The Blind Side

First Review:The Blind Side takes the true story of a young man who went from abandonment to success as a pro-football player and treats it with respect. The movie doesn't oversell what is, on the face of it, already compelling. It's almost impossible to describe the plot without sounding painfully inspirational: Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron, Be Kind Rewind), a hulking but gentle African-American teen in Tennessee, gets taken in by a well-to-do white family; the mother, Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock), pushes and mothers the boy, who eventually wins a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. In the wrong hands, this could have been maudlin, manipulative, and condescending. To the credit of writer-director John Lee Hancock, adapting Michael Lewis's acclaimed book, the result is intelligent, genuine, and alternately funny and moving. Leigh Anne could easily have been grandstanding and virtuous, but Bullock doesn't shy away from her vain and domineering side. The football scenes will be gripping even to non-sports fans because they've been so successfully grounded in Michael's emotional life. The all-around solid cast includes country music star Tim McGraw, pint-sized Jae Head (Hancock), and Kathy Bates as the tutor who guided Michael's academic success. Don't be surprised if you can't keep yourself from watching all the real-life photos of Michael, Leigh Anne, and the rest of the family that are featured in the credits; by the end of the movie, you will care about them all.

Category: Drama
All Genres: Drama, Sport
Release Year: 2009
Country: USA
Runtime: 128 minutes
Rating: 8.0 /10
Languages: English

Director:

John Lee Hancock

Sound: Dolby Digital, SDDS, DTS

Writing by :

John Lee Hancock
Michael Lewis

Produced by:

Timothy M. Bourne
Yolanda T. Cochran
Broderick Johnson
Andrew A. Kosove
Gil Netter
Molly Smith
Erwin Stoff

Music By:

Carter Burwell

Cast:

Sandra Bullock - Leigh Anne Tuohy
Tim McGraw - Sean Tuohy
Quinton Aaron - Michael Oher
Jae Head - S.J. Tuohy
Lily Collins - Collins Tuohy
Ray McKinnon - Coach Cotton
Kim Dickens - Mrs. Boswell
Adriane Lenox - Denise Oher
Kathy Bates - Miss Sue
Catherine Dyer - Mrs. Smith
Andy Stahl - Principal Sandstrom
Tom Nowicki - Literature Teacher
Libby Whittemore - Sarcastic Teacher
Brian Hollan - Jay Collins
Melody Weintraub - History Teacher
Sharon Morris - Investigator Granger
Omar J. Dorsey - 'Big Tony' Hamilton (as Omar Dorsey)
Paul Amadi - Steve Hamilton
Hampton Fluker - David
Rhoda Griffis - Beth
Eaddy Mays - Elaine
Ashley LeConte Campbell - Sherry
Stacey Turner - DMV Employee
Elizabeth Omilami - CPS Employee
Afemo Omilami - CPS Caseworker
Maria Howell - CPS Welfare Worker
Patrick G. Keenan - Man in CPS Line
Eric Benson - Milford #66
David Dwyer - Milford Dad
Catherine Combs - Collins's Friend #1
Kelly Johns - Collins's Friend #2
Robert Pralgo - Lemming's Associate
Whitney Branan - Lemming's Secretary #1
Brian Sutherin - Lemming's Secretary #2
Rachel St. Gelais - Little Girl on Playground
Brandon Rivers - Michael (Age Seven)
Jody Thompson - Paramedic
James Donadio - Photographer
L. Warren Young - Big and Tall Salesman
Brett Rice - Cousin Bobby
Kevin Nichols - Memphis Policeman
Preston Brant - Marcus
Matthew Atkinson - Valet Parker
Trey Best - Michael's Brother (Age Twelve)
Omid Soltani - Rug Salesman
Destiny Long - Alton's Girlfriend
April Rich - Teacher in Lounge
Jaye Tyroff - Milford Player #35
Ben Keen - Wingate Quarterback
John Newberg - Official
John Henry Hancock - Rabid Ole Miss Fan
Joe Chrest - Clemson Coach
Michael Fisher - Georgia Assistant Coach
Lamont Koonce - Tennessee Assistant Coach
Phillip Fulmer - Himself
Lou Holtz - Himself
Tom Lemming - Himself
Houston Nutt - Himself
Ed Orgeron - Himself
Franklin 'Pepper' Rodgers - Himself
Nick Saban - Himself
Tommy Tuberville - Himself
Kirsten Van Wagner - College Student
Haji Abdullah - CPS Caseload
Tyler Lee Allen - Excited Fan
Amy Bernstein - Woman with stroller
Monica D'Onofrio - Graduate Kayla Osmon
Michael Gerbick - Football Player
Scottie Knollin - Paul Redman
Shawn Knowles - Scott Turner
Melissa LeEllen - High school student
Jeanette Stout - CPS Employee
Christoph Vogt - Graduation guest
Steve Warren - Wingate Admissions Board Member

Official Website: Visit Website

Plot: For nearly 17 years Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) has been in foster care with many foster parents. But every time he is sent to a new foster home, he runs off. One of his foster parents enrolls him into a Christian school, after the father convinces the coach that "Big Mike" is a natural athlete. The coach convinces the school principal and other teachers to enroll him into the school.

After school one day, Michael meets SJ (Jae Head), who quickly befriends Michael. Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) is an interior designer, mother to SJ and Collins (Lily Collins), and wife to Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw). After a cultural festival at school Leigh Anne notices Michael walking on the road, shivering in the freezing cold. She pities his situation and takes him home. Even though she does a good deed, Sean worries to Leigh Anne whether Michael might steal anything from her home. The next morning, much to her dismay, she finds Michael missing. She follows Michael on to the street and asks him to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Slowly, Michael starts becoming a part of the family, even as Leigh Anne's friends warn her that Michael could affect SJ and Collin's social life. Nonetheless, SJ and Michael become buddies. Leigh Anne goes to the school about Michael's academic performance and is surprised to learn that even though he has scored low in essentially every aspect, he was scored in the 98th percentile in 'protective instincts.' Sean also starts liking Michael and gives the Tuohys as the emergency contact in case of any problem regarding Michael, and also talks to the school coach to get Michael enrolled in to the school football team. Leigh Anne decides to legally adopt Michael (which will allow him to get a driver's license) and convinces Sean to do so. Michael finally gets his driver's license, and SJ wants to pick out a new video game. SJ asks Michael to take him to the store, and Leigh Anne surprises Michael with a brand new Ford F-150, and not long after getting the truck, Michael crashes into an oncoming vehicle and "stops" the air bag from hitting SJ in the face.

Michael performs very well on the football field and catches the eye of many college coaches from around the state. SJ tells Michael that his mother cannot stand Tennessee. Leigh Anne comes to know that to get a NCAA Division I Scholarship, Michael needs a 2.5 GPA; his currently is very low. To improve his performance in academics, they hire a private tutor. The teachers at his school also take a special interest in him and start giving his tests verbally rather than in written format. During one of his private tutor classes his tutor, Miss Sue (Kathy Bates), tells him that the FBI bury the body parts of the unrecognized dead people under the football field of University of Tennessee. Michael's heart aches and this is possibly shown as a reason for Michael opting to join University of Mississippi ending with a 2.52 GPA. All goes well and one day Michael receives a call from the NCAA, who suspect that the Tuohys forced Michael to select Mississippi, rather than Tennessee, his home-state team. The investigator also tells him that both the parent Tuohys were from Mississippi and his school coach also got a better job after Michael's fame.

Michael leaves the investigation room and confronts Leigh Anne, and asks her if she wanted him to select Mississippi. Michael runs from his home and goes to his own locality, where brothers friends confront him and abuse his relation with the Tuohys. A fight ensues, where Michael narrowly avoids a gunshot by lifting one of the gangsters' hands holding the gun above his head, and Michael soon flees the scene. Leigh Anne waits for Michael at home but he doesn't show up. Leigh Anne, fearing that she has made a mistake, goes in search of Michael. Michael calls Leigh Anne, and they meet again at a neighborhood laundromat. Leigh Anne asks if he really wanted to play football. She tells him that she will accept his decision. Michael goes back to the investigator and tell her that the only reason he choose Mississippi was because his whole family has always gone to school at Mississippi. Michael gets accepted to Ole Miss with a scholarship for football. Leaving Michael at school, Leigh Anne feels happy on her way back home for what she has done for Michael, from what could have been his future if she hadn't met him.

The Film ends with the 2009 NFL Draft, showing Michael Oher being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens

Goofs:

• Revealing mistakes: At the beginning of the scene where S.J. is filming Michael while he is at football practice, an over-the-shoulder shot shows that the camcorder's screen is blank, indicating it isn't even on.
• Factual errors: The Touhy's are shown watching an Egg Bowl game (Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss), before having Thanksgiving dinner during the daytime. The game displayed was the 2003 Egg Bowl at Mississippi State as evidenced by Eli Manning at QB for Ole Miss, Ole Miss wearing white jerseys on the road, Mississippi State's white helmets with maroon numbers (worn during the 2003 season finale), shots of fans at the game wearing rain gear (the game was played in a downpour), and that the game was televised by ESPN (who last televised the Egg Bowl in 2003). This particular game kicked off at 6:30 PM CST on Thanksgiving night, not during the day as shown in the movie.
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Phil Fulmer, coach of Tennessee, is seen recruiting Oher with S.J. Tuohy sitting along side. At the end of the chat, Fulmer refers to S.J. as "C.J."
• Continuity: In the scene where Mrs. Tuohy discovers that Big Mike is leaving after his first night's stay she is wearing a skinny cross around her neck. When she walks outside to stop him, her necklace is the round cross. Then, in the next scene, it switches back to the skinny cross.
• Continuity: Sandra Bullock's character wears a diamond cross throughout the movie. However, in some scenes, the cross changes from large to small diamonds between shots.
• Continuity: At the Thanksgiving dinner while the family is watching football Mrs Tuohy is in the kitchen with the food. Sandra Bullock's character is holding a glass of wine. One camera angle shows her starting to take a drink. The camera changes angles and the glass of wine is no where near her lips.
• Factual errors: Leigh Anne Tuohy has access to Michael Oher's student files, and in conversations with his social worker is provided confidential information about Michael Oher prior to obtaining any legal power of attorney. This could never have happened.
• Anachronisms: Sean Tuohy was using a Windows based OS on his computer. Clearly visible is a Safari web browser shortcut. This browser was not available for a Windows machine until 2007, not 2003-2004 time frame that the movie is set in.
• Revealing mistakes: One scene on the TV shows Tennessee beating Clemson. The footage is obviously doctored footage from the 2003 Peach bowl which Clemson won 27-14 and never trailed.
• Errors in geography: The story takes place in Memphis, TN. In addition, when Michael is with the NCAA representative, you can see Maggiano's Italian Restaraunt in the background. There is no Maggiano's in Memphis.
• Revealing mistakes: After Michael has gotten his driver's license and his new license shows up on the screen, his last name is printed before his first name. In the State of Tennessee, the driver's full name is printed on the driver's license, including the middle name.
• Revealing mistakes: On one of Michael's early test papers his first name is misspelled "Micheal". It's definitely unintentional because on the very next test shown, his name is spelled correctly.
• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Quinton Aaron, who played Michael Oher, is 6'8 while the real Michael Oher is only 6'5. However, this three inches of "extra" size helped the filmmakers dramatize (among other things) how out of place Oher looked at a school full of mostly average sized white kids.
• Factual errors: The movie's introduction credits former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor with making the left tackle the second most important and highest paid position in the NFL after quarterback. This is a gross exaggeration and oversimplification. Among the top 10 highest paid players in 2008, only two were quarterbacks and only one was a left tackle (Flozell Adams). Taylor, as the NFL's first dominant blitzing linebacker, did force NFL coaches to make adjustments to their formations, personnel, play calling and schemes. But left tackle was already a key position before Taylor's emergence and his impact went beyond one position.
• Factual errors: In Oher's first high school game, he is shown getting beaten repeatedly by the opposing defensive end and then getting lectured. Oher then gets fired up, and blocks the same opponent all the way down the field and over the retaining wall at the back of the end zone. An official throws a flag and after discussing it with the other official, decides there was no penalty. In reality, even a barely competent high school football official would have called Oher for unnecessary roughness and probably unsportsmanlike conduct too, assuming he continued blocking him after the play had been blown dead.
• Revealing mistakes: In at least one closeup of Michael Oher in his football uniform, his mouthpiece is hanging from his facemask upside-down compared to the way most players hang it (e.g. the guard would be facing down when he put it in his mouth instead of up). Also, the mouthpiece is clearly brand new and has not been shaped to fit Oher's mouth.
• Continuity: When Sean Tuohy was talking to Michael about the poem, he is leaning on the counter when the camera is in front of him; when the camera is on Miss Sue and the camera is at his back, he is standing.

Trivia:

• Michael Oher was drafted 23rd overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The Ravens were scheduled to pick 26th overall, but traded that pick and their 5th round pick to the New England Patriots to move up three spots and draft Oher.
• Many real college football coaches played themselves but at former schools: Phillip Fulmer (was Tennessee head coach, now out of football), Lou Holtz (was South Carolina head coach, now does TV), Houston Nutt (was Arkansas head coach, now Ole Miss head coach), Ed Orgeron (was Ole Miss head coach, now assistant at Tennessee), Nick Saban (was LSU head coach, now Alabama head coach), Tommy Tuberville (was Auburn head coach, now out of football).
• Cameo: [Lawrence Taylor] The movie credits Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants for creating a shift in offensive football strategy where teams started to choose large heavy players to fill the position of left tackle and protect the "blind side" of right handed quarterbacks.
• Miss Sue was exaggerating, but there really are body parts stored in University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium. The school's Anthropology Department is located within.
• The Lawrence Taylor hit on Joe Theismann occurred on a Monday Night Football game played November 18, 1985 between the Giants and Redskins. It is infamous for being the most gruesome injury even seen on a NFL nationally televised regular season game. Taylor, who is seen frantically motioning for help after the hit, claims that he has never seen replays of it and never wants to.
• Kathy Bates as Miss Sue introduces herself to Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy as a Democrat. In Primary Colors (1998) Bates received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for playing Libby Holden, a consultant to a philandering Democratic presidential candidate loosely based on Bill Clinton.
• Both Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw have strong ties to the South and similarities to the real life Tuohy family. Bullock's father was from Alabama; she was born and raised in Virginia, was a high school cheerleader (like Collins Tuohy), dated a football player and attended college in North Carolina. McGraw was born, raised and attended college in Louisiana and loved playing sports as a kid even though he was unaware at the time that his biological father was a professional baseball player.
• As of the 2009-10 season, former Mississippi basketball superstar Sean Tuohy was entering his ninth season as a broadcaster for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies. As depicted in the movie, Tuohy also has a successful fast food business.
• While Collins Tuohy is shown playing volleyball and as a cheerleader in high school, and a picture of the real life Collins as an Ole Miss cheerleader is shown during the closing credits, Collins also was a state pole vault champion.
• The real name of the high school Oher attended was Briarcrest Christian, not Wingate. After reading the script, Briarcrest administrators decided not to allow the school's name to be used due to concerns about the film stretching the truth to make it more dramatic. The filmmakers still used Briarcrest's school color (green) for Wingate.
• Quinton Aaron trained with the Georgia Tech football team in the spring of 2009 to prepare for the role of Michael Oher.
• Julia Roberts was offered the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy before Sandra Bullock.

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One Response to “The Blind Side”

1. yolanda rozo says:

   January 4, 2010 at 1:29 pm

   Watching “The Blind Side” is like watching your favorite football team; you’ll cheer when things go well, curse when they don’t, and be reminded that in football, as in life, it’s how you play the game that counts — though winning doesn’t hurt, either