Mixing family life and football, which are the two things Michael Oher had never experienced in his life, proves to be a winning combination in showing how these institutions are interrelated and how they can change radically a person’s life under the right circumstances.
Some of the events depicted on screen are too good to be true, but reportedly they all did happen. Michael becomes a member of the Tuohy family, which nurtures his abilities both on and off the football field, resulting in an inspiring story that is still unfolding today.The most interesting part of the tale is the unconventional mother-son relationship at its center. While football is the engine that propels the yarn forward, the journey that Michael and the Tuohy family go on constitutes the heart of the movie.
Michael Lewis, the author of the best-selling book “The Blind Side,” had previously focused on baseball in his bestseller “Moneyball.” Lewis stumbled on the story of Tuohys and Oher’s story by accident. Having gone to high school with Leigh Anne’s husband, Sean Tuohy, Lewis initially contacted his classmate for an article about their baseball coach. That communication eventually led to Lewis meeting Michael and learning of his relationship with the Tuohys.
The book “The Blind Side” juxtaposes Michael’s story with a look at how the position of left tackle on a football team has grown in importance, instigated by a single, unforgettable play, Lawrence Taylor’s career-ending sack of quarterback Joe Theismann, in November 1985. Assigned to protect a right-handed quarterback from what he can’t see coming, a good left tackle often earns a salary second only to the quarterback himself.
Living in his new environment, Michael faces a completely different set of values to absorb and challenges to overcome. But the impact of his presence is not one-sided. As the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, on and off the football field, he changes the Tuohys’ lives to the point where they reexamine their values and lifestyle, which result in insightful, unexpected self-discoveries.The Tuohys certainly performed a good deed by taking in Michael in such a loving and generous way. But, in turn, he brought out a side of their family that they didn’t even realize was missing. In the press notes, the real-life Leigh Anne Tuohy states, “I think Michael had a much greater impact on our lives than we did on his. You take so much in life for granted, but when Michael moved in with us, he made us realize how blessed we are. We viewed life differently after he joined our family.”
The film also benefits from the good rapport between Bullock and McGraw as her rich and gentle hubby. The supporting cast is also more than adequate. Kathy Bates commands as Michael Oher’s dedicated tutor, Miss Sue, and two young actors, Lily Collins and Jae Head, as the Tuohy children, Collins and S.J., respectively, makes the interactions within the family more interesting to behold.Well-mounted, “Blind Side” boasts polished production values, credited to a creative team that includes director of photography Alar Kivilo, Oscar-nominated production designer Michael Corenblith (“Apollo 13”), editor Mark Livolsi, costume designer Daniel Orlandi and composer Carter Burwell.
You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate “Blind Side.” I am not particularly interested in football or sports, and yet I found most of the story to be compelling and also engrossing. That said, like most of Hancock’s films, “Blind Side” is a blatantly populist entertainment, in which plot is all and subtext barely exists; what you see is what you get.
Cast
Sean Tuohy – Tim McGraw
Michael Oher – Quinton Aaron
SJ Tuohy – Jae Head
Collins Tuohy – Lily Collins
Coach Cotton – Ray McKinnon
Mrs. Boswell – Kim Dickens
Denise Oher – Adriane Lenox
Miss Sue – Kathy Bates
Camera, Alar Kivilo.