Why So Blu?

‘Blind Side’ an Eye Opener

Upon the conclusion of 2009, some of us staff here at Why So Blu will be compiling our own unique top-ten lists of our favorite films this year.  The Blind Side will be on mine.  This absolutely brilliant piece of work was not from the thought factory of some Hollywood writers or producers.  Instead, this very real and very touching story is the product of none other than life itself.  Starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and last but certainly not least, Quinton Aaron, The Blind Side is a 2-hour, 6-minute piece of art that will have you laughing, frowning, smiling, cheering and maybe even a little choked up. 

Aaron plays Michael Oher (pronounced like an ‘oar’ on a boat), a kid who’s a bit of a recluse who frequently finds himself with no place to go.  Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband Sean (Tim McGraw), find a rain-soaked ‘Big Mike’ Oher roaming the streets one cold night in search of a warm place to stay.  Leigh Anne, being the God-fearing Christian woman she is, extends an offer for Michael to stay at the Touhy residence that night.  However, the immediate problem isn’t just a bedless Oher, but minding his absolutely abysmal grade point average and coaxing him to come out of his anti-social shell, with football helping out a little in all these areas.  Let me stop right here for a moment and provide you with a bit of instruction.  If you ever hear anyone say this movie is about football, I want to go over to them, turn them around, and proceed to boot them out of the room with one swift kick.  If anybody thinks this is a football movie, then they have totally missed the whole point of this film. 

Next, let me get this minor detail off my chest…Good God does Sandra Bullock look amazingly beautiful.  Nevertheless, her good looks are rivaled only by her great acting.  I will go as far to say that this was the best performance of her career.  I truly enjoy her movies, but this one in particular is solid all the way around, as is her ability to deliver her character with convincing realism.  I was curious how country singer Tim McGraw would do in front of the camera but any pre-conceived concerns of mine were quickly dispatched.  The man did a fine job in his role and this just goes to show how multi-talented he really is.  As for Quinton Aaron, I just know that some will look at his role and think, “He didn’t have to say anything.  How hard is that?”  While it is true that Michael Oher is (or at least was) a man of few words,  Aaron faced the daunting task of making his actions relay emotion without giving it away through words.  In addition, he also had to let the audience inside his head, again, without speaking about what was on his mind so you could get some grasp on his troubled past.  No worries.  Quinton Aaron did it all with ease.

The Blind Side is a movie that has many messages woven throughout its delivery without preaching them.  This makes such messages much more visible and palatable for the audience as they envelop what they are watching.  There is the quality of being a hard worker, the ethical path of doing the right thing, and lastly, standing up in the face of discouragement and intimidation.  Michael Oher would never be where he’s at today if he never got up after being knocked down.  The story takes viewers on an entertaining journey through trial and tribulation as well as a good share of laughs and milestones.  It will tug on your heart strings and show a dark side of life that many of us turn a blind eye to.  It will also show you that you reap what you sew and you can damn well bet I got a little misty-eyed at this film’s closure.  I commend the real life Touhy’s for their patience, their aid and their courage to lend a helping hand to a complete stranger.  They are the definition of ‘good people.’     I also tip my hat to John Lee Hancock, for if it were not for his directing abilities, this story would have never been told with such flare on screen as I witnessed tonight.