Anyone remember My Giant? Yeah I didn't think so.

The Blind Side is a film based on the true story of Michael Oher, of Baltimore Ravens fame.

The story follows Oher as he rises from troubled upbringings and hardships throughout his life and becomes a part of a loving adopted family and later becomes the football star we know today. The story itself is well told and greatly played out.

The acting in the film is great, with particular note going to Sandra Bullock, who portrays Leigh Tuohy, Michael Oher’s adopted mother. Sandra Bullocks performance is the highlight of the film. Well, that and the films feel good nature.

Admittedly, I don’t really watch sports, so I can’t really tell you how good of a sports film this is from that perspective. But I can tell you that this is a good and inspirational film that sent me home happy. So don’t think you have to be a full blooded NFL fan to appreciate this movie.

I mentioned the word inspirational, and indeed if one word were to be used to describe The Blind Side it would be inspirational. Michael Oher’s life was filled with many hardships, but none of them could completely break his spirits. He maintained his kind-hearted (if not shy and anti-social) disposition even in the harshest of times. It seemed there was always some kind of adversity around him until he found his new family (or until they found him, whichever is more poetic), and even then, the road wasn’t exactly easy for him.

Oher manages to get into private school, for his athletic potential. There he, for the obvious reasons of his troubled life combined with the fact that he has a lot thrust upon him all at once, struggles to get by. A lot of his teachers are reluctant to even give him a second chance, and see him as just someone who got passed off on them, not realizing his real potential (he is much smarter than his teachers are lead to think).

That is where the Tuohy’s come in. Leigh Tuohy sees Michael (or Big Mike as most call him, much to his chagrin) for not only his potential as an athlete, but for his potential as a person. She takes him into her home, where he becomes part of the family (quite literally once they adopt him). The Tuohy’s help Michael see his true potential: His grades start rising (with some help from Kathy Bates), he becomes more social and confident, and, of course, he becomes quite good at football.

Though the thing I truly enjoy about this film is that it is more about family than football (sorry NFL fans). This feels greatly refreshing, as most of these sports films based on true stories tend to get their message across through the sporting aspect of it, but The Blind Side instead feels more like a family oriented story that just so happens to revolve around a famous football player. And for someone like me, who isn’t the most familiar person with football, the film feels a lot more accessible than it would have otherwise.

On this subject I should say that another thing I enjoyed was that the climax of the film is not that “big game moment” that seems all too predictable in sports films.

Of course, as is the case with most films based on a true story, I’m sure there were a few cinematic liberties that take place in the movie. Which does make sense, you can’t just make a real life story into a movie without some catchy movie quotes added and whatnot (at least that’s how it seems). For the most part the film is a joy, but I’m afraid the more humorous moments of the film feel a little forced. It’s not that they’re bad, most are good and harmless, but there’s something about some of these moments that just make you feel like you know they were just added for the comedy. It is a strange quibble, but for a feel-good, inspirational movie based on a true story, there’s just something about these humorous moments that feels out of place. They almost seem too movie-esque compared to the rest of the film.

It probably isn’t something to go on and on about (like I said, the funny parts of the film aren’t necessarily bad), but somehow the comedy seems to somewhat break up the flow of the film.

But for the most part, The Blind Side is a good film. It may not be great on a few accounts, but on the grounds of feel-goodery, it succeeds. And as I previously mentioned, the acting is great. And again, particular note should go to Sandra Bullock, who is, for the most part, the heart of the film.

All in all, I recommend The Blind Side as a movie to be seen for a bit of inspiration. It seems like most films these days dwell on the dark and dreary, and as such The Blind Side is a great reprieve. Yes, it is a good sports movie, but it is an even better family movie.

I don’t like being called Big Mike.

(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, rated)

 Loading ...