reel dialogue

Inspired by author Michael Lewis’ best-selling true story, The Blind Side is one of those films that takes you by surprise. If you judged the film by its trailer, it seemed to be one of those saccharine films destined to drown in a sea of cliché. But this is a simple tale of Christianity at work that can teach us all a lesson or two.

Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) had never slept in a real bed a single night in his life. Over-sized and under-educated, Michael was one of eight children but didn’t know his father

Fate intervened when Michael’s uncle showed his nephew off to the football coach of a local Christian school. The coach sees potential in Michael, the school board argues with the coach, and he says, “Last I checked our sign had the word ‘Christian’ on it. We either take that seriously or we paint over it.”

Along comes Southern Republican Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock, who has won a Golden Globe and been nominated for an Oscar) who sees that Michael is in trouble (he has nowhere to go and is sleeping in the school gymnasium) and takes him in without thinking of the social consequences for either her or Michael.

The obvious culture shock at living in a gated white community makes Michael uncomfortable and Leigh Anne’s upper crust friends don’t understand what is going on.

Before long Michael is shining on the football field but failing at school so Leigh Anne hires him a tutor. Just as a new life beckons, his old life haunts him.

It comes as no surprise that the real-life Tuohy’s are devout Christians and while Bullock’s portrayal of her faith is perhaps the film’s weakness, Leigh Anne’s no-nonsense exterior belies a heart full of compassion and unconditional love for her neighbour.

The film also doesn’t shy away from letting the audience know that it is because of her beliefs that Leigh Anne acts the way she does.

Bullock’s performance is not condescending or judgemental, evident in a scene where she visits Michael’s real mother to ask to be his legal guardian.

A treat at the end of the film has footage of the real Michael Oher being picked as the first in the NFL draft for the Baltimore Ravens. There are also some photographs from the Tuohy family album.

The cynics among us could see The Blind Side as yet another problematic film about the divide between black and white America — and there is a third act wrinkle which suggests the Tuohy’s altruism might not have been totally in the right place — but that would rob the story of its core message.

Life, the film says, is defined by our reactions to what we don’t see coming — and it’s nice to see a film that acknowledges blessings and miracles can be where we least expect them.