Mainstream Christian movies have a terrible habit of seeming all the same: the characters are faced with an impossible problem, and God saves them just in time. However, The Blind Side defies the normal stereotype and delivers an impressive true story.
John Lee Hancock (director/screenwriter), previously directed the “The Rookie,” recreates, the Tuohys, a wealthy Christian family of four, who live in Tennessee. Both children attend a Christian academy and overall they seem like a model family. Until one day, when the family is driving home from a school play, they noticed a boy walking in the cold in just a T-shirt and shorts.
They pick him up after recognizing him as Michael Oher (“Big Mike”), a new but homeless student at the academy. The original plan was to allow him to spend one night with him, but as they find out more about the mysterious boy’s background, they soon befriend him.
Born out of wedlock to a pot-smoking mother, Big Mike jumps from foster family to foster family and his motto is “forgive and forget.” When the Tuohys take him in, he ends up staying there long term until they finally adopt him.
The Tuohys educate him and give him an opportunity to take control of his life. I am amazed at the faith this family had for accepting and giving him the chance most kids in his situation could never dream of. The Tuohys learn and discover as much about themselves and Big Mike as he learns to adjust to his new environment on and off the football field.
Gil Netter recently produced the box office hit Marley & Me, has a line-up of celebrity actors in The Blind Side, including Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Kathy Bates. Also, some new faced impressed, including Lilly Collins, Jae Head and Quinton Aaron.
All of these people performed like I had never seen before. Everyone was completely believable. Beyond the acting, the screenwriter crafted each character with a unique personality
Two of my favorites are SJ and Leigh Anne, the mother and son of the adopting family. SJ was always full of energy with whatever he wanted to accomplish and he had a big heart.
The role of Leigh Anne is a different story completely. Bullock, though known for her comedies, portrayed Leigh Anne with realistic seriousness. She wore the pants in the marriage and was an active member in a church group. She spoke her mind regardless of what the other hypocritical ladies thought of her, and Bullock deftly captured this issue.
The Blind Side won me over, not because of a certain character, but because of the unity of the family. By the end of the movie I was convinced I was a member of their family and nothing could separate us.
This true story is not just a life-changing movie for “Big Mike”, but a testimony for all who watch this that determination and painful love can pay off.
The NFL’s Baltimore Ravens drafted Oher, who the movie is based on, in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Oher was the 23rd pick in the first round, after completing a four-year career at The University of Mississippi.
