Probably, by this point, about 90% of America has seen this film.  So it’s fair to guess that this review and recommendation is nearly worthless.  Oh well.  I’m going to tell you about it anyway because it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long, long time, and I don’t really have anything else to blog about today.

The Blind Side is a movie based on the intersection of lives of the Tuohy’s, a deep South, church-going, rich, Republican family, and Michael Oher, a huge, African American, mostly homeless teenager from the projects of Memphis.  I truly hope this isn’t a spoiler, but Michael Oher is currently going into his second season as a starting player for the NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens.  The movie is about how the Tuohy’s find, help, and set Michael on his path of success through their love, acceptance and provision.  But the really glorious thing about the film is that it is also about how the Tuohy’s experience healing and renewal as a family as a result of knowing and caring for Michael and allowing his gentle prescence to influence their lives.

Ultimately, The Blind Side, is about finding and nuturing our own “blind sides.”  It is about reaching out beyond check writing and volunteering at soup kitchens.  It is about getting dirty, getting uncomfortable, getting right in the lives of people and loving them unconditionally, regardless of the consequences.  It is about seeing needs and then doing our best to help meet them.  Shoot…I guess it’s about being like Jesus.  And this movie was made in Hollywood.  It won awards.  Imagine that.

Higlights:

• Knowing that this is a true story makes the film all the more enjoyable and applicable and worthy of discussion with your kids.  It truly is an amazing and challenging story.
• Sandra Bullock has always been one of my favorite actresses, and her performance in this movie just further sealed the deal for me.  She was fantastic, as were many of the other lesser known performers.
• It’s a sports story.  I love a good “Bad News Bears” -ish sports story.
• It was sort of fun to see the actual college coaches playing themselves in several scenes.
• While the movie is inspiring and touching, it also manages to be laugh-out-loud funny.

Low points:

• The movie is rated PG-13 for some content and some language, which makes it not okay for a younger set.  I previewed it, and then decided to let my kids watch it, and they are 10 and 13.  While there are some gritty scenes, they are not gratuitous, and the good of the film far outweighs the bad.  The PG-13 material, I feel, is somewhat necessary to accurately tell the story of Michael’s background.  If the writers had pulled back any more, it would have almost felt like they were glossing over the details, and perhaps the story would not have been as powerful.
• As I said earlier, ultimately Michael Oher was drafted by the Ravens, and I can’t stand the Ravens.  After seeing this movie, I want him to succeed, but I’d like for him to do that without the Ravens having any success.  I know that’s not logical, so I can only hope that a more worthy team will pick him up in free agency when his contract expires in a few years…preferrably the Chicago Bears or the Tennessee Titans.

The Blind Side…if you’re one of the twelve or so Americans left that haven’t seen this film yet, you need to remedy that soon!