Warner Bros. | 2009 | 128 mins. | Rated PG-13
Based on a portion of Michael Lewis’ 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, The Blind Side strikes some as simply an overtly sentimental, manipulative tearjerker; the likes of which movie-goers have seen countless times before. Some of that is probably justified. Writer/director John Lee Hancock does occasionally angle to get the most out of the emotional angle of the story; The Blind Side still manages to be a heartwarming story about overcoming adversity, questioning our own beliefs, and the value of family. Hancock deserves a good deal of credit for the film’s success, as he shows great skill at knowing when to balance emotional moments with glimpses of humor.
Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. The Blind Side attempts to show the bumpy. And somewhat unbelievable, road he traveled to get there. As the film begins, Oher, the son of a drug addict, and ward of the state, is sleeping on the couch of a local mechanic when he can. A hulking young man, he’s been accepted at a private Christian school because of his untapped potential as a football player. The coach (Ray McKinnon) salivates when he considers Michael’s size and strength on his offensive line. Unfortunately, Michael’s academic record is nonexistent, making him ineligible to play. He’ll have to get his grades up before he can suit up for the team.
One night, wandering the streets in the rain, Michael is spotted by Leigh Ann Touhy (Sandra Bullock). She and her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), are aware of him since their son, S.J. (Jae Head), and daughter, Collins (Lily Collins), go to his school. The Touhy’s are a wealthy family; Leigh is a successful interior designer, while Sean owns numerous fast food restaurants. Anyway, impulsively, Leigh Ann invites Michael to spend the night on the family couch, only briefly wondering whether it’s a good idea to invite a near-stranger into the family’s home. Michael, a true”gentle giant,” humble and soft-spoken, is astonished by the kindness.
That one night quickly becomes the first of many, and Michael becomes part of the Touhy clan. His performance at school steady improves, and he’s allowed to join the football team. A sport, by the way, he has never played. There are some stock elements in the story, such as a scene in which Michael returns to the projects and confronts some of the young men who don’t approve of his new life with a white family. But what’s impressive about The Blind Side is how many of the familiar clichés are not to be found in the movie. No villain is invented to generate unnecessary conflict. There is no weepy reunion between Michael and his birth mother. There are no tortured scenes of drawn-out family bonding. The Blind Side isn’t exactly subtle but it also does hit you over the head.
Quinton Aaron carries his first lead role well. Even though he has little dialogue, his character is a very emotional one, and Aaron makes us feel each of Oher’s emotions, be it through his facial expressions or short snippets of dialogue. Bullock offers a spot on performance as a typical Southern mother. It should be noted, that her performance is aided considerably by Tim McGraw, who’s Sean Touhy has an understated charm and undeniable charisma.
Call me a softy, but I fell for this film hook, line and sinker. The Blind Side is an excellent movie that manages to be about football without ever being a “football movie.” The performances are excellent, and help to make you feel invested in Michael, and the Touhy family’s story. Sometimes it’s nice to see a story about nice people doing good things.
Warners present the film on Blu-ray disc in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, using VC-1 codec. The picture’s greatest strength is its bright, deep colors, but for high definition the object delineation is only so-so. The image quality varies considerably from scene to scene. Sometimes, particularly in long shots, it can look crisp and sharp; at other times it can be soft, rough, and slightly blurred. Even though the quality is never objectionable and shows few traces of filtering, edge enhancement, or other digital enhancements, this wouldn’t be considered reference quality.
The soundtrack is presented in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, but it’s nothing special. Its greatest assets are its clarity, naturalness, and warm ambient bloom. Its drawback is having little to do beyond replicate dialogue, a little background music, and a few football noises. The lossless DTS-HD is slightly warmer and smoother than regular Dolby Digital.
The disc includes English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese spoken languages; French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Aside from a standard DVD, and Digital Copy of the film, The Blind Side includes the following special features:
• The Real Michael Oher (HD, 10 minutes): This short interview grants Oher the opportunity to reflect on his experiences at Briarcrest, the individuals who impacted his life, and his affection for the Tuohys.
• Sideline Conversations (HD, 33 minutes): A fairly engaging series of conversations between director John Lee Hancock and author Michael Lewis, and Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sandra Bullock.
• The Story of Big Quinton (HD, 14 minutes): Actor Quinton Aaron, his friends and family, and The Blind Side filmmakers discuss the young man’s humble upbringing, his introduction to performance arts, and his casting in the film.
• Acting Coaches: Behind The Blind Side (HD, 5 minutes): This behind-the-scenes EPK focuses on the real-life coaches who made cameo appearances in the film.
• Additional Footage (HD, 7 minutes): Four deleted scenes.
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