A Feel Good Film That Will Leave You Smiling

Rating: 8/10 (5 December 2009)

I really liked this movie quite a bit. It is a very "feel good" film (almost too much so at times) with a main character who you will really root for.
I liked the initial set up for the film, using the play with Lawrence Taylor to set the stage. They then show a scene "two years in the future" of Michael being questioned by an investigator. At this point I was under the assumption that this story might lead up to Michael killing somebody through protection of his family or something; however, this scenario never plays out. Instead, he comes to be questioned for an entirely different reason. I like that it is not the tired murder scenario, that has been done to death. It was nice to see something different.
The characters are all very likable in this film. I am not normally much of a fan of Sandra Bullock, but I think she did quite well with this role. Quintin Aaron did great playing Michael, and it was always suspenseful to see how Michael would react to each situation. What would he do when offered to sleep on the couch the first night? Or how would he react to the family's thanksgiving traditions?
The ending was nice as well. I really liked how it synched up to actual footage of the Real Michael Oher at the NFL Draft. Up until this point I was not sure if this film was based on reality or not.
I think this is a really nice film to watch and would probably suggest it to anyone.