The Blind Side (2009)

Directed by: John Lee Hancock | 129 minutes | drama, biography, sports | Actors: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox, Kathy Bates, Catherine Dyer, Andy Stahl, Tom Nowicki, Libby Whittemore, Brian Hollan, Melody Weintraub, Sharon Morris, Omar J. Dorsey, Paul Amadi, IronE Singleton, Hampton Fluker, Rhoda Griffis, Eaddy Mays, Ashley LeConte Campbell, Stacey Turner, Elizabeth Omilami, Afemo Omilami

“Did I really earn this, or did I just wear y’all down?” For example, Sandra Bullock started her Oscar acceptance speech in 2010 after she was handed the gold statue of colleague Sean Penn and the applause slowly died down. A bit of a strange comment really, because you would expect such a statement from an actress who has already been nominated several times, such as Kate Winslet who finally won the Oscar for best actress the year before. Sandra Bullock only received her first Oscar nomination with her role in ‘The Blind Side’ and immediately cashed in. Perhaps she was referring to her long career in Hollywood and the blockbuster hits that went unnoticed at the Academy all along…

‘The Blind Side’ tells the true story of an American boy from the projects, a neighborhood in Memphis, in which only young people grow up for whom there is no other future than to die in crime or prostitution or an early death, either from an overdose or by murder. Michael Oher is such an underprivileged teenager. His drug-addicted mother has abandoned him and he tries to keep going with all his might. He spends the night wherever he can, in the laundromat, where he washes his only clothes, or in the school gym. When his life crosses paths with that of the wealthy (and white) Tuohy family, especially mother Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock), his odds turn. Without thinking twice, the determined Leigh Anne takes the tall boy into his home, initially gives him the couch to sleep on, but soon sets up a bedroom of his own. “I’ve never had one before,” he says. “What, your own room?” asks Leigh Anne in surprise. “A bed,” is his staggering reply. If you’re not caught up by the film at that point, it’s better to turn it off, but chances are you’ll already be glued to the screen.

Director John Lee Hancock knows how to bring the inspiring story – no matter how tacky and fairytale-like it may sound on paper – in a completely natural way. Everything about this film is convincing: the acting, the emotions of the players, the development of the characters, the sports scenes and the compelling story; ‘The Blind Side’ is a genuinely positive film, but it doesn’t shy away from the heavier themes. Predictable? Without further ado, but the great thing is that you simply grant the protagonists the expected happy ending. Quinton Aaron is very strong in his portrayal of Michael Oher. He plays with perfect restraint and has an excellent calm voice, for whom only one thing is important: family. His scenes with Jae Head playing his younger “brother” SJ are funny and heartwarming. The screenplay often omits clichés; For example, if you expect Leigh Anne’s decision to cause problems for the family, things turn out differently. That is surprising, but when you look back you realize that it all went very easily. The fact that this does not bother you during the film is due to the fascinating screenplay and the excellent acting. Sandra Bullock is particularly convincing as the right on target career lady who is firmly in control in all situations. Due to her ad remme performance, her character is somewhat reminiscent of Julia Roberts’ Erin Brockovich, perhaps a little less amusing.

Throughout the rest of her Oscar speech, Bullock paid attention to her competitors within the category and thanked many people. It is typical of the actress who is known for being warm and affectionate. Whether her acting performance in ‘The Blind Side’ was really so great that she deserved an Oscar for this remains to be seen, because the main character in ‘The Blind Side’ possesses exactly those qualities. And so it’s not a 180-degree turn that the actress had to do to empathize with the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy. But her contribution to this plea that it pays to give is definitely worth watching. Feel good with a capital F.