The Blind Side (2009)

**The Blind Side surprises with a heartfelt emotional, meaningful story that stands out even further with Sandra Bullock’s poignant performance.**

Inspirational and moving. The Blind Side is a story spotlighting the power of kindness and compassion. Sandra Bullock stands out with an Oscar-winning portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, filling her with all the charm and grit of a strong Southern woman with the sympathy and tenacity to give a talented and caring young man the help he needed to change his life and circumstances. I felt the urge to hug my family and tell them how precious they are and how lucky I am to be theirs. This movie just gives you those feels! The Blind Side’s stirring story is powerful, potent, and compelling. While the emphasis of this movie might not be football, the focus on character in the face of judgment and difficulty makes The Blind Side an outstanding sports film.

This is one of my favourite offerings from Sandra Bullock as she marries her sharp comedy timing with some gusty mothering to help real life American football player Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) make a success of his life. She (Leigh-Anne) is happily married to Sean (Tim McGraw) and lives in a rather luxurious home with their engaging young lad S.J. (Jae Head) and his sister Collins (Lily Collins). The aptly named "Big Mike" is at the opposite end of the social scale. He hasn't a clue who his father is; his mother is an addict and he is a ward of court with no fixed abode. She has seen him at her son's school and so when the family pass him on the road on a rainy night, she decides to offer him a couch. That's just the start as she delves deeper into his situation and together with her supportive husband and children encourages him to consider himself part of their family. Academically, he's a bit of a non-starter but given his huge size he's quite an useful left tackle on the field. Sadly, though, his sporting prowess isn't going to be enough to offset his failure in the classroom so they employ the unorthodox but friendly Miss Sue (Kathy Bates) to try and get his grade average up and what now ensues sees him become a formal part of their outfit and together they prove just what can be achieved when opportunity presents itself - guided by a feisty and strong-willed woman who didn't know how to take no for an answer. It's a feel good film with very little by way of jeopardy, so what you expect to happen at the start is exactly what does happen, but along the way there are some fun escapades for the family and Aaron and Bullock work well together in a sort of Goliath and David fashion. The scene stealer for me, though, is the young Head whose S.J. proves to be an amiably pivotal character in the journey of his (very) big brother and there's something entertainingly "gentle giant" about the whole enterprise.