stereotypically threaten her safety and she retorts, “I am in a prayer group with the D.A. and I am a member of the NRA, and I’m always packin’.” I imagine a few wholesome women in the South got chills.

The performances are okay. Aaron is understated and always has a quizzical look on his face, but you are always focused on him. This is Bullock’s movie for sure, but I was drawn to the reserved Tim McGraw. I found their 8-year-old son to be beyond obnoxious.

John Lee Hancock (The Rookie) directed this movie, which is based on Michael Lewis’ book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. I just wish Hancock took some more risks and made this movie feel a little more realistic instead of polished and safe; but who am I to say…it has so far grossed over 150 million dollars.