MOVIE REVIEW: THE BLIND SIDE

The Blind Side is the true, remarkable story of Michael Oher. Oher started out as a troubled teen. He was in and out of foster homes, he had only two pairs of clothes, and no parental guidance whatsoever. It appeared, that he would end up on the same path many troubled teens end up on. However, Oher caught a few lucky breaks in his life which would change him forever.

His first break happened when Tony Henderson, a father to one of his friends, took his son to enroll in Briarcrest Christian School. While there, he asked if Oher could attend as well. The football coach was very interested in Oher, but the school administrators did not feel he could handle the school with his educational background and his current GPA which was at the time a 0.9. Oher luckily ended up getting accepted and began attending Briarcrest.

His second, and possibly most important break came when Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, who had a daughter at Briarcrest, brought him into their home so he could have a place to stay. While there, he formed a bond with the family, especially with their younger son S.J. and Leigh Anne. Michael began staying there permanently and the Tuohy's began taking care of his needs, buying him clothes, giving him his first bed, and eventually buying him a car of his own. They also hired him a tutor who spent numerous hours a week working with him. The Tuhoy's eventually adopted Michael, officially making him part of their family.

By his junior year, he became eligible for football. He played left tackle and by his senior year, he was the number one offensive prospect in the country. The recruiting war began with Tennessee, Ole Miss, Clemson, Alabama and LSU all chomping at the bit to get him to commit to their school. It eventually came down to Tennessee and Ole Miss, with Oher choosing Ole Miss, the Tuohy's alma mater. The choice to attend Ole Miss caused a stir with the NCAA. The Tuhoys were big supporters of Ole Miss and donated to the school every year. The NCAA wanted to make sure that the family didn't bring him in to ensure that he went to their alma mater, a thing they feared would start happening with well off families. The investigation did not affect Oher's decision and attended Ole Miss.

Oher started ten games his freshman year and became the first freshman all-American. Throughout his career at Ole Miss, he was selected for several all-conference and all-American teams. Oher decided that after his junior year he would enter the NFL draft, but later changed his mind and played his senior year at Ole Miss.

In 2009, Michael Oher was selected twenty-third in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. The Tuohys were there with him to celebrate the big day. Oher signed a five year $13.8 million dollar contract and has started every game for the Ravens this season, bringing this incredible story to an end, and beginning a new one.

The Blind Side focuses mainly on the high school part of Oher's life. It does a good job of portraying the hard and long journey it took Oher to reach the success he now has. Why I screed this instead of "New Moon" was because of the Oscar buzz Sandra Bullock is getting for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Touhy. Bullock said in an interview, that when she first met the real Leigh Anne, that she hated her. She was a very straightforward, bossy, in your face kind of lady. By their fifth visit, Bullock said that they ended up being like best friends. After hearing that, it seems that Bullock nailed her portrayal of Leigh Anne. You can't help to look past the uppity, high-class personality of Leigh Anne and cheer her on as she molds Michael into the person she knows he can be. The rest of the cast did a great job as well. Most of the talent from the film has little acting credentials, which really surprised me, because the entire cast did a really great job. Although Bullock is getting all the buzz, the show stealer in my opinion was Jae Head, who portrays S.J. Tuohy, the younger son. You may recognize Head from Hancock or NBC's Friday Night Lights. He has a unique and upbeat energy I have never seen from a child actor. The film itself is a feel good movie, with a few clichés and cheesy dialogue, but overall leaves you wanting to go out and help someone in need. I give The Blind Side four out of five stars.