She threatens him, "I'm a member of the NRA, and I'm always packing." At this point in any real world, she'd be packing a cap in her skull. And she insults a drug dealer on his turf. Leigh Anne also silences a redneck at a game. Don't worry, Leigh Anne verbally smacks them down. The Blind Side is relentlessly feel-good.Įven the bigots - Leigh Anne's wealthy tablemates at a restaurant - are nice. In the movie about 11/13's of reality is cut out. In actuality Mike was one of thirteen children, but in the movie he only has one brother. In The Blind Side, Mike's mother is a crack cocaine addict, but a nice one. These movies usually avoid any truth that might unsettle the feel-good vibe. One of the biggest misconceptions about movies is that a film based on actuality is true. Although Big Mike often lives on the streets in bad weather, he is nearly immaculate. In a tale of prevailing over grit and dirt, there's no grit or dirt. About halfway through, The Blind Side becomes a cartoon. As the story of Big Mike evolves, authenticity is annihilated. There's footage of qb Matt Hasselbeck running the ball.īut the authenticity begins and ends there - and doesn't reappear until the final credits. The Blind Side begins with some authenticity - Leigh Anne's voice-over explaining the importance of the left tackle, as footage on the screen shows Redskins' quarterback Joe Theismann's shocking career-ending injury. I certainly don't insist on being literal, but when a film changes reality just to soften it and make it as palatable as pablum, I resist. Michael Oher has found fault with the book, and especially how the movie portrays him as a young man. It's an uplifting story, but in the movie it's a story of black and white told through shades of pink. He was drafted into the NFL and starts as left tackle on the Baltimore Ravens. Because of Leigh Anne's willpower, Big Mike - eventually called Michael - goes to private school, excels playing football, and goes on to play at the University of Mississippi. The Tuohy family is Leigh Anne, Sean, their daughter Collins, and little son S.J. The Blind Side, sloppily based on Michael Lewis' nonfiction book, is the story of Michael Oher, a huge African-American from the projects and streets of Memphis, Tennessee, whom a wealthy white family on the other side of town, takes in. Audiences might remember an actor in the morning. For most audiences, movies are a one-night stand for critics, movies are a lasting relationship.Ĭritics know the names and artistry of their beloved - directors, cinematographers, editors, screenwriters, et al. Audiences love movies, but critics are in love with movies. The Blind Side is an example of how some critics differ from most audiences. They hoke up meaningful stories such as We Are Marshall (2006) and Friday Night Lights (2004) to get facile, unquestioned, reflexive responses from their audience. Screenwriters and directors of sports movies seldom trust the truth. On another more important level - truth/humanity - it fails. On CinemaScore, which registers opening night audience response, the audience gave The Blind Side an A+. But there's no unnecessary roughness there isn't even any necessary roughness. They're a result of a director/writer who goes for an easy score. The Blind Side is guilty of a myriad number of penalties and misplays. When my son was point guard on his high school basketball team, a multitude of parents would come to see their yuppie kids on the cheerleading squad perform. One of the meanings of the title The Blind Side is that in football, the left tackle defends the quarterback's blind side - from the defensive linemen he doesn't see.īut in the movie The Blind Side, truth is sacked and authenticity is fumbled - all in the name of cheerleading.
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