The Blind Side

The Blind Side

Tammy Phillips

ENG 225 Introduction to Film

Instructor Jonathon Alexander

2 August 2014

THE BLIND SIDE

The Blind Side is a 2009 block buster movie starring Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy and Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher. This movie crossed the film genres of sports drama and family. This film is based on a true story based on the life of now famous National Football League player Michael Oher. Writers are John Lee Hancock and Michael Lewis, author of the book. The cinematographer, director of photography is Ala Kivilo. Editing credit goes to Mark Livolsi (Johnson & Hancock, 2009). The story line is of a rich Southern white American family adopting/fostering a homeless African American teenager and showing him a way out of poverty. Michael learns to play football and is the left back position on the team. His job is to protect the quarterback’s blind side.

The plot is based on the life of Michael Oher a seventeen year old African American teenager who has no idea who is father is and a drug addict mother. Though Michael has little formal education he wants to better himself. Leigh Anne Tuohy, a take charge type person, ensures he will have everything he needs to succeed, including love and family. Michael expresses an interest in football and Leigh Anne goes all out to help him and the coaches to teach Michael. To help him succeed and get recruited to colleges she hires a tutor for him ensuring he would qualify for an NCAA Division I scholarship. He plays for Ole Miss which is the Tuohy team of choice and is later drafted as the number one draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens. The plot is very deep and is seen through Oher’s point-of-view. At one point in the film when he is in school he states,” Everything I see is white” (The Blind Side, 2009). This is a true representation of the alienation he feels in society at that point in his life.

The Blind Side uses flashback mode. The first scene is from a football game;...