“The Blind Side”: Sandra Bullock Shines In Feel Good Sports And Family Movie
Hollywood Icon Magazine was invited to a private screening of The Blind Side last night. Our excitement was high, as one of the female members of our team has been known to burst into tears, just watching the previews.
The movie does not disappoint. This is a top flight family and date-night film that will have you laughing and crying during the moving story. Sandra Bullock proves why she is one of the most versatile actors of our generation. She pulls you into the story as iron-willed Leigh Ann Tuohy. Her performance allows you to ride the wave of emotion brought out by the amazing, real-life story.
The Blind Side, is directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie) and is based on the book by Michael Lewis. The book and film chronicle the real-life story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher, who, as a homeless and rudderless teen in Memphis, Tenn., was taken in by the wealthy Tuohy family and enrolled in private school. He went on to become an All-American at Ole Miss and a first-round selection of the Ravens in the 2009 draft. It stars Quinton Aaron as teenager Michael Oher, Bullock, Tim McGraw, Oscar winner Kathy Bates as Oher’s dedicated tutor, Miss Sue and Heather Holliday Richmond. It also features appearances by several past and present college football coaches including Lou Holtz and Urban Meyer.
The movie is a perfect entrance into the Thanksgiving and the Holiday seasons, as watching Oher’s plight makes you thankful for those you love and the blessings you have. It is definitely stirring and causes you to want to take action, as Tuohy’s did. Bring the tissue, as The Blind Side will have you in tears, both from laughter and an endearing feeling for the characters.
For 45-year-old actress Sandra Bullock, playing the larger-than-life Tuohy was a challenge. With hits like “Speed,” “The Net,” “Miss Congeniality” and last summer’s sleeper smash “The Proposal,” Bullock has survived in an arena notoriously difficult for women. But, Bullock excels in playing the Southern role. Her accent brings back memories of a young Bullock in, ”A Time To Kill.” You will be left wanting to be like her and dismissing the hatred and bigotry that she is fighting against for the love of her son.
After making his screen debut as an alcoholic father in the film adaptation of “Friday Night Lights,” Tim McGraw was reluctant to play another dad in a football film. But, this was a more understated and definitely more challenging role as the dependable and supportive father and husband, Sean Tuohy. McGraw’s strength is in his ability to play second fiddle to Bullock’s character, yet make you believe that he has the skills to have made a fortune owning 80+ fast food franchises.
The Blind Side is Rated PG-13 and opens today, November 20.
Note: The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is a book by Michael Lewis released in 2006 about the NFL. It features two dominant storylines. The first is an examination of how offensive football strategy has evolved over the past three decades in large part due to Lawrence Taylor’s arrival in the 1980s and how this evolution has placed an increased importance on the role of the left tackle. The second storyline features Michael Oher, the former left tackle for the Ole Miss football team, and current right tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. Lewis follows Oher from his impoverished upbringings through his years at Briarcrest Christian School and on to his position as one of the most highly coveted prospects in college football.
Sandra Bullock walked the red carpet in New Orleans Thursday for a special premiere of the film, raising money for a New Orleans high school flooded by Hurricane Katrina. Since the 2005 storm, Bullock has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Warren Easton High
School, one of the city’s oldest public schools, which took on 10 feet of water when the levee protection system broke during Katrina.
