Not Just Another Football Movie

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2012)

In 2009, The Blind Side was directed into a film after being published as a novel in 2006. After reading the spectacular biography of Michael Oher and watching the movie, the two were surprisingly very similar. In both the novel and the movie, the story begins with a football injury that ended a great player's career. This provides a smooth transition and a glimpse of how football affected the life of Michael Oher. Along with football, the loving Tuohy family completely turned Michael's life around. The film successfully created scenes and images into real life that were previously demonstrated in the novel. The anticipated movie emotionally affected many of those who watched it and exceeded all expectations.
While growing up, Michael was abandoned by his parents, leaving him to survive on his own. As each day passed, he struggled to find a place to sleep and literally was forced to sleep on the streets. On one rainy night, Michael was walking down a dark street with his belongings after leaving a local volleyball game. Fortunately, the Tuohy family, who happened to be extremely wealthy, suspiciously drove by him wondering where he was going. They soon realized his difficult situation, and offered to take care of him. Soon after, Michael became enrolled in one of the top private schools in the area thanks to the head football coach who sought after his athletic ability. S.J. Tuohy, the son, gives his best effort with transforming Michael into a football player, and seemed to have done a great job. Immediately into the football season, Michael began to receive scholarship offers from the top college football teams across the nation. The Tuohy's were alumni's of Ole Miss and contributed greatly to his decision in continuing his football career at this college.
The movie contains many excellent actors that performed absolutely brilliantly at each of their roles. Sandra Bullock plays the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the mother, and could not have done better at portraying a loving mom who wanted the best for her family and Michael. By showing true emotions and constant protection, she was able to excel at her role in one of the best pieces of acting I have ever witnessed. In comparison with the mom, S.J. Tuohy, played by Jae Head, perfectly suited their character, and acted as if the movie were real life. Jae Head does remarkably at showing his true passion for the sport of football and his enjoyment in actually helping Michael. His constant smile helped show his passion in filming and the bright character of the young man. Along with Bullock and Head, Tim McGraw fitted perfectly as the father and the football coach acted great as a typical southern football fanatic. Each of these actors played their roles tremendously and contributed greatly to the success of The Blind Side. Before watching the movie, most people thought that this movie would have been only about football. However, the cinematography actually focuses the move on the struggling life of Michael Oher, and how the Tuohy's changed his life around. I thought the most memorable portion of the movie was when Michael first got connected and comfortable with the family. In these scenes, the filming emphasizes the emotions of Michael Oher and the mother and son and the beautiful scenery in the background. This allows the movie to touch the emotional side of the audience and become closer to each of the characters. The movie shows Michael's journey through the point of views of both Michael Oher and the Tuohy family. The cinematography helped establish a closer connection with the characters in the movie, and contributes to the audience's love for The Blind Side. Personally, The Blind Side was absolutely one of the most outstanding movies in all aspects. The story line was heartwarming, the acting was nothing short of pure brilliance, and the cinematography portrayed the perfect image throughout the entire journey. In my opinion, this film fell nothing short of perfection, and received all ten stars.